A BRIEF COURSE in COMMERCIAL CHEMISTRY for HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS WILLIAM C. CURTIS Cardozo High School, Washington, D.
Many students leme school before or at the end of their secondary training, and a n increasing number of highschool graduates are returning to pursue postgraduate work. It would be advantageous to provide a n opportunity for some of these students to obtain a knowledge of some of the practical phases of chemistry. Such training would also be valuable to students who plan to enter college. To this extent, it would be advisable to offer a second-year course i n high-school chemistry which would emphasize the principles underlying certain vocations such as specialty manufacturing, household exterminating and disinfecting, elementary textile chemistry, and electrochemistry.
A
C.
A course of this type would be utilitarian and wocational. It would help students to become intelligent consumer-buyers by acquainting them d h the chemical principles, processes, and raw materials involved i n the manufacture and distribution of commercial products. It would also provide a practical knowledge of chemistry which might enable some students to find suitable employment in later life. The subject matter of such a course could be adapted to the needs and abilities of the i n d i d u a l student, and should, as far as possible, comply with the demands of the local enuironment.
number of high-school graduates are returning to pursue postgraduate work. It is expedient, therefore, that the high-school curriculum should be expanded by the "introduction of utilitarian and vocational courses essential to the welfare of particular vocational groups." This expansion should be accompanied by adequate vocational and educational guidance. Chemistry as a OBJECTIVES high-school subject is well adapted to this development. There are numerous opportunities of preparing highI. To develop in students the ability to apply elementary chemical principles to the solution of everyday school students for profitable and appropriate employment on a basis of a knowledge of the principles of problems. 11. To aid students in their orientation by present- applied chemistry within their comprehension. Some ing some of the ramifications of chemistry in its rela- of these possibilities are specialty manufacturing, household exterminating and disinfecting, dry-cleaning tion to commercial occupations. 111. To aid students to pass normally from school operations, and electroplating. These, vocations afinto employment by providing them with a practical ford an excellent opportunity for developing a creative hobby. knowledge of chemistry. Further, the consumer-buyer's economic problems REASONS FOR A HIGH-SCHOOL COURSE I N COMMERCIAL are rapidly increasing in difficulty and importance. CHEMISTRY Consequently, students should be taught how to purMany students leave school before or a t the end of chase commodities and services intelligently. The their secondary training. Then, too, an increasing scope of high-school chemistry can be extended so as to BRIEF course of elementary applied chemistry, with emphasis upon the chemical principles underlying certain occupations such as the manufacture of cosmetics and cleaning preparations, household exterminating and disinfecting, elementary textile, and electrochemistry, is described.
include a study of the processes through which commercial products pass in their manufacture and distribution and the relationship between their production cost and selling price. Such training would provide students with a rational basis for purchasing wisely.
Food Industries, etc., should be among the periodicals on hand. The required readings, along with an appropriate list of supplementary readings, should be included in the outline of the work furnished the student a t the beginning.
METHOD OF CONDUCTING COURSE
OUTLINE OF SUBJECT MATTER
A good method of conducting this course would be to devote the first two weeks to a study of certain fundamental chemical principles and laboratory operations. The prerequisite for this course should be one year of general chemistry. An alternative procedure, therefore, would be to go directly to the applications and "review the foundation principles spirally and incidentally." The organized review could be accomplished by means of recitations, readings, experiments, lectures, and individual reports. The same procedure could be followed for the next four weeks covering the principles of business administration underlying the commercial occupations falling within the scope of the course and a systematic survey of the commercial products and processes with which an intelligent buyer-consumer should be familiar. During the remainder of the course, the job contract plan could be very advantageously employed.'J In this case. detailed outlines should be oreoared on the subject matter to be used in the course. The students should be required to select the particular vocation for which they would like to be prepared or qualified. Subsequently, they should be given three or four separate assignments, in the form of jobs or units repre. sentinp a series of related oroblems. to be mastered suecessively and successfully.
Local conditions should dictate the subject material to be used in a course of this type. The material selected should be adapted to the needs and abilities of the individual student. For the sake of brevity, the outline of subject matter which follows embraces only two phases of occupation included in commercial chemistry.
A
Introduction The Basic Chemical Principles. The Fundamental Laboratory Operations.
References
BENNET~, HARRY,"Pmctical everyday chemistry," The Chemical Publishing Ca., New Pork City. 1934,305 pp. DULL.C. E., "Modern chemistry," Henry Holt & Co., Inc., New York - - - - Citv. . - -, 1031.776 - .- ., . .- nn r. GARARD.IDAD., "Applied chemistry," The Macmillan Co., New York City, 1924,496 pp. RIEGEL, EMU R., "Industrial chemistry,'' The Chemical Catalog Co., Inc., New York City, 1928,649 pp.
.
The Manufadurc and Distribution of Commercial Products
A
-
~~~;?$~&W~;~!'~ction
~ h purchase , of ~
~
~
Cost and Selling Price,
sefices. d i
~ and ~
t
i
~
~
Principles of Business Administration A SW~Y of the Commercial Occu~ationsIncluded in the Course. Getting Started in the Various Vocations.
