AP Chemistry Review Activity: Lab Poster Walk That Actually Works
- Brennan Koch
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
It’s AP review season! This year I added a review activity that really helped students remember key labs. It took one 90-minute block and was high-impact with minimal prep. Here is how I did it.
Step 1: Assign Students a Previous Lab
Each student was assigned one of the labs that we completed during the year. Fortunately, my classes keep a digital lab book, so they could quickly access methods, data, and calculations.
Each student was given an 8.5”x11” piece of paper to make the poster. The poster had to include:
Goal of the lab (objective)
Hypothesis tested
Diagram of the experimental setup
Key quantitative data + how it was collected
Sample calculation (show the math)
Graphs (drawn and labeled clearly)
Two AP-style questions based on the lab
Students were given ~30 minutes to create the poster.
Step 2: Student Presentations + AP-Style Question Practice
Each student gave a 2–3 minute presentation of their lab.
I was impressed with how engaged the class was. Students were saying things like, “Oh I loved that lab.” They were mentally revisiting the experiment and reconnecting with the concepts.
The most valuable part was the AP-style questions. Writing them forced students to think like test writers, not just test takers.
Students in the audience then paired up and answered the questions. Most questions looked like:
“A student claims their calculated molar mass was too high because they spilled some product. Do you agree with the claim?”
These questions forced students to analyze error, apply logic, and connect back to calculations—exactly what the AP exam requires.
Step 3: Post the Posters for Ongoing Review
I hung the posters on the wall until the test. This allowed:
Absent students to catch up quickly
Daily passive review during class
Repeated exposure to key labs and concepts
Why This AP Review Activity Works
Active recall instead of passive review
Student-generated questions
Visual + verbal reinforcement
Covers multiple labs in one class period
It was an easy process and benefited both AP Chemistry and AP Biology students. Well worth one block day during review season.
Happy reviewing!
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