An update is coming out for the Education Edition in early February (I think it will be any where from the 4th to the 12th).

Features:

• Teachers Lab Journal
• Make pigs fly with helium balloons
• Create underwater TNT
• Find out what elements make up a grass block
• Glow Sticks
• Rapid Grow Fertilizer
• Underwater torches
• And many many more!

Quotes:

“Bringing chemistry to Minecraft not only helps spark interest in STEM, but also helps educators engage students in the scientific process, reinforcing creative problem solving and engaging experiments,” says Minecraft Education Director Neal Manegold. “Concepts like states of matter, structure of atoms and chemical reactions become accessible in Minecraft through the immersive world and these brand-new tools. We are excited to share not only the game updates, but also the collection of lessons, world and teacher’s guide to help educators on their journey with games for learning.”

"Dr. Kate Biberdorf, Ph.D., public outreach director and lecturer at University of Texas, thinks adding chemistry to Minecraft could be a game-changer for introducing students to the subject. “Even the most basic concepts can be hard to learn without the freedom to experiment,” she said. “The best way to learn is to try and fail, and try again – and that’s what games like Minecraft do best!”

More details on new stuff:

• The Element Constructor allows you to create elements based on their atomic structure with sliders to choose the number of protons, neutrons and electrons. By using the Element Constructor, you can create 118 elements from the Periodic Table as well as over 400 stable isotopes.
• With the Compound Creator, you can add elements to the grid and the resulting compound will appear for you to use in Minecraft. Create over 30 compounds with this tool – from luminol and hydrogen peroxide to charcoal and soap.
• The Lab Table allows you to create Minecraft items by combining elements and compounds in a grid. For example, adding water and sodium hypochlorite makes bleach, which a player can use to turn wool white.
• The Material Reducer reduces a block to its component elements, providing a useful way to explore the elements that make up our environment. Some blocks in Minecraft do not exist in the natural world, and we’ve added a “?” element for these as well to encourage curiosity of learners.

The Element Constructor is one of the new crafting tools included in the Chemistry Update.

New News: https://education.minecraft.net/wp-content/uploads/ChemistryLab_Journal.pdf

This link shows pictures of each item/block being added and their functions and recipes to craft.

I did not write this entire article some is taken from the link below.

Read the full article: https://education.minecraft.net/?p=1105845 (Also my source)