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mthe forum Curricular Change Digests edited by BARDW. LLOYD Capital University Columbus, OH 43209-2394
Chemistry in Context: Weaving the Web A. Truman schwartzl Macalester College, St. Paul, MN 55105 Diane M. Bunce The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 Robert G. Silberman State University of New York. College at Cortland, Cortland. NY 13045 Conrad L. Stanitski University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 73032 Wilrner J. Stratton Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374 Arden P. Zipp State University of New York, College at Cortland, Cortland, N Y 13045
zentlv in the 21st centuw. Broader chemical literacy is .. bound to benefit ~rneriran-sorietyand, not so mrident&y thv Amsrican Chernicill Society. Elence, the involverncmt of ACS as the sponsor for this project. But there i s another reason why nonscience majors were chosen a s the target population for this text. Chemistrv urofessors are more willine to e x ~ e r i m e nand t take insGctiona1 risks with a coursethat has the modest goal of u r e ~ a r i n estudents for life than they are to tamper with a %real" co&e that has the serious Bim of students for organic chemistry Moreover, the imprimatur of ACS on CiC might be expected to allay the misgivings of potential adopters and to reassure potential publishers. The Society has assumed much of the financial risk by underwriting the preparation of the manuscript and its extensive testine. usine funds obtained throueh the Campaign for Chemistry and earmarked for eiucation. I n return, ACS retains the copyright and the author team has editorial control. Royalties will be paid to the Society, not the authors, and used to fund future educational projects. The History of Chemistry in Context
In late 1993, the American Chemical Society and Wm. C. Brown Publishers released a new college chemistry text for nonscience majors, Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistrv to Societv (CiC) (1).The amearance of this book was the culmination of four years of active involvement by the authors of the text (and this paper) and the participation of many others. This article includes a rationale for the uroiect. a brief historv, a descriution of the content and df CiC, and a discussio; of its broader implications. I n addition, what follows reveals something of the challenge associated with curricular reform a t a national level and offers a few generalizations.
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The Rationale for Chemistry in Context The colleges and universities of this nation provide the last opportunity, within the formal instructional system, to expose students to the fascinating phenomena and elegant abstractions of modern chemistry There are a number of excellent courses, several successful textbooks, and a cadre of teachers committed to bringing the beauty and utility of chemistry to the general student. Indeed, some of the most creative chemistry teaching goes on i n courses for students who do not anticipate majors or careers i n chemistry or other natural sciences. Nevertheless, the fact remains that this large population i s often ill served, if served a t all, by college and university chemistry departments. Students typically seek what they perceive a s more interesting (and perhaps less challenging) means of satisfying course distribution requirements. The need for more and better chemistry for future poets, philosophers, lawyers, and legislators seems to be well established. Knowledge of some chemistry is important to anyone who hopes to function effectively and vote intelli-
'Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Chemistry in Context owes much to earlier ACS innovations in chemical education. Over the vears. the Education Division, the Society Committee on ducati ion, the Committee on Professional Training, and t h e Division of Chemical Education have made significant contributions to the teachine of chemistrv a t all instructional levels. One of the g r e a t e 2 successes g a s been Chemistry in the Communitv (ChemCom). the secondaw school text develo~ed by t h e ACS with financial support from the National ~ c i ence Foundation and first published by Kendall-Hunt in 1988 (2). Now i n its second edition, ChemCom is being used by approximately 20% of U. S. high school students enrolled in chemistry. The book and the courses i t has engendered are firmly grounded i n the real world. Contemporary issues provide the focus, and chemical principles are introduced a s needed to explain water quality, the conservation of chemical resources. the uses of uetroleum. food. health, and other applied topics. In additibn to participat: ine i n traditional activities such a