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LINDAWOODWARD
chemistry for kids
me Univerdty of Southwestern Louisiana Lafayate,LA 70504
Chemistry Merit Badge A Project for a Service Organization James P. ~eavor,'Gary L. Asleson, Elizabeth Martin, and Clyde Metl College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424 The Boy Scouts of America has two goals for scouts participating in its merit badge program: (1) to learn new knowledge and (2) to interact with adults who are experts in their fields and will serve a s good role models. The knowledge gained may wme in the areas of athletics, citizenship, hobbies, scoutcraft, or possible professions. The science merit badges include astronomy, atomic energy, botany, chemistry, energy, environmental science, geology, general scienm, nature, oceanography, plant science, and weather. This article will list the requirements of the chemistry badge and describe how to organize a class to teach the merit badge to a group of 20 scouts. The Boy Scout program is for boys between the ages of 11-18. The activities used to satisfy the merit badge requirements 'Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
also would be appropriate for any science program for youth of this age, male or female. Although the Girl Scouts have no chemistry merit badge per se, several science-related badges require a resource person who is expert in chemistry. Requirements (see below) include doing or explaining: combustion. hard water and methods of water softenine. -. photosynthesis, food chemistry and oxygen use in the body, activity series and oxidation-reduction, acids and bases, titrations, paper chromatography, pollution, chemical industry, and career opportunities in chemistry (1).These requirements encompass the disciplines of analytical, biological, environmental, inorganic, and organic chemistry. Usually merit badges are earned bv a scout or a air of scouts h i obtaining signed merit badge application from their scoutmaster, contacting a counselor of the badge in
a
Requirements for the Chemistry Merit Badge ( I ) 1. Show that a candle flame
(a) uses up oxygen from the air (b) makes carbon dioldde ( e ) makes water Demonstrate that heating sawdust or wood chips makes a gas that burns. 2. Write the formulas for six compounds that make water 'Xard". Write an equation that describes how a home water softener works. Show the difference in how a soap and a detergent act in hard water. 3. Write the simple equation for photosynthesis. Explain roles of sunlight and chlorophyll in photosynthesis. Give the names and symbols of the three parts of a "10-64 fertilizer". Explain what each does far plants. Draw from memom a sketch of the carbon dioxide-oxwen .. cycle. 4. Explain what oxygen does in the animal body. Describe how oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide are carried in the body. Describe the chemical changes taking place when (a) vegetables cwk (h) meats cook (c) bread doughs rise (dl breads bake (el bread is chewed 5. Cany out an experiment to show three different ways of protecting iron or steel frommsting.Tell why aluminum doesn't rust the way iron does. Do an experiment in which one metal makes another metal deposit from so-
lution. Explain what takes place in terms of the activity series of metals. 6. Do three of the following: (a) Prepare an indicator from a plant leaf or bloom. Show that it works when vinegar neutralizes baking soda solution. (b) Compare the strengths of five percent solutions of baking soda and borax by titrating with vinegar. (c) Test two different bits of food for stareh and for D m tein. (dl Compare the amounts of vitamin C in two kinds of fruit juice. (e) Show that ink or fwd color is a mixture of two or more eolara by using paper chromatography. 7. Name two chemicals that cause air, water, or solid-waste pollution near your home. Tell where these pollutants may have come from. Find one way to control one of these. Do one test to show that air or water is polluted. 8. Do one of the follawine: (a, Visit a plant t h a t makrs chcmicnl products or urea chemical pronrsev and describe h e prucrrdw used. What, if any, pollutants are produrcd7 How arc thry handled? (b) Visit a laboratory or place of business that uses chemicals and find out how and why the chemicals are produced. (e) Visit a muntv , aeent .. to learn how chemistm is meeting fbrm problems ofsoil frnility and crop psts. 9. Descnhe twodrlfrrent kmdr ofwork dune by chemlsta, by chemical engirnrrrs, and by ehrmicnl twhnirinns Ex-
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which they are interested, setting up a n appointment to discuss the requirements, and meeting one or more times to fulfill these-requiremeits. The local Alpha Chi Sigma (AXZ) chapter has expedited this process. Since 1984 one of its annual service projects has been to conduct a chemistry merit badge class. One month prior to the class an announcement is placed in the local scout leader newsletter telling the details of the class. The announcement is prcwidrd;o the local scout officeone month prior to publication. Scuutd cull the chemistry department to make reservations. A five-dollar fce covers the cost of the merit badge booklet, safety glasses, and slmple rel'reshments. The chemistry department donates apparatus und chemicals. College