I
Ihemistrv and Maaic
In January our campus is involved in a three-week period of minicourses called Intersession, which is similar in some respects to the month interim period at other colleges.' Intersession topics are designed for students to further their professional competence, offer intellectual enrichment, advance their avocational interests, or provide ~ course Chemistry and Magic personal e n j o ~ m e n t .The was offered within this framework as an experiment to see how students would react to and participate in a "fun" lab course: one that would be as unstructured as possible with the students encouraged to do anything they wanted to do in the time available whether it complied with the title or not. The purchase of textbooks for several short courses presents a severe financial burden for many students. Thus, while some students purchased copies of the two suggested texts,3 the instructor's copies were made available to the other students during the previous Fall and the course itself. These texts give directions for performing many standard magic tricks (fire writing and painting, Pharaoh's serpent) as well as the more offbeat demonstrations (electrolysis of sodium through glass). The course was given in concentrated three-day sessions starting Tues. morning and ending Thurs. afternoon, with evening sessions on Tues. and Wed. Additional work for credit4 consisted of preliminary reading and planning on Mon. and a choice of either a written report or participation in a magic show on Fri. morning. Of the 22 students in the course,o four elected the credit (magic show) option; all class levels were represented as well as several course disciplines. The course was conducted mainly in one of our general chemistry labs, with similar lab and hood space available adjacent to it as needed. The onlv formal lecture in the course beean with a discussion o f t h e nature and aims of the course. The primary aim was to be the students' enjoyment, consistent with good safety practices. If in conflict with learning, the primary aim was to prevail. Chemical magic was only a suggested topic of activity. As explained to the students, this course was to be an opportunity for them to do everything they had ever wanted to do in the lab, hut had been prevented from doing by "the system." In addition to their lockers full of general chemistry equipment and chemicals available in the adjacent prep room, the lab assistant and I would try to get any other equipment or chemicals needed. In effect the entire resources of the chemistry building would be put a t their disposal. Following this introduction I put on a chemical magic show using illustrative fires, explosions, color changes, and other special effects, concluding with a demonstration of an oscillating chemical system.6 Once on their own there was considerable "copy-catting" among students particularly of spectacular fires and explosions. However, the frequency of this sort of activity peaked early on the first day, then rapidly decreased thereafter. Midway through the course, supplies of Dry Ice
262
/ Journal of Chemical Education
and liquid nitrogen were brought into the lab and used in an informal demonstration. Some of the students then worked with these niaterials.' The final magic show was performed in our lecture hall in front of a small, hut appreciative audience of students and faculty. The tabulated cost of supplies and equipment for the course totalled $68.91 in stockroom charges with partial bottles of chemicals available for use in other courses.8 Other contributions came from my research lab and an organic prep room, but these costs were minimal. With only one exception we were able to supply all the requested items. While all the students gave the course high grades in their final evaluations, there was also general agreement among them that the course was too unstructured. They would have preferred more lectures and prepared demonstrations by the instructor! Students often tell us that they would do hetter in iah courses if the pressure for credit were removed and the contents were more enjoyable; this supposition was not borne out here. Attendance by many students after the first day was sporadic with most of the absences occurring in the evening sessions. Only about six students appeared to take full advantage of the course which included all those taking it for credit. Apparently most students require some structure (guidance?) to optimize their performance and enjoyment in a course. The students in Chemistry and Magic who had seemed to narticinate the final maeic show as their eoal " and enjoy the course considerably more than the average of the other students. Eniovment per se is not a sufficient framework on which to hangs courde.
-
Acknowledgment
Teaching assistant, Alfred T. Elvin, and our stockroom man, Roy Hamilton, were of great help in giving the course. 'Berry, K. O., and Nigh, W. G., J. CHEM. EDUC., 50, 208 (1973);several articles in the October 1969 issue of this Journal. WPI Operational Catalog 1973, p. 61. Ford, L. A., "Chemical Magic," T. S. Denison and Co., Inc. Minneapolis, 1959; Alyea, H. N., and Dutton, F. B., "Tested Demonstrations in Chemistry," 6th Ed., Division of Chemical Education, Eastan, 1965 (each under $5). 4 S/U grades; participation on a noncredit hasis is also recorded on a student's transcript. SEnrollment was limited to 20 WPI students; two persons attended from outside the Institute, one of whom was a local high, school teacher using the course to develop demonstrations. Wingree, A. T., Science, 175,634 (1972). ?Mixing up a large batch of the chemical oscillator given in the reference in Footnote 6, but with much less than the proportional amount of indicator, makes the bulk solution transparent. Addition of pieces of Dry Ice to the mixture provides agitation and gives an attention-gettingdisplay or demonstration. 8Giving such a course also uses up chemicals that have not been touched in years.
