saking a general, broad-spectrum curriculum that recognizes the needs of a varietv of students. W e nrrd tt, provide agresrer awareness of career oppurtunities. \Vhensrudents and rhrgcneral puhliconly hearsbout the problems produced by chemists; chemical industries, and others, they surely must have feelings of antipathy toward the sciences. How can we correct that situation? By letting students know of the opportunities in the chemical profession. By the time I had completed a year of chemistry as a high school student, I was aware of the use of chemistry in the cement industrv (bv studvine the reactions of chemistry when we studied thk alkaline earth elements), the steel industrv (when studvine . .. the processes of iron smelting and reactions or iron), chrwing gum, the s u l f ~ industry, ~r etc. Finallv. l sureest cheniisrrv is toc~important to save for a I believe that it should be part of the science single program at all levels, in the elementary school, in junior high, and in the middle schools, as well as the high school. A single high school course would he more valuable and enjoyable for the student if they had already had an effective introduction to the joys of the science early on. We must teach science a t every level.
Household items were used whenever possible, hoth in the experiments and for the homework, to assist the students in grasping the relationship of chemistry t o their lives. For example, table salt, iron nails, and copper BB's were used to prepare mixtures; solutions of baking soda, vinegar, and 7Up were used in the acid-base experiments; physical state changes were illustrated with ice and dry ice. Nylon and polyurethane polymers, as well as aspirin and other esters, were oreoared so the students would recognize the value of s y t h r t i r chemicals and rhe chemiral i n d k y . At the conclusion of the iirst week, chemistry "magic" was perlbrmed, hoth by the instructor and the students. i he magic show was expressly designed to meet the fourth ohjective cited above. From the students' responses, that ohjective was met. We received favorable feedback from students and parents alike. As instructors. we were oleased with the outcome well behaved and of the course. The students were were not hesitant t o participate in discussions. Especially enjoyable was the enthusiasm and excitement the students brought to class. We heartily recommend a program of this sort for elementary students. Interested instructors are welcome to write for more details, including example laboratory manuals and lists of reagents.
College Chemistry for Kids
Two Cultures. One Problem: Educating and Informing the Non-technologist and the Technologist
a
Martin B. Jones and Rebecca Monley University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND 58202
For two weeks last summer. several elementarv school children in grades 3-6 participated in an enrichment proeram desiened to develoo. nurture. and challenae them hv " providing itimulating, hands-on rxperirncrs. Thi~ohjectives uf therhrmisrrv oorrion ot rhis prorram were fourfold: r l J to introduce the %dents to the-rudiments of the scientific method, with particular emphasis on observation, (2) to help the students discover, via experimentation, some fundamental aspects of chemistry, iucluding various schemes for the classification of matter (metals versus nonmetals, compounds versus mixtures, acids versus bases), the difference between physical and chemical changes, and the physical states of matter, (3) to convey that chemistry is relevant to everyday life, and (4) to kindle a spark of interest in chemistry. Each day, the students spent approximately 30 minutes in a classroom settine. disrussine the previous dav's experiments, sharing the results of tLeir hbmework assignment, and listenine to an introduction to the current experiments. The remain& 90 minutes were spent in the iahoratory.
898
Journal of Chemical Education
E. E. Fllby
We~tinghouseIdaho Nuclear Company. Inc. Idaho Falis, ID 83403 Ever since the study and development of science and technology became a recognized set of disciplines, there have been communication problems between the practitioners and nonpractitioners of these disciplines. C. P. Snow defined the ~ r o h l e m sin terms of "Two Cultures" and hiehliehted what he saw as the more significant aspects. For some time after his lecture, the debate often became fragmented over details: Are there only two or are there many "cultures"? However, the substance has remained basically unchanged: Those who have a more-or-less technological bent often cannot, or will not, communicate effectively with those who do n o t have such a bent, and vice versa. T h e problems arise hoth in the educational systemand in our public information channels. Yet hoth groups have the same basic problem: All must function where technological wonders and problems are inextricably intertwined with every aspect of society.
