A Governor's School Course Emphasizing Chemical Reactions James P. Deavor College of Charleston, Charleston. SC 29424 The Governor's School of South Carolina was established at the Colleee of Charleston in 1976. The course taueht during the 1589 session emphasized chemical reactions and the relevancv of chemistrv to o w lives. Previous articles in this Journal have described governor school programs in other states (1-3). Rising high school seniors are nominated by their high schools and are selected based on applications submitted to a screening panel. This year 249 students attended with each student taking two courses: a subject concentration and a global issues course. Class sizes were 22-25 students. Subject concentrations included both the humanities and the sciences. Global issues classes discussed weekly current events topics. Intramural sports, social events, and enrichment activities were held in the evenings and on weekends. Course Format The course was organized so that the morning sessions were devoted to lecture (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 75 min each), the afternoon sessions lab (Mondays and Wednesdays for 2 h), and all day Thursdays were used for field trips except for one Thursday that was devoted entirely to lab work. Field trips were taken to an aluminum plant, paper mill, a private environmental consulting laboratory, and to the Medical University of South Carolina. At the manufacturine olants tours were taken of both the oroduction and the t e c k c a l facilities. The variety of field &ips enabled the Governor's Scholars to see the wide breadth of career opportunities in chemistry. Assignments in the class included a dailv worksheet to complete that covered the lecture topic orihe textbook readinis for that day, a hardbound laboratow notebook to record and explain the laboratory experiences, and short essays to write concerning the field trips. When planning the syllabus for this course, the varied student backgrounds, the time constraints of the 5-week session, physical facilities, and the interests and background of the instructor all played a part. A decision was made to try to exnose the students to as much different chemistrv as possibe in order to heighten their enthusiasm as mu& as oossihle. The students had backmounds raneine from 0 to 2 ;ears of high school chemistry. ~ i e though n all &dents had com~leteda t least 2 vears of dzebra, the mathematical contentof the course w& held to minimum in order to facilitate the wide exposure goal. The title of a paper by Douglas Bond, "In Pursuit of Chemical Literacy: A Place for Chemical Reactions" (4), became the unspoken theme for the course. The text used was a GO-B (general-rganic-biological chemistry) book commonly used in allied health college chemistry courses (5). The lecture syllabus was designed to try to move the students quickly to a common ground and from there into what would be new topics for most if not all of the students. It was emphasized throughout that chemistry is not only a most important subject in today's world but also one that is fun and very rewarding. Problems that have been caused by our modern industrial society were discussed as were the challenges to chemistry to solve these problems while maintaining our standard of living.
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Lecture Content Lectures opened and closed with a question-and-answer oeriod. Students were encouraeed to ask auestions throuehout. Demonstrations, models, and real-world examples were utilized extensivelv. Lecture t o ~ i c and s demonstrations are listed in Table 1. The first class was devoted to a discussion of what chemistry is and what chemistsdo. It included the Ira Remsen story (6,7). The discussion of inorganic reactions included the clksifying of reactions (such as decomposition, double displacement), solubility trends, acid-base definitions, and oxidation-reduction. The acid-base discussion emphasized the Lewis concept. The environmental and industrial concerns of acid rain (8),redox (9),and heavy metal pollution were discussed with emphasis placed on examples obtained from
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Table 1. Lecture Syllabus Topic lnbmuctionto chemistry What s chanlsby? What do chemists do? Inorganic Chemistry Bonding Theories Intermolecular Attractions Inorganic Reactions Classlflcatlons Acld-Base Theories Acid Raln Redox Eleclrochemlcal E r m
Solublllty Trends ard Rules Heavy Metal Pollutents Organic Chemistry Nomenclature Functional Groups Molecular Oeomatry Reactions COmbustion Alkene addnlon Oxidallon of Almhols Saponification Soaps and Detergems Esterificatlan Amine Chemistry Drugs Free Radical Subslltution Ozone Hole Orrwtnhouse E M Polymers Blochemistry Carbohydrates LPlds Pmteins Enzymes Nucleic Acids Recombinant DNA
Dsmonslratlon Ira Remsen Story ( 7 A
ConductlvlIy 01 NaCl vs. sucrose (15) Ammonia Fountaln (18)
Eleotmlysisof KI solution (17) (NH,)&O, volcano (18) Kristin's Thirsty ( 7 3
lgnltlon of Methanol (79) Tomato Juice Rainbow (201 Tollen's Test (273
l o ..'2 3'. and 4' sbucture (221 Catalysis of H202reddction(23
