edlted by
chemi~tryfor kid/ Chemistry for Children Arnold George Mansfield State College Mansfield, PA 16933
A national need exists to attract qualified students into the study of the physical sciences at all levels. The decline in numbers of students in physics and chemistry at the collegiate level mav be due to their late exmsure to the field. Recent studies show that elementary schbol teachers have relatively little training or experience in chemistry; consequently, they do not present this important field to their students. To meet this need a workshop was offered to elementary school teachers from New York and Pennsylvania. As in a program a t California State University-Sacramento,' the main objective of this project is to have school children gain hands-on experience with chemistry. The workshopwas designed to introduce experiences with chemistry at a level appropriate to elementary school teachers assuming in chemistrv. u little or no background " " , and the workshon was presented in such a way that the teachers learned to do hands-on exneriments annronriate . for their students. The experiments can he conducted safely in any classroom without soecial facilities. nsine" chemicals that are readilv and freqnently found around the home and school, or if need he, easily purchased in grocery stores, hardware stores, and drug stores. Announcements of the w o r k s h o ~ availahilitv, '~ - . together with information about how to apply and where to get application forms, were Dlaced in official Mansfield State College course pnhli&ion8. Brochures and application forms w&e sent to su~erintendentsand Drincipak of all regional ele&.
teachers in all elementary schools within about a 50-mile radius of Mansfield.
As the role of chemistry becomes more impottant in our society, the need for chemical education to reach evetyone bemmes imperative. Much anemion has been givento developingcourses for high s c h d and college students, but unfortunately many of these older students lack the necessary interest or desire to sign up for these courses. What can we as Chemist do to turn this situation around? Several of our colleagues have, for various reasons, become involved with elementary school students (K-9) taking advantage of children's natural curiosity to experiment. demonstrate, and work with chemicals to promote an interest in our science. This feature is designed to encourage our readers to become involved in some way with introducing chemistry to children. Methods. techniques, and ideas that have proven successful will be featured. W e wish to challenge those of you who have interacted with chemistry and kids to share your program with the rest of OUT readers. We further challenge those who have not made the first step to use these programs to develop a system which will work for you and the kids in your community. Responses of the children to the activities would be of particular interest. In this way, this feature can provide
PATRICIA
J SMITH
Unlted States A r Academy Hlgh School Unlted States Air Academy CO 80840
From the pool of applicants, twenty teachers (from grades 4, 5, and 6) were selected to participate in the three week workshop. All received three graduate credits for their efforts. Most of the materials necessarv to do the chemistrv activities were purchased prior to thistart of the workshop and issued to the participants on the first day. In addition, each person was given a book of experiments entitled "Chemistry Activities for Children" and a theorv hook entitled "Outline for a Chemistry Handbook for ~ c h o iTeachers." l All of the experiments done during the workshop came from the activities hook. To facilitate the rapid inclusion of the chemistry activities into each teacher's science curriculum, several steps were taken. Baby food jars and the discarded plastic and glass bottles from the local hairdresser shops were used as containers and reaction vessels whenever possible. As the participants did the experiments they were required to prepare all solutions needed, and they constructed some simple equipment. The containers for solids and solutions, all the chemicals required to do the activities, and all other necessary materials were collected and keot bv the teachers. Thus. thev returned to their schools and entered the new year with thk knowledge and a ready supply of the items they needed to get started. At the conclusion of the worksho~.the teachers were asked A
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a need for t i e program?" ~ r o m the results, the teachers state
' Londa L. Borer, J. CHEM.EDuC..54, 703 (1977).
For the cost of printing and postage interested readers may obtain copies of 'Chemistry Activities for Children" and 'Outline for A Chemistry Handbook for School Teachers" by writing directly to the author.
mechanisms for introducing more chemistry to children and thus society
Patrlcla Smith obtained a B.A. degree at Central College in Iowa, and a M.A. degree in organic chemistry at the University of Kansas. She began her teaching career at the college level where her assignment included courses in science and science education methods for preservica elementary teachers. She also acted as a consultant to public school districts who wished assistance in impiementing science programs in elementary schools. Currently she is a chemistry teacher. science department chairperson, and coordinator of Me gifted and talented program at Air Academy High School. Her organizational memberships include the American Chemical Society. National Science Teachers Association, Colorado Association of Science Teachers, and Phi Delta Kappa. She isactive in the activities of theDivision of Chemical Education and was recently appointed chairperson of its High School Chemistry Committee.