s homework ~ r o h l e m s and laboratory experiments, students in ChemCom eneaee i n discussions. debates. role . ulavine. " -. and writinz. Chemistrv in the Communitv is the i n s ~ i r a t i o nand orototype for Chemistry in Context, and Sylvia Ware, Director of the ACS Education Division, is its midwife and godmother. Early i n 1989, a t Ware's initiation, a writing team and a n advisorv hoard, the latter chaired hv Ronald Archer of the university of ~ a s s a c h u s e t t s were , assembled. By the summer of 1990, a year after the project began, a draft of nine chapters had been completed and went into production a t ACS offices. This version was tested in the 19901991 academic year with about 200 students a t the home institutions of three of the authors-Catholic University (DMB), Mount Union College (CLS), and Macalester College (ATS). Simultaneously, this same material was sent
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out for review by experts in chemistry, the related social sciences, and pedagogy. On the basis of this experience, extensive corrections and revisions were made and two additional chapters were written The revised manuscnpt was again put into production and published by ACS. During the 1991-1992 arademic vear, thls version was taught to almost 2000 stud e n t s i n 1 9 colleges a n d universities, including 1 5 institutions not associated with members of the writing team. These institutions were a diverse group: large and small, private and public, two-year and four-year. The instructors a t these new test sites were brought together for a weekend workshop in June 1991. The authors led the oarticioants throueh sample exoeriments and activities Hnd atiempted to c&mun.leate the splrlt and phdosophy of the text. but there was lnsuflic~ent tlme for d r t a ~ l r dInstruction & practice. As a result, there was considerable variety in the way in which the material was used. A survey seeking to determinbe the impact of CiC on attitudes toward chemistry was administered to students in the test population by mary Nakhleh of Purdue University. A report of the results of this assessment will appear elsewhere. Early in 1992, representatives of 14 publishingfirms attended a meeting to hear a description of CiC. Anumber of these corporations subsequently submitted proposals to publish the text a s a joint venture with ACS, and later in the year a contract was signed with Wm. C. Brown Publishers of Duhuque, Iowa. During the 1992-1993 academic vear. . another round of revisions was completed while the second version was again used in many of the institutions that participated in the previous year and a few additional response to student surveys, two new sites. I n chapters were added, bringing the total to 13. Prepuhlication editorial involvement of Wm. C. Brown began in the fall of 1992 and continued through the summer of 1993. The Approach and Content of Chemistry in Context For most people, the chief impediment to learning chemistry is not a deficit of intellect, but lack of motivation. This is especially true for those who do not contemplate careers in natural science. Therefore, a major goal of Chemistry in Context is to motivate students to learn chemistry. We, of course, teach the fundamental concepts of the science, but we hope to lead students to discover the practical and theoretical significance of chemistry. If students are to adapt to our technical world, they must be able to access and assess information. Furthermore, they need to develop analytical skills, critical judgment, and the abilitv to weiah risks and benefits. We believe that direct engagement with chemical phenomena can help achieve these ends. Finally, although the text is written with the assumption that it will be for a terminal course, we hope that our approach will attract more students to the study of chemist& especially members of currently underrepresented groups. As the title implies, Chemistry in Context sets the science in its social context. stressine the ties between chemistrv and economics, political science,'international relations, and the other social sciences. The model for the book is not the long ladder of sequential chemical principles that symbolizes the oraanization of most texts. Rather a more apt metaphor is a cokplex web of interwoven ideas. ~ndeed,mntGere, the Latin root of "context," means '%oweave together."To be sure, segments of linear thinking are part of dokg science, but to treat all of chemistry a s one long progression is to .logical . oversimplify and misrepresent it. ' C h t s chaoter titles (see table, are sienificantlv d ~ f f t w n t from those'of most chemistry books, even those for nonscience majors. Together, the 1 3 chapters represent more
