The Contextualized Teaching of Intermolecular Interactions based on the Topic of Sweeteners

Abstract: Discussions about the necessary changes in textbooks have long been known. However, this change cannot be sudden. Gradually, it is necessary produce new auxiliary material to help this transition process between textbook models. Therefore, we have built a contextualized, thematic didactic unit, which aims to assist the teaching of intermolecular forces based on the process of perception of sweet taste. This article analyzes the results of the application of this unit in an undergraduate class. The results show that students not only learned the chemical concepts but also used the sweet-taste phenomenon to explain the interactions. In addition, students learned features such as the linearity of the hydrogen bond, commonly ignored in textbooks. We conclude that the contextualization was truly fulfilled and functioned as an effective approach in the teaching-learning process.