students fmm A X 1 teach the classes under suocrvis~onof'fBcultv mrmhers. One faculty member is in chHrge and is a certked chemistry merit badge counselor reeistered with the local council office. The program was carried out on two Saturday mornings for three-&ourperiods each morning. - While the Boy Scouts allow large classes for instructional purpusm, each scout is tested individually. The v e r b in each requirement me the key. When it says "explain" the scout IS to explain. When it says "show" or "do" then each scout is to show or do. The fust day begins with a n assembly of all scouts and instructors. The scoutmaster approved merit badge applications are collected. Ageneral overview of the schedule is given along with a discussion about safety and discipline. The "Ira Remsen story" (2)is told a s a demonstration to enhance interest and to emphasize safety. All scouts are required to wear their safety glasses a t all times. The necessary safety precautions are described a t each station. Scouts are told not to allow reagents to come into contact with their skin and to wash the affected area if exposure does occur. Hands are to be washed before handline food, and a t the end of the day. Holding the program in a> aca: demic or industrial lab setting has the advantage of having necessary safety equipment readily available (showers, eve wash fountains, fire blankets and extinmishers, neutralizing agents, spill clean-up kits). Stations dealing with each requirement are set up in separate roomsflabs. There are two instructors for each station. All necessary equipment and solutions (see list a t right) are prepared ahead of time and are ready for immediate use by the scouts. Fifteen-minute class periods are used with some stations requiring two periods. Some requirements are finished on one day; some require work onboth class days. Each period is opened with H toot of a whistle. Scouts are divided into groups of four and rotate Larger groups round-robin style from station to could be accommodated by increasing the amount of equipment and supplies. For the most part the first day is a day of instruction, while the second day is for examination of each scout. The merit badge application printed by the Boy Scouts has a grid on the back that is used a s a scorecard. As each requirement is completed the instructor a t that station initials it. When all requirements are completed the official merit badge counselor signs the card and returns i t to the scout. To receive the actual badge (a circular patch with a half-filled retort) the scout returns the completed blue card to his scoutmaster. There are several advantages for holding such a program. Not only can a group of scouts earn merit badges, but also they can be introduced to chemistry i n a nonthreatening environment. College students gets chance to teach and to enhance their own understanding of concepts. 2Round-robin schedules are available from the author upon request.
132
Journal of Chemical Education
Chemicals and Equipment Required Requirement Candles;matches; 150-mL beakers. 400-mL beakers or small juice glasses; metal can with onehole rubber stoooer with medicine droDDer inserted in hole; hot plaie',;sugarcubes; food doloring or ink; sawdust (3). .Safety note: finely divided sawdust is an explosion hazard Soap; liquid detergent; solution of concentrated Ca(0H)z;10% solution of Epsom salts (MgS04)(4) Sugar; test tubes, test tube clamps; matches; Bunsen burners. Meat tenderizer; lemon juice; cream of tartar; baking soda; white bread. Iron nails; paint; 5% CuSOn; cooking oil; 100-rnL beakers (5.6). Red cabbage; vinegar; NaHC03 (baking soda) (7) 5% NaHC03; 5% sodium tetraborate (Na2B407); phenolphthalein; 10-mLburets or medicine droppers (8). Potato, bread, hot dog, tincture of iodine; 0.5% CUSOI,6 M NaOH, 2% albumin (forBiuret test) Safetynote: Handle 6 M NaOH with caution (9). Orange juice, grapefruit juice, 1 M HCI, 1 % starch solution, iodine solution (1Q. Safety note: Handle 1 M HCI with caution. Chromatography paper, black Flair ink pen, isopropyl alcohol, water, 600-mL glass jars with screw on lid or chromatography developing chambers (11). KI paper for test of Pb using Pb(N03)z.
.Safety note: dispose of Pb(NO3I2properly ( l a .
Bv exolainine and teachine -. thev" learn. The facilities and the goodwill f; the department are exhibited to area scouts and parents and thus become good recruiting tools. We now have our first chemistry major enrolled a t this institution who is an alumnus of our merit badee class. The program described here could readily be adapted for u& in middle or high school or industrial settings, by high school seniors who have a sufficient chemistry background or professional chemists a s the instructors. Literature Cited 1. Chemistry Boy Scouts of Amdes: Irving,TX,1913. Available fmm loeal Boy %out Council offlcos, department stores that sell scouting supplies, or fmm the Boy Scouts ofAmerica. PO. Box 909. Pmeville. NC 28134-0909. 2. Ramette,R. W. J dhorn. Educ. I ~ O 57.68. . 3. Shskhashiti, 6 . 2 . Chemical Demunsfmlions:A Handbook for hhhors ofChem&try: Univerrityof Wisconsin Re=: Madison. 1983: Vol 1, p 103.
8. Ref (61: o 155.
9. ~ e f 1 6 d 6 2 1 7 . 10. Refl6);p231. 11. Rpf(6); p 257. 12. Kaufmm. J . A . WosleDispmol inAcod4mlcInsfitulio"s; Lewis Publishers: Chelsea, MA; 1990;p 120.
