From ABCs to NaCl: Using Comics & Gameplay to Teach Chemistry Concepts

Chemistry doesn’t have to feel intimidating for students or for teachers. In this lively, one-hour webinar, Dr. Colleen Kelley shares her innovative comic-book and games-based approach to teaching physical science and chemistry to learners in Grades 3–8. This method is the foundation of her 2025 TEDx talk, “Molecular Literacy for Ages 8–108,” and the inspiration behind the Emmy Award–winning PBS short Comic Book Chemistry - all of which demonstrate that chemistry becomes far more accessible when taught as literacy.

Drawing on the Award-Winning M.C. Detective Agency comic series and classroom-tested games, Colleen reframes molecular concepts using the same tools we use to teach reading: alphabets, stories, visuals, and play. Participants will explore level-appropriate comics, “Periodic Table Twister,” the digital Element Decoder game, and narrative strategies that help students read, decode, and understand molecules long before high school.

Whether you teach elementary or middle school, you’ll leave with joyful, practical tools that transform chemistry into an inviting, story-driven adventure.

Bio - Dr. Colleen Kelley

Creating fun and accessible chemistry stories has been a labor of love for Colleen as a retired University of Arizona chemistry professor and author of a series of kid’s chemistry comic books. In 2023, the PBS short documentary, “Comic Book Chemistry” was awarded an Emmy. This documentary centered around Colleen’s vision, chemistry comic book series and her success with teaching college-level chemistry concepts to kids. This vision was then presented as a TEDx talk, “Molecular Literacy for Ages 8 – 108” in 2025. During Colleen’s 30 years of teaching chemistry, she became aware that her students were struggling with basic concepts, including fluency with the symbols for the elements themselves. These comic books, videos, and activities are Colleen’s gift to all future scientists – one that will help them succeed in college chemistry.

Colleen holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University, was awarded a Chateaubriand Fellowship to conduct research at the Universite Pasteur in Strasbourg, France under the direction of Nobel Prize Winner, Jean-Marie Lehn. Colleen was a tenured faculty member with research expertise in environmental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and chemistry education. She has published four chemistry textbooks, over 30 peer-reviewed articles, and has presented her work globally.