A CHEMISTRY EXHIBIT H. W. BAKE= AND L. I. PHARES, SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL, BATTLECREEK.MICHIGAN
This article deals m.th a chemistry exhibit which was held in the Battle Creek High School in May, 1931. It explains i n some detail just how the exhibit was handled from the time early instructions were given to the students as to the $1-eparation of their charts until they were completed and the exhibit was held in the gymnasium. The fact that the charts were pesemed and later placed in the classroom for future reference i s stressed.
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For several years we have followed with considerable interest the different articles which have appeared in the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCA-TION concerning exhibits.* On several occasions we have tried these ideas on a small scale with a fair degree of success. i ~ h Chemistry e Department For instance, two years ago €9 Of some of our students were encouraged t o prepare charts and scrap-books and one of Cordially Invites You them submitted in The C h m to I istry Leaflet Contest a scrapbook which won the first prize of $50.00. I n May, 1930, our students in second-semester chemistry May 21-22 prepared fifty or sixty charts 2 p . 7-9p.m. a a very similar to those suggested m in various previous articles in e High School Gymnasium the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION. After exhibiting e them in our classrooms, we ADMISSION placed several on the bulletin boards in the corridors where the student body could view WHICA WAS them. Later twenty-five or HIS IS A COPYOB THE POSTER thirty of the best ones were taken to the city library building where they were left for several days in order that the public might have an opportunity t o examine them. Among the many comments which we received about the charts were two in particular that gave us new enthusiasm. One came from a contractor who lived in a neighboring city. He was very much interested and said * See Bibliography.
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that he believed schools should do more of this kind of thing. The other came from a man who was visiting at the Battle Creek Sanitarium and who was connected with a private school in Alabama. He asked that he might borrow some of the charts and have them photographed so that his students might cany on some of this project work. He later wrote that he secured some excellent pictures. He also stated that he would like to buy some of our charts if they were for sale but they were not. Because the display attracted so much attention, it occurred to us that perhaps exhibit material prepared in this way was of more importance than we had realized. Hence, last spring we decided to capitalize as many suggestions obtained from the JOURNAL OR CF~MICAL EDUCATION as we could, together with our own experiences, and incorporate them into a more extensive project. As the plans developed, other new ideas of our own also crept in and perhaps some of the things which we learned and did will be of interest to others who would like to do a similar piece of work. Early in the second semester we gave each pupil a mimeographed sheet explaining the proposed project and giving him a suggested list of subjects from which to select. Definite dates were set at this time for handing in reports on the progress, and dates were also set for the exhibit itself. We secured permission to have exclusive use of the school gymnasium for a solid week in May. Each pupil was required to make one poster project, or to set up a model of some chemical process, and to write an essay on his subject. The preliminary work was to be done in extra time, as regular classwork proceeded as usual until about two weeks before the exhibit. At this time we gave over all of the class time to work on the projects and continued until most of the posters were ready, which in the majority of cases was about a week. Following a splendid suggestion in the April, 1931, JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION (10) all the posters were made on beaver board of uniform size (24" X 32"), and when finished were sprayed with clear lacquer to make them waterproof and also to preserve them for future use. Originality in construction was urged and in many cases more than one person worked on the same subject, but each developed it in his own way so that instead of overlapping, one supplemented the other. Whenever it was feasible, the pupils made samples of the material which they were representing on their poster. For example,' samples were made of the following: soap; medicines, such as aspirin and acetanilide; antiseptics, such as tincture of iodine and iodoform; patent medicines; paper (6); candy; glass; paint; lacquer; cosmetics; writing ink; printing ink; corn sirup (13); fertilizers; dentifrices; photographic paper; silvered mirrors; galvanized iron; baking powder; matches. Sets of
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AT THE LEFTVISITORS ENTERED, REGISTERED WITH STUD EN^-MADE INK, RECEIVED A TICKET TO THE CHEMISRYSHOW-PRINTED ON THE HANDPRESSWHILEYOU W m - T H E N FOLLOWS EXHIBITON THE CHEMISTRY O F INKS. NEAR T A R RR-
the chemistry of the automobile; auto tires and other rnbber articles; ingredients used in the manufacture of flavors; a neon tube, as used in making signs, together with a transformer so that it was kept in operation; samples of prepared foods; samples of paints and lacquers; a working model of the "Akron" hangar and Zeppelin; a working model of an airport beacon; an electric train outfit; model airplanes which were suspended by wires from the girders; different types of fire mask outfits and an oxygen inhalator from the fire department; an oxyacetylene welding outfit from the automechanics department of the school; diierent kinds of apparatus from the physics department; and telephones. The exhibit was open from noon until nine-thirty in the evening with pupils from the chemistry classes present to make people welcome and to explain the charts. "Eskimo Pies," sandwiches, and candy were sold and the proceeds helped to pay some of the expenses. Each person was asked to register. using ink made by one of the girls. Over 1700 people signed the hook, and we estimated that approximately 2500 people were in attendance. Most of the students in school, as well as many of theparents, attended, which made an excellent opportunity to meet some of them who otherwise would not come to the school. One expression heard many times
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was: "I had no idea that chemistry had t o do with so many things." One student who had made some printer's ink had a little hand press near the registration desk and gave a ticket t o each guest which entitled him t o admission a t a chemistry show given in an adjacent lecture room. This show consisted of the usual pyrotechnic displays; explosions; turning water into wine, milk, and grape juice, etc. (2), (7). As a distinctly educational feature, thermite welding was demonstrated with lights turned out for increased effectiveness. All of this manipulation was carried out by pupils. At the exhibit itself one of the things which attracted the most attention was an alchemist's booth, rigged up with all the musty old equipment obtainable and a black-hooded attendant working among his mysterious bottles, making colors and precipitates, and changing pennies into "silver" to the joy of the children and amazement of some of their elders. Inasmuch as a great deal of time was spent in making the project worth while, an invitation was given to all the pupils of neighboring schools t o attend, which many did in groups. A unique feature of the posters used t o advertise the exhibit was the use of cuts of beakers, test tubes, etc., borrowed from achemical company. One of the local newspapers found occasion for an editorial on one of the charts. This chart contained samples of the chemicals found in the human body, giving the approximate amounts of
SMALLVKALSON THE TABLECONTAIN SAMPLES OF CHEXICALS FOUNDI N VARIOUS ARE ATTACHED B Y STRINGS TO THE CHEMICAL PARTS OF THE UNITEDSTATES. THEY MAP TO SHOWLOCATION Sdfw is considered an important chemical by our students judging by t h e number of charts devoted t o it. The charcoal drawings a t the right will he recognized as Arrhenius and Bunsen. These and several others were sketched from photographs by a chemistry student.
