A Chemistry Laboratory Project to Develop Thinking and Writing Skills W. Daniel Goodman1
Chemistry Department, College of Great Falls, Great Falls, MT 59405
John C. Bean2 English Department, College of Great Falls, Great Falls, MT 59405 In recent years, reports of teaching chemistry through project work have heen featured frequently in chemical education journals ( 1 4 ) .Advocates of project work argue that this method, in attempting to simulate actual research conditions, hetter promotes growth of problem solving and analytical skills than does the traditional "recipe" method. Additionally, this method tends to increase motivation of students by emphasizing their roles as active problem solvers rather than as passive followers of instructions. The advantages as well as the disadvantages of project work have been well summarized by Wade ( I ) . Less frequently reported in chemistry journals are individual (5.6)or curricular (7,8)efforts to develop the writing skills of science students, even though their poor writing ability is a popular concern. The use of writing in chemistry courses should be on the increase, however.now that research in composition rcvcals that writing can be a powerful modv of learning in the content diacidines I!)-11). This iraper dl!scribes a method for conducting an undergraduate ;himistry laboratorv. in this case sovhomore. oreanic chemistrv, that . integr:ltri a project laboratmy with a wiring t:t;k iniolvin!: Deer rrouv. interaction. Thc " F ~ t e rProicct," ss wr have called it, requires students to carry out an independent investigation of the synthesis of one or more aliphatic esters and to present their research in the form of professionalpapers. The students as a group judge each paper for the quality of research and the quality of writing, according to criteria and methods devised jointly by the students and the instructor. The students then select the best papers for publication in an in-house scientific journal: The Journal of the College of Great Falls Chemistry Students. Background and Theory The Rster Projvvt has becn used with q p a r e n t success fur three yews at the College of ( h a t Falls, in labs ranging in size from t w lye to twenty studwts. Prior to beginnin< the Ester Project, students haie gained experience in the techniques of separation, purification, and identification by analyzing unknowns and by completing various syntheses. However, they have not synthesized aliphatic esters or even discussed their physical and chemical characteristics. Even though the synthesis of an ester is a routine, even trivial task for experienced chemists, such a synthesis can be difficult for undergraduates. In our opinion, however, the real challenges for students are the vroblems of devising. . . executine. and later exploiulng in writing a procdure forwnductiny h iystematic ti.e.. scientific) invt!stieatiun, not mcrrlv rhe synthesis of an ester. In their search for information ahout esters and for standard methods of synthesizing them-as a step toward
' The authm wish to thank Lilly Endowment, Inc.. for an instltutlonal grant to me College of Great Falls in ' w r m g across the currmlum." which made possible the research and faculty development training leading to the project reported here. Current address: Department of English, Montanta State University. Bozeman. MT 59717. The a"thors prepared for students a variety of handouts on evaluat ng wr t ng Sasea on recent research n compositon 1 12- 15)
their own creative variations as mandated by the projedstudents go to chemistry reference materials as well as t o scientific journals. In the process they begin to see,how practicing chemists formulate and test hypotheses. Only as they begin to synthesize their own esters and explore their own creative ideas, however, do they begin t o appreciate the interrelated.technical and problem-solving skills that they will need. Additionally, they come to understand the logical relationship between the inductive procedures they must design and the inductive format of the scientific paper they eventually write. Descriptlon of the Project The Chemistry Tasks Early in the second semester, each student is assigned a different alcohol/acid combination and instructed to investigate some aspect of ester preparation. In the last three years students have, for example, compared the reactions of several alcohols with the same acid, investieated the urevaration of . . an r d e r by twn or mGrc synthet~rmethods, or irudied t h t effect of different kinds of or different concentrations olcatalysts. In our judgment, esters are particularly convenient for this project, since the low molecular weight acids, alcohols, and corresponding esters are relatively non-toxic, inexpensive, and stable enough to be distilled with minimum risk. Moreover, for the student the easily detected odor change from offensive-smelling acid to pleasant-smelling ester provides gratifying feedback that "the reaction worked." Each student is asked to suhmit an outline prospectus ahowina . ~ . the nlan of attack he or she intends to take. Onlv y*.n~ral ad\.irr on the importance of purity, percent yidd. cost. mid control oivariablea is given uhcn each imiect outline is approved, although stude& are reminded'of the literature in scientific journals and of their responsibilities for careful experimentation. As the experimental work progresses, modifications of the original plan are approved.