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that in order to build confidence to work with chemistry and develop new ideas and methods, experiences of the kinds provided in the workshop are necessary; thus, there is a real need for the chemistry activities that were treated. The comments also suggest that teachers perceive a lack of hands-on chemistry activities appropriate for fifth and sixth graders. Recoenizine that anulications and extensions of the activities would be iseful intheir own classroom situations, the teachers' remarks reveal their eagerness to do the activities with their students. In the fall of 1980, principals and supervisors were asked to consult with and observe their teachers who participated in the workshop. They were invited to comment on the value of the workshon to their schools. Althoueh " it is still too earlv to judge the full impact of the program, all administrators agree that their teacher participants returned with enthusiasm, and they have ideas and plans to work the chemistry into their science curriculums. Some principals even went so far as to note that there is a growing trend toward teaching science from texts with a real lack of hands-on exueriences for the children. Furthermore, the administrators state, some teacher participants have become resource persons to whom other teacheis turn for ideas and informa&. A follow-up meeting was held on May 1, 1981. All of the teachers who-were involved in the summer workshop were invited to attend. The teachers were asked to respond to a questionnaire and return it prior to the meeting so that the results could be discussed a t that time. In short, except for comments related to details about some of the chemistrv activity procedures, there were no important criticisms made. Most of the teachers tried some or all of the activities durine the year. Of the twenty original workshop participants, sixteen attended the follow-UDmeetine. A list of the activiGes used the workshop, and a brief descrintion of each is eiven below. For each exveriment there in the actual acti;ity is 106%innearly every case. 1) The Bean Pot. Sampling techniques are illustrated as well as the need to include measurements into meaningful observations. 2) The Design of an Experiment. Beginning with a question, a hypothesis is proposed and a theory is developed. To provide evidence in support of the theory, an experiment is designed, executed and data collected. 3) An Experiment on the Behavior of Gases;BoyleS Law. Data are collected using a simple teacher-constructed device that illustrates Boyle's Law. The data are plotted as a bar graph. 4) Preparation of Two Gases; Carbon Dioxide and Oxyeen. The two eases carbon dioxide and oxveen are " " prepared from commonly available materials. Several nrouerties of each eas are tested. Lone term demon. . strations are set up that require observations over a week or more. 5) Separating a M ~ x t u r eInto Pure Substances. A mixture containing sifted pencil sharpener shavings, salt, and copper sulfate is ultimately separated into its components by filtration, precipitation, crystallization, and evaporation techniques.
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demonstrate how a numher of identical items can he counted without actually counting them. This experiment is then related to the difficulty that would be encountered if one had to count Avogadro's Number of particles. 7) Water; What's I t Made Of? An electrolysis cell is constructed from a plastic bottle, graphite, and wax, and a dilute salt solution is electrolyzed. 8 ) Hard Water and Soft Water. Through the results of a series of easily done tests, conclusions are drawn concerning the composition of hard and soft waters and how to soften water. 9) Particle Size, Temperature, and Solubility. This experiment tests the solubilities of solids and some common gases in water. A number of practical examples are related to the results of the experiment. 10) Growing a Large Beautiful Crystal. From common cooking alum, a most beautiful large single crystal is grown. 11) Separation of Colds Into Simpler Colors. This is an experiment in paper chromatography that includes the separation of the color components of a number of common materials. 12) Making and Experimenting With a Battery. An experiment that does not use strong acid solutions, the battery is constructed from aluminum foil, copper (11) sulfate, copper tubing, and table salt. When two or more cells are connected in a series, a light bulb, motor, magnet, and other devices are powered. 13) Paper; How to Make It. Paper, useful for art work, is made from cornstalks. 14) The Shapes of Chemistry. Four important geometrical shanes are constructed from . naner. A model of an oxygen atom, a water molecule, a carbon dioxide molecule, and a benzene molecule are also constructed. The importance of shape is discussed. 15) Qualitative Analvsis: The Chemical Detective Storv. A series of simplekxp&ments that require the student to formulate conclusions and write directions for making tests. Tests are done to determine the composition of a variety of common substances from minerals to foods. After learning the procedures, students are asked to identify unknowns. 16) Acids and Bases. Common substances are tested and classified as one of two types of chemical compounds, acids or bases. Purple cahhage juice is used as the indicator. A
A second workshop was offered during the summer of 1981. Teacher comments and reactions and administrator responses to this workshop parallel those in the one described. Acknowledgment The author wishes to thank Dr. Robert Johnson of the Elementary Education Department for his advice and help in teachine both workshous. The author is most hanuv to acNo. SPI-8101242.