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than can be comfortably covered in a typical one-semester course. At our test sites, eight to 10 chapters were commonly included in the syllabus. The text has been structured so that the fundamental concepts of chemistry are integrated into the first SIX chapters, whirh serve as a rore. The last seven assume thls material and build on it. l'herrfore, instructors are encouraged to teach Chapters 1 through 6 in that sequence, and then add additional chapters in any order that seems appropriate. Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society Table of Contents Chapter I Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13
The Air We Breathe Protecting the Ozone Layer The Chemistry of Global Warming Energy, Chemistry, and Society The Wonder of Water Neutralizing the Threat of Acid Rain Onondaga Lake: A Case Study The Fires of Nuclear Fission Solar Energy: Fuel for the Future The World of Plastics and Polymers Designing Drugs and Manipulating Molecules Nutrition: Food for Thought The Chemistry of Tomorrow
I n each chapter, a ~ d i c a t i o n sand issues precede the chemical concepts t h a t a r e introduced as needed to inform the understanding of topics under consideration. For example, stoichiometery is first used in Chapter 3 to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide released bv burnina coal and gasoline; Lewis structures are used i n Chapte; 2 to explain the difference between O2 and O3 and the wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation they absorb; molecular shape enters in Chapter 3 to account for the mechanism by which C02 absorbs infrared radiation; and pH is introduced in Chapter 6 in the context of acid precipitation. This need-to-know a . ~ o r o a c hhas moved challeneine to the authors and the instructors, hut it has been well received by the students. Interest and involvement are motivated when readers can see the reason for learning the concepts. In fact, one of the pleasant surprises is that students often become interested in the chemistry behind the headlines, and some have continued their formal studv of science. I t is our contention that in breaking away from the traditional pattern, CiC presents chemistry a s it is practiced. Science is correctly portrayed as a process for interrogating nature, not simply a compendium of facts. This means that students are exposed to the inauirine. exoerimental. ambiguous, and sometimes tentative nature of science. Expediency and efficiencv " mav " suffer. but readers form a more accurate and more appealing image of chemistry. Although the sequence of topics is unusual and the emphasis notthe same a s in mostcourses, chemical phenomena, methodology, and theory are included. Indeed, some tooics. such as the interaction of radiation and matter. receive somewhat more attention than in a standard general chemistrv course for science maiors. Manv subiects are revisited i i several different contexts. A &at& in the Instructors Resource Guide reveals that once introduced, concepts such a s chemical formulas, atomic mass, covalent bonds, and thermodvnamics are elaborated and em~loved. a s needed, in essenkally every subsequent chap& ?his spiral structure reinforces the concepts. Moreover, certain
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issues and applications also appear in a number of chapters and a variety of contexts. Efforts also are made to integrate the laboratory and library with the classroom. A laboratory manual of 23 experiments has been prepared and published. Manv of these a r e microscale inkestigatio& requiring simple eauipment. They can be done in as little a s a n hour (some e;ei in a classroom) or expanded into a s much a s three hours. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Chemistry in Context is a student-centered approach that emphasizes discussion, writing, and group work. Three different kinds of activities have been included-tvpicallv a total of 15 to 20 in each chapter. The 'Your 'Iurn" exercises provide an opportunity to practice a skill or computation, usually with a problem closely related to the topic of the chapter. Thus, these activities complement the end-of-chapter exercises. The example given below is typical in that the application is evident.
5.16 Your Turn Distilled water sells for $0.89 per gallon. Using information given earlier in the chapter about specific heat and the heat of vaporization of water, calculate the cost of the energy required to distill one gallon of water. Assume that the water is initially at 20 OC. that the source of the heat is electrieitv. .. that electrictry roars 50.07 per khwatt hour 1 kWh 860 kral .and that the procesr 1.i 100': effrcwnt. What percent vf the sales price is represented by the energy cost?