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DIGESTEDIN TRE HUMANBODY Candy and sandwiches for sale furnished the applied chemistry. One,gets a glimpse of some of Battle Creek's Food Products that "breakfast the
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A d down by motor,'(d) working Lode1 of g& 'plant shows all products
Two HEAVYSCREENS PLACED AGAINST THE WALL OF THE GYM-A LOX ' ~ A O L T ; ACROSS THE FRONT TO HOLDAPPARATUS-SOME HEAVYPAPERPAINTED BLACK AND PRESTO! AN ALCHEMIST'S LABORATORY This attracted a great d u l uf attentmu and we are inclined to believe made a lasting hpression upon studfnb. i\lrcady this fall occasion has some b br~inningchemistry for refwercncc to this booth.
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each and an example of what could be done with these chemicals, such as "enough sulfur to rid a dog of fleas." Splendid cooperation was secured from all departments of the high school. For example, suitable mottoes dealing with science were lettered by the Art Department. The beaver board was cut to the proper size in the Manual Training Department. The lacquering was done by the Auto Mechanics Department, as they owned a spray gun. The Physics Department furnished one exhibition table. The high-school orchestra furnished us with music on both evenings on which the exhibit was open. The Printing Department printed our posters. At the mnclusion of the exhibit, the best posters were hung up in our classrooms, where they will be used as teach'mg devices and to lend atmosphere until a new set is made up, in perhaps two years. Some teachers may have questioned whether such an exhibit can be carried on in a course in high-school chemistry and still leave time to cover the necessary amount of subject matter. The best answer we have found to this question-which also caused us some concerr-is that whereas our chemistry students have for several semesters made something better than a median score of 40 on Powers test, they succeeded in maintaining a median of 38 (test median 36) last spring when charts were made. While such a project involves a great deal of time on the teacher's part, and is much harder work than going along in the usual routine, we believe that it plays a distinct part in the education of the class. Long after the remainder of their chemistry is forgotten the pupils will no doubt remember their part in this project, and the experience in cooperation is certainly worth while. Bibliography (1) BELL,"A Chemistry Exhibit," J. CHEM.EDUC.,5, 280-90 (Mar., 1928). (2) BILLINGER, "A Night in Alchemy," ibid., 6, 715-24 (May, 1929). (3) CAROTHERS, "A Science Fair," ibid., 8, 24-55 (Feb., 1931). (4) CONDON, "Chemistry Exhibits in the Small Laboratory," ibid., 7, 147-53 (May, 1930). (5) Dmsm, "The Chemistry Open House as an Aid in Instruction," ibid., 5, 531-5 (May, 1928). (6) HAUB."Student Research Work in High-School Chemistry." ibid.. 4, 1241-59 (Oct., 1927). (7) LAMAR, "The Arabian Barber Shop," ibid., 6, 2011-8 (NOT.,1929). (8) LAW,"High-School Projects in Chemistry,'' ibid., 6, 1139-43 (June, 1929). (9) MAR~NNAH, "Chemistry Projects in High School," ibid., 5,1112-6 (Sept., 1928). (10) ~DEMACHER, "Making Posters for Chemistry," ibid., 8, 68848 (Apr., 1931). (11) S O ~ H E R N "A, Method of Chemical Instruction," ibid., 6, 152&7 (Sept., 1929). (Sept., 1929). (12) STONE,"Posters in High-School Chemistry,'' ibid., 6, 153(13) WILLIAMS,"From Corn to Kara," ibid., 7, 1147-53 (May, 1930). (14) "What a Chemistry Club Can Do," ibid., 5, 1335-9 (Oct., 1928). (15) W U L ~ S "Fertilizer , from the Air," ibid., 8, 462-70 (Mar., 1931).
