Chemical Education Today
Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2006: Dig It!
JCE Resources for Chemistry and Soils
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by Erica K. Jacobsen
This annotated bibliography collects the best that past issues of JCE have to offer for use with the 2006 Chemists Celebrate Earth Day theme, “Dig It!”. Each item has been characterized as an activity, calculation, demonstration, experiment, or informational; several fit more than one classification. The most recent articles are listed first. An indication of the levels the article may serve are included. Articles that appeared adaptable to other levels, but not designed explicitly for those levels, are labeled “poss. h.s.” “poss. elem.”, and
so forth. Since all references are to Journal articles, they appear in abbreviated form, including only year, volume, page. Supplemental Material The full text of all articles described in this resource paper are available in this issue of JCE Online. W
Erica K. Jacobsen is Associate Editor, Secondary School Chemistry, Journal of Chemical Education;
[email protected].
✰ Resources for Chemistry and Soils Reducing the Use of Agrochemicals: A Simple Experiment. Vidal, M. M.; Filipe, O. M. S.; Cruz Costa, M. C. 2006, 83, 245. Experiment; coll./poss. h.s. Students prepare a controlled-release fertilizer using gelatin gels, and compare a controlled-release system to the water-soluble form. The Extraction and Isolation of Saltpeter from Nitered Soil. A Curriculum Alignment Project for a First-Year High-School Chemistry Course. Criswell, B. 2006, 83, 241. Experiment; h.s./coll. Students determine how to extract and isolate saltpeter from (artificially) nitered soil, in a long-term inquiry project. Soil Testing: Dig In! Fanis, L. N.; Jacobsen, E. K. 2006, 83, 240A–B. Activity; h.s./coll./poss. elem. Students collect soil samples and characterize them by examining their physical appearance, water-holding capacity, pH, and sedimentation. An Interactive Environmental Science Course for Education Science Majors. Lunsford, S. K.; Slattery, W. 2006, 83, 233. Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem. Describes a course for education majors that uses environmental fieldwork and includes collecting samples of rocks, soils, and fossils.
News from Online: Digging Up Earth Day Resources. Caldwell, B. A. 2006, 83, 201. Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem. Describes multiple Web sites that relate to soil chemistry. Research Advances: Eating Clay?; Look to Soil for New Leads in Arthritis Treatment; The Fate of Tetracyclines. King, A. G. 2006, 83, 186. Informational; h.s./coll. Presents recent research related to geology and soil, such as how bacteria present in soil could be useful in arthritis treatment. Sedimentation Time Measurements of Soil Particles by Light Scattering and Determination of Chromium, Lead, and Iron in Soil Samples via ICP. Todebush, P. M.; Geiger, F. M. 2005, 82, 1542. Experiment; coll./poss. h.s. Students study soil samples using light scattering to determine colloid sedimentation rates and measure the quantity of chromium, lead, and iron with an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. Novel Strategies for the Removal of Toxic Metals from Soils and Waters. Roundhill, D. M. 2004, 81, 275. Informational; h.s./coll. Collection of information about toxic metals, including where they tend to occur, their toxicities, and remediation strategies.
photos: J. J. Jacobsen and L. N. Fanis
photos: J. J. Jacobsen and E. K. Jacobsen
The inorganic components of soil—clay, silt, and sand—have separated into layers (right) after a sedimentation test.
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A homemade filtration column made with activated charcoal, sand, and gravel filters out dirt, leaves, vinegar, rust, and cooking oil.
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Chemical Education Today
Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2006: Dig It! A poster from the American Geological Institute and the Soil Science Society of America is pictured on the cover of JCE ’s December 2001 issue, reminding us that “Soils Sustain Life”.