References
GRINSTEAD, W. T.. "Specialty manufacturing," 2nd ed., The THE AMOUNT OF CLASS WORK
The average time required to complete this course should be two semesters. A minimum of seven class periods per week should be required, and the students should be allowed to proceed a t their own rate of speed. They should have access to the laboratory equipment and reference material during these periods and leisure hours. Before beginning their experimental work, however, they should be required to show that they have a t least a working knowledge of the experiment they are about to perform. ASSIGNED READINGS
Since no textbooks suitable for a course of this type are yet available, the student will have to rely upon a number of books and periodicals. Such publications as those of the Consumer's Research, The Drug and
Cosmetic Industry, The National Cleaner and Dyer, The American Perfumer and Essential Oil Rariev, The American Druggkt and Pharmaceutical Record, -
'FRANK, J. O., "The teaching of high-school chemistry," 5th ed., J. 0. Frank & Sons, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 1932, pp.
"".
7%-2"
SCAULTZ, M. P., "A contract method in high-school chemis-
try." J. CEEM.EDUC.,12,23+41(1935).
Grinstead Laboratory, Edwardsville, Ill., 1933,47 pp. HARAP.HENRY,"The education of the consumer," The MacmilIan Co., New York City. 1923,360 pp. "MacRae's blue book and Hendricks commercial register (consolidated)," MacRae's Blue Book Co., New York City, 190% 1929.
" ~ ~ : ~ o s Guide," t a l published annually, Gavernment Printing Office, Washington, D. C. YATES, R. F.. "How to make and use a small chemical laboratory." Norman W. Henley Publishing Co., New York City, 1920,102 pp.
Commern'd Housckold Disinfecting and Exterminating Introduction The Apparatus and Chemicals Needed. The Chemical Principles Underlying the Profession. Disinfectant5 and Disinfection Disinfection Methods. Physical Methods. Chemical Methods. Estimation of the Costs of Disinfection. Fumigants and Fumigetion Fumigants. Preparation and Properties. Apparatus and Equipment for Application. Fumigation Methods. Estimation of the Costs of Fumigation. Insecticides Types of Insecticides. The Preparation and Properties of Insecticides.
The General Methods of Applying Insecticides. Analysis of Commercial Insecticides.
.
Hovschold Exlermimtion The Extermination and Control of Insect Pests and heir Rela.
..
tim-9 ..
The General Principles. The Specific Methods of Insect Control and Extermination. The Extermination and Control of Rodents. The General Principles. The Specific Methods of Rodent Control and Extermination. Estimation of the Costs of Household Extermination.
References ANDERSON, 0 . G. AND ROTA, F. G., "Insecticides and fungicides," John Wiley & Sans, Inc., New York City, 1923, 349 PP. FERN-, H. T., "Applied entomology," 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York City, 1935,405 PP. Hsnnrcrt, G. W.. "Insects injurious to the household and annoying to man," The Macmillan Co., New York City, 1926,470 pp. Publications of U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., on the Control and Extermination of Household Pests. WILSON,ANDREW, "Insects and their control," Interstate Printing Corporation, Plainfield, N. I.,1931,383 pp.
Elementary Cosmetic Chemistry Inlroduction The Purpose and Function of Modern Cosmetics. Setting Up a Small Laboratory for the Preparation of Cosmetics.
The Chemical Principler Involved in the Preparation of Cosmetics The Chemical and Physical Properties of the Materials Used. The Chemical Principles of Compounding. The Fundamental Laboratory Operations. The Basic Formulas for the preparation of Cosmetics. The Chemical Analysis of Cosmetics. The General Methods of Preparing Cosmetics Solutions.
True Solutions. Suspensions. Colloidal Dispersions. Soaps. Gels and Jellies. Sticks. ~ ~ h~ ~ i~ i ~ ~ ~~ Powders. Cakes. Emulsions and Mechanical Mixtures. Pastes. ~ i ~ iproducts, ~ i ~ ~ i ~ ~ Extracts. Mucilages.
l
~
~
Specific Methods for Preparing Cosmetics Preparations for the Care of the Skin. Preparations for the Care of the Hair. Preparations for the Care of the Mouth. Miscellaneous Cosmetics.
LITERATURE CITED
ASKINSON,G. W., "Perfumes and cosmetics," 5th ed., Norman W. Henley Publishing Co., New York City, 1922,344 pp. CBILSON. FUNCIS, "Modern cosmetics, The Dmg and Cosmetic Industry, New York City, 1934,396 PP. KALLET. ARTHUR,"lW,000,000 Guinea Pigs," 16th Printing, The Vanguard Press, New York City, 1 9 3 3 , 3 1 2 ~ ~ .
P a n ~ f P s ,MARYC., "Skin deep," The Vanguard Press, New York City, 1934,243 pp. WILEY. H. W., "1001 Tests for Foods. Beverages, and Toilet Accessories," Rev. ed., Hearsts' International Library Co.. New York City, 1916, 344 pp.
~
~