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The Writin4 - Tasks
('oncurrent with their laboratory efforts, I ht,student%meet earls in the >emester tc, discuss f ~ r m aand t style for thc professional reports (the Journal of the American Chemical Society has been chosen as the model) and to settle on deadlines for rough drafts and final drafts. As the lab work is in progress, a sub-committee of students meets to dev~sean evaluation scale for the reports. Using guidelines for measuring writing developed by composition specialists," the students have created a six-point holistic scale, adapted to the requirements of a scientific paper, weighing content, organization, style, and mechanics. The students have also devised an analytic checklist to be used as an aid in applying the aradine scale and as a worksheet for Deer eroun ,. . ,. . helu. sessions during the rt.vi,ing pnr, (,is. An example of ~hc:.tudent crr:~ced ladidtic scale: mid work5heet is shown rn the atmendices U I this -. essay. On the agreed date, the final drafts are placed on reserve in the library, and during the following week all papers are ~~
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read and critiqued by each ~ t u d e n tT. h~ e students, acting a s a committee of the whole, then meet as a n "editorial hoard" t o report and defend their scoring of each paper. Frequently the students "send back" a number of papers for further revision before finally selecting the best papers for publication. The instructor then has the papers professionally typed (flaws and all) and printed, has a class picture taken for the cover, presents each student with a copy of the journal, and places additional conies in the lihrarv as models for future students. , 59405.) Great Falls, ~ r e a t ~ a l lMs T Results After three years of experience with the Ester Project, we can report encouraging results. T h e English department has been gratified by the emphasis placed on writing, especially since the project stresses a wide range of rhetorical concerns-audience analysis, discovery of ideas, drafting and re-drafting, and peer-group involvement with revision and evaluation-and not simuly such surface matters as correct grammar and spelling. students report that the act of setting ideas down in writing, first for themselves a s a way of thinking on paper and the; for others as the drafts are reshaped into professional-style articles, causes them t o organize and clarify their ideas, bearing out, we think, Woodford's contention t h a t disciplined writing leads t o better scientific thinking (8). Student evaluations, too, show that students appreciate the Ester Project, both for its encouragement of independent problem solving and for its emphasis on writing. Evaluations during the last three years range from supportive to highly s u u ~ o r t i v ewith complaints focusing mainly on the difficulty o f t h e project, n e v e r m its lack of Glue.
oreo over,
Summary T h e Ester Project seems t o be a n effective method for encouraging growth of both thinking and writing skills in a n undergraduate chemistry lab. T h e project compels students to generate their own original ideas in response t o a problem-solving situation, helps them acquire sufficient laboratoly skills to examine their hypotheses and obtain definitive results, gives them exposure to the uses of some of t h e scientific literature, reinforces skills taught in composition courses, and simultaneously takes advantage of writing as a powerful mode of learning frequently ignored by chemistry instructors. Appendix One: Analytic Worksheet Title Does the paper have a descriptive title? Yes N oC o m m e n t : Abstract Does the abstract function as a thesis statement to predict, obligate, and control the paper? Are the results of the experiment summarized? Is the writing concise and free from errors? Yes N oC o m m e n t : Introduction Is the background supplied interesting and informative? Is the background material integrated smoothly into a statement of the problem (good transitions)? Is the general "plan of attack" revealed? Is the writing compact (no padding) and precise (not vague)? Is the prase free from errors? Yes N oC o m m e n t : Experimental Section
excluded? Are excess data or unnecessary mformation included? Is material properly belonging to the discussion section included here? Yes N oC o m m e n t : Discussion Section Are the results of the experiment presented in some readable form (e.g., tables, graphs, smoothly integrated prose)? Are the results discussed intellieentlv? Are assertions made and supported by the data? Are a s s e r t h and data clearly connected by the author? Are guarded statements made and appropriate when made? Is the conclusion logical and justified? Yes N oC o m m e n t : BibliographylEndnote Section Do citations follow the J. Amer. Chem. Soc. style? Are endnotes informative andlor appropriate? Are acknowledgments specific? Yes N oC o m m e n t : Appendix Two: Hollstic Grading Scale Grade 6 This grade should be reserved far a superior paper-one that is faithful to the format in terms of title, abstract, introduction section, exoerimental section. and discussion section. The writing.should be graceful, precise, and well constructed. The experimental work reported should be thoroughand imaginative (within the contect of the experiment). The reader should not have to reread to figure out what the author meant. The paper should be clean and reasonably free of mechanical errors. Grade 5 This grade should be given t o a paper that is sound in general but flawed in one or two ways (e.g., awkward sentences, some dataomitted. or assertions imora~erlvmade).Thaueh the flaws mav he evident.
Grade 4 This grade should be given to apaper that has a serious flaw (e.g., the prose is good but the discussion was inappropriate-assertions made are not supportable). Aside from the obvious flaw, the paper should leave a g&d impression. Grade 3 This grade should be used far a paper with majar flaws in prose, organization,experimental reports or the discussion section, yet with genuine merit. Grade 2 This grade should be reserved for a paper which barely adheres t o the guidelines established. Grade 1
This grade should be given to a paper with essentially "no redeeming features." Literature Cited (11 Wads, Jr., L. B., "Chemistry W~thimtacookhook:.4n Effective Alternative," J. CHEM. EDUC., 68,825 (19191. (21 Galdwassor M. R., and Leal 0.. "A Transition from a Tradiliunal lu s Project~like Chemistry Lahuratsry via a Heterngeneour Catalyrir Study,"J. CHEM EDUC., 56,
,,"*">
,.",,", (7) Carlisle E. F., and Kinringer d . LI., "A Humanisticand Scientific Course for Science 54,632 (1Y771. iJnder~radilutcs."J.CHXM.FDIIC.. (8) Wuudhrd. P. F., "Sounder Thinkmg through Clearer W~iting,"B a f n c r , IS#, 74:1 /IW?/ ~."".,
(81 Emir J.;'W?itingasa
ModeofLearning? C u l i e ~ ~ ~ C a m p o s t l i a n oCornmunicoiion, nd
0. 7., ,1977) . ... ,.
'The procedures followed here were developed by Bean ( 15). 484
Journal of Chemical Education
(101 Martin Nancy. elal.. "Writing and Learninr .Across the Curirculum? Universntv of London, 1976. (11) Odell. L.. "The Pmcess of writ in^ and the Procerr of 1.enming." Cdipge Cornpos~tion end Cummunirnlmn, 42 (19801.
Volume 60
Number 6
June 1963
485