A Simulation of the Interaction of Acid Rain with Soil Minerals. Schilling, A. L.; Hess, K. R.; Leber, P. A.; Yoder, C. H. 2004, 81, 246. Experiment; coll./poss. h.s. Students simulate the effect of soil minerals on acid rain by passing a sulfuric acid solution through columns containing various minerals. The resulting solutions are titrated and analyzed. Water Filtration. Jacobsen, E. K. 2004, 81, 224A–B. Activity; all levels Students construct a water filtration column with gravel, sand, and activated charcoal and use it to filter water that contains dirt, leaves, vinegar, rust, and cooking oil. Arsenic in Drinking Water—A Global Environmental Problem. Wang, J. S.; Wai, C. M. 2004, 81, 207. Informational; h.s./coll. Discusses the contamination of groundwater with arsenic, which can enter groundwater systems from weathering and leaching of arsenic minerals in rocks and soil. Humic Acids: Marvelous Products of Soil Chemistry. Davies, G.; Ghabbour, E. A. 2001, 78, 1609. Informational; h.s./coll. Provides extensive background information on humic acids, a key component of soil. Measuring Soil Phosphates Using Ion-Exchange Resins: A Final Project for Freshman Chemistry. Storer, D. A.; Sarquis, A. M. 2000, 77, 748. Experiment; coll./poss. h.s. Students investigate why there is a phosphorus deficiency in soil when lime and phosphate fertilizers are applied simultaneously. Chemical Analysis of Soils. An Environmental Chemistry Laboratory for Undergraduate Science Majors. Willey, J. D.; Avery, G. B. Jr.; Manock, J. J.; Skrabal, S. A. 1999, 76, 1693. Experiment; coll./poss. h.s. Students obtain a representative sample from a bulk soil sample and perform various tests on the sample. Our Microscopic Universe. An Interdisciplinary Course Examining Natural Phenomena Using Geology, Physics, and Chemistry. Jansen, S. A. 1997, 74, 1411. Informational/Activity; h.s./coll. Describes a course for elementary education majors that integrates geology, physics, and chemistry. Describes field trips, such as to a limestone quarry, and each trip’s relation to science concepts. Test Tube Geology: A Slowly Developing Redox System for Class Study. Cortez, J. A.; Powell, D.; Mellon, E. 1988, 65, 350.
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J C E ’s J u n e 1 9 7 8 c o v e r shows teachers on a geological field trip, in preparation for teaching a new curriculum on the chemistry of rocks and minerals.
Demonstration/Experiment; h.s./coll./poss. elem. A layered mixture using readily available materials is prepared in a small test tube. Students observe and discuss the changes they see in the system over a period of several days. Soil pH as a First Experiment in Quantitative Analysis. VanDoren, J. B. 1987, 64, 447. Experiment; h.s./coll. Students bring in soil samples, determine how to obtain a representative sample, and measure the pH of soil slurries. Hard Rock. Feinstein, H. I. 1981, 58, 435. Calculation; h.s./coll. Problem from “Brain Tingler” feature. Uses densities of quartz and zircon in a rock for calculations by mass and volume. Soil Analysis for High School Chemistry Students. Eisenmann, M. A. 1980, 57, 897. Experiment; h.s./coll. Students test soil samples for polyatomic ions, pH, nitrates, and iron. Includes pre- and post-lab questions. Subject of letter to the editor: Soiled Chemistry. Crouse, W. C. 1984, 61 , 268. The Chemistry of Rocks and Minerals. A New Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Secondary Schools. Pezaro, P.; Mazor, E.; Samuel, D.; Ben-Zvi, N. 1978, 55, 383. Activity/Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem. Describes a course for high school students that combines chemistry and geology. Describes activities used in the course, such as identification of samples and qualitative analysis of ground minerals. Analysis of the Earth’s Surface. A Course in Analytical Chemistry. Fulkrod, J. E. 1976, 53, 513. Experiment/Informational; coll./poss. h.s. Describes a course in soil sampling and analysis. Lists common experiments (with references to experimental methods) covered in soil analysis, and other related topics that could be discussed in class. Geology as a Part of the College General Chemistry Course. Streng, E. F. 1955, 32, 611. Informational; h.s./coll. Presents ways to integrate geology concepts into topics already used in chemistry courses, and reasons why this integration is desirable. Edmund Ruffin, Soil Chemist of the Old South. Ihde, A. J. 1952, 29, 407. Informational; h.s./coll. Describes the life and work of soil scientist Edmund Ruffin, along with the scientific significance of his work.
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