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In the "Consider This" activities students may be asked to engage in risk-benefit analysis, consider opposing viewpoints, speculate on the consequences of a particular path of action, or formulate and defend a position. Emphasis is placed on library research, critical thinking, writing, discussion, debate, and, in some instances, role playing. Students have ample . o~oortunitiesto offer information and insight from their various majors. Thus, a n economics major might contribute to a discussion of the fiscal basis for pollution credits, a political science major might be asked to discuss the rights of states to restrict the disposal of nuclear waste, and a n international relations major could comment on international curtailment of CFC use and production. We have found that this involvement gives-the students a n important sense of participation and ownership. I t also means that juniors and seniors often bring more to the course and gain more from it than do students in their first or second vear of colleee. Freshmen mav remember more high school chemistry, hut upperclassmen usually do better a t analyzing complex issues from a n interdisciplinary perspective. Although most of the students enrolled in Chemistrv in Context have been freshmen or sophomores, a t least one college restricts enrollment to juniors and seniors. The following example illustrates the "Consider This" category. .A
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3.19 Consider This The text identifies three extreme reactions to the problem of global warming: continue to study it, act to prevent it, or prepare for it. The most effective response will take place in the shortest amount of time if human and financial resrmrces are directed toward a single unified plan. Carefully study these positions and their consequences. Then choose one of them and defend your choice. Your defense should be based on sound information, valid criteria, and logical argumentation.
Instructors have found that activities such a s this work best when individual research and writing assignments precede class discussion. Quite obviously, the problem posed in 3.19 Consider This has no simple right answer: thus, it accurately represents the complekity of contempo:
rary applications of chemistry. But it also represents a challenge to the instructor who must evaluate the arguments, the lo& the use of scientific and other information, and the effectiveness of communication. The final type of activity is called "The Sceptical Chymist" after Robert Boyle's famous book. Students are asked to exercise and apply their skepticism and their knowledge by checking the accuracy and plausibility of assertions or calculations, especially those reported in the popular press. Some of "The Sceptical Chymist" features are followed with worked out solutions or suggested solution strategies, others have only answers, and some are entirely open-ended. The following example refers to a passage in The End ofNature by William McKibben (3).
3.16 The Sceptical Chymist Check McKibben's assertion that 'Yhe average American ear driven the averaee American distance--ten thousand milesing this problem and compare your assumptions and your results with those of other students. Through activities such a s this, CiC stresses problem solving and critical thinkine. Not all of these problems are of a mathematical or even-a quantitative naiure. But all require careful and critical analysis of arguments, evaluating evidence, and weighing risks and benefits. We are convinced that if our readers and students master these skills, they will have gained something of great value--a habit of mind that can be applied with confidence to a wide range of unanticipated problems. Those who know Chemistry and the Community will note that althoueh Chemistrv in Context shares a similar uhilosophy, the bo&s differ in Eontint, reading level, depth i f treatment of chemical principles, and sophistication of the critical thinking skills required. The amount of duplication between the two ACS texts is certainly no greater than that between a standard high school chemistry text and a typical college general chemistrv book. Therefore. students who have used ChemCom should still profit from CiC. Implications and Extensions of Chemistry in Context Chemical education is currently in a state of flux. The fact that 112 uro~osalsfor plannine erants were received in the NSF pr&ram for systemic,in&ation in the college chemistry curriculum suggests that many instructors and institutions are a t least considering change. Indeed, the pages of this Journal have frequently called for reform. Therefore, it is instructive to investigate what relevance Chemistry in Context might have for broader issues in chemical education. Not surprisingly, two themes are emphasized in essentially all of the 14 successful NSF planning grant proposals--content and pedagom. Very serious consideration is being given to r e s t ~ c t ; r % ~ thecontent and organization of introductory courses. Unifying themes such as the environment, the human body, manufacturing and materials, and industry a n d t h e economy have been proposed. Clearly, Chemistry in Context is part of this movement, albeit for a general audience, and may serve a s a model for other innovators. Our experience has also indicated that changes in content must often be accompanied by changes in instructional methods. Chemistry in Context has proved to be com~atiblewith a surorisinelv wide ranee of teachine styles. Nevertheless, the memi& of the whting team believe that the effectiveness and impact of the book are enhanced if its philosophy is fully implemented. That requires a change in the teachine methods used bv the