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the chemical literature. Emphasis was placed on both intermolecular and intramolecular attractive forces. The next area of reactions covered oreanic chemistw. Af" ter laying a foundation of basic nomenclature, the reactions studied were addition to alkenes. oxidation of alcohols. esterification, saponification, and the reactions of mines to form hydrochlorides and amides. These reactions were picked for their biochemical interest. The structure and use of various nitrogen com~oundsas drugs were discussed. Free radical suhstitLtion of alkanes was presented in detail as a prelude to a discussion of the ozone hole (10) and the meenhouse effect. Addition, condensation, and rearrangement polymers were discussed in terms of the chemistry of their formation and their commercial use (11). Biochemistry was presented emphasizing specific chemical reactions of certain hioloeical functional mouns. Carhohydrates were discussed in regard to chemic~str;cture and bioloeical function. Linids nresented were fattv acids and steroLds and were discksed in terms of health &d dietary concerns. Proteins were discussed relating the levels of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure in terms of the chemical properties involved. The lock-and-key model of enzyme activity and denaturation of proteins were studied. Nucleic acids were discussed in terms of structure and cellular function. The construction and use of recombinant DNA were explained. Laboratory Program
With a class of such divergent backgrounds coming from high schoolsthat generally have at best modest lah facilities, the lah program was designed to get them to see and do as much as possible on an individual hasis. The experiments performed were borrowed from or adapted from those used in the allied health sequence taught at the College or from the soohomore auantitative analysis course and are listed in ahl lei. ~ e c t u r iand s labs were E~oselycoordinated. The 2 h allotted for lab in the afternoon required some extra Dreoaratory work hy the smffso that th; students could work in the most expeditious way. While most experiments were of the test tube, flask, and beaker type, Spectronic 20's and pH meters were used. The pK, and formula mass of an unknown oreanic acid were calculated usine a LOTUS 1-2-3 soreads h k t (12)from the data collected-by monitoring the pH of a titration with standard NaOH. The exoeriments that were received best by the students were the synthesis of esters, soao, and ~olvmers.the makine of items with which thev ~er:famil&.~~he last lab perio& however, was their favorite. The "chemical maeic" lab was performed bv oairine the students and allowinithem to present "tricksi'berfo&ed during the Chemistry Magic Show presented annually at the Low Country Science Fair (13). Necessary chemicals were prepared previously and made available to the students along with instructions for each trick. An opportunity to
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Journal of Chemical Education
Table 2.
Laboraton Svllabus Reference
Physical and Chemical Chsnges Acids. Bases, Salts, and Preclpltatlms Organic Qual: IDof an Unknown Alcohol Oetermlnation of p& and Famula Mass of an Unknown Organic Acid Synthesis of Aspirin and Omer Esters Swlronlc-20 Dgtermination of FB b p a r a t l o n and Properties 01 Soap and a Detergent Synthetic Polymers F w d Chemlshy: I 0 of Carbohydrates. Starches, and Proteins Chemical Madc
practice was given each group. They then performed in front of the class in a round-robin fashion. Each mouo - . had w explain the chemistry involved with its trick. Acknowledgment
The author wishes to thank the South Carolina Department of Education and the College of Charleston for support of the Governor's School. Alumax of South Carolina, the Westvaco Company, General Engineering Labs, and the Medical University of South Carolina also are to be thanked for additional support. 1. Msthia, L.J.; Storey, R F. J. Chem. Educ. 19%. 61.150. 2. Farrell, M.; Pfell,R.; Caratto,A. A.J. Chem. Educ. 1988,65,150. 3. Magyar, E S.;M,J.0.J. Chom. Edue. 1989,66,246 4. Bond, D.J.Chem. Edue. 1983.66.157. 5. Stoker. H. F. Chemistry A Scimcefor Tofay; Maonillan: NeaYork. 1989. 6. Getman. H.F.J. Chom. Edue. I9U)..?S, 9. 7. Rsmette. R. W . J. Chem.Educ. 1980.57.68, 8. Cbarala, A. E.J. Chem.Educ. 1987,64,437. 9. DoL0renzo.R. J.Chem.Educ. 1985,62,424. 10. Elliott, 8.;Roalaod,F. S. J. Cham. Edue. 1981,64,387. 11. Seymour, R. B.J. Chom.Edue. 1989,66,59. 12. Asieson, 0. L.;Dsauor. J. P.. C o k e of Charleaton. lab bandout available uoon 13. O m o r . J. P.;L m Couolw S w m F a i ~.Magic Sboa.awilehle u p n wurst I4 Sumrn.rltn. I. If; Horgford. C.L : Ealy. .I. R. Chrmrol Iremonsrrorrons. Amerxan Cnrm6ralSoncts.Wwhhyron, DC 1981: \'a1 2.~4. 15. Shekhashin,R b. rhsmr.-allJemuwrrorrons;L'nrvera;!) d W8amnain Yadlmn. 1982.
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16. Summerlin. L. R.: Ealy. Jr., J. L. Chemical Demomfmfio~;Ameriuu, Chemid Saiety Washingtongto, DC, 1985:p 10. 17. Kolb, K. E.;Kolb,D.K. J.Cham. Edm. 1986,83,517. 18. Ref 14. p 140. 19. Ref 15. Vol. 2,p 216. 20. MacBeath, M. E.:Richardmn,A. L. J Chem. Educ. 1986,63,1W2. 21. Kemp, M.: Slotnick,H. J. Chem.Educ. 1981.58,655. 22. Deavor. J . P.J Chom.Educ. 1388,64622. 23. Ref14, p 72. 24. Seager. S. L.;Slabaugb, M. R. Lobomtory Erpm?imenls in lnlmductory Chemistry: Geneml, Olganic, ondBiachemiatry: Weat: St. Paul. MN, 1987. 25. Skoog. D.A.: Weat. D. M. Analytical Chemiatry:An Intmdution, 4thsd.: Saunden: NoaYmk. 1986. 26. Deauor. J. P.; lab handout. avdeble won rsqusst.
