eized words. A self-test, usually consisting of a few routine shortanswer questions and a problem or two, follows most sections with answers a t the end of eaeh chapter. At the end of the guide are complete solutions for approximately one fourth of the even-numbered review problems found in the tent. The main contribution of the guide is to prune an often rambling text down to a few central ideas. Because the guide repeats the text and fails to present significant study ideas, it would appear to be of minimal value to the student. The most outstanding feature of "General Chemistry" is its clear presentation of the three-dimensional aspects of chemical bonding and molecular geometry. Used with appropriate teacher guidance, i t would be an excellent supplement to these topics in first- or second-year high school chemistry courses. As a regular classroom text, though, the defects appear to outweigh the virtues. The limited usefulness of this text as a supplement and as a reference hook does not seem to justify its purchase by the average high school chemistry teacher.
JUDY SMITH 336 Amber #3 Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Fundamentals of Chemistry Michael A. Warlell, and Jack D. Cumins, Willard Grant Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 1980.
This set of materials: Textbook, Study Guide, Laboratory Program, and Teacher's Guide, is a well-written and organized package for beginning high school chemistry students. The authors have succeeded in their goal "to explain chemistry t o students in a way they can understand and learn." The materials are written to allow the teacher much flexibility. For teachers of classes with students with varying backgrounds and abilities, this would be a good set ofmaterials. The organization of the text is built around traditional topics. There is an excellent chapter devoted to detailed problem-solving explanations including significant figures, units, unit cancellation, density, temperature, and heat. The authors continue this approach throughout the remainder of the text by including detailed solutions t o numerous prohlems in every chapter. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a list of learning objectives, which are well-written and testable. Each chapter ends with a glossary where the defined terms are scientifically correct. However, for the non-science students, the terms will need some explaining to put them into the students' everyday vocabularies. The accompanying Study Guide does not lend itself to student use if your goal is to have the students read and study the textbook. Each objective is explained in the Study Guide. In these explanations, the authors cite textbook references but I am fearful that most high school students will just study the Study Guide. I t would serve better as a teacher's euide. The Teacher's Guide contains onlv the detailed so-
a fine beginning chemistry course. The accompanying Laboratory Program written by H. A. Neidig
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Journal of Chemical Education
and J. N. Spencer is a self-contained lab program. I t contains 19 lab exercises, equipment lists, and reagent requirements for each 10 students. Each exercise is well-written and illustrated. Safety is stressed throughout by caution statements wherever they are needed. In eaeh exercise, the authors state the problem to be investigated, offer background information, give step-by-step procedural instructions, and have goad questions a t the end. For the busy teacher, this set of materials could solve many prohlems.
WILLIAMR. CARY Memorial High School 201 S. Gammon Road Madison. WI 53711
I would agree that the two aims in writing "Fundamentals in Chemistry" have been achieved. First, the authors explain chemistry t o students in a way that they can understand and easilv learn the subject. Second, they do this in away that allows each instructor to adapt the presentation to the particular objectives of hisher course. The learning objectives a t the beginning of each chapter are simllar to those objectives that I consider important for my high school. The glossary a t the end of eaeh chapter is an excellent addition to ~ , h r m i , ~ rbmk, ) . *invr many hcmkidu I M L~ main i.nc The Ilr 111.cm. at the e t d of the ch+ter> are s u f f ~ c i r ~ nditrictcit lv tu cowk I h m m ~ wl. i8ut n%#l d ~ t t : t u tur l ~ ~ L . I + I U ~ ~ I HA\:,x S . t i t ? ,tn5nFr. r , , selected problems a t the back of the book is encouraging to students and is also a time-saving device for the teacher. The tables and diaerams are well-desiened. v The guides and the lab experiments which accompanies each part of the book can be followed easily by a first year teacher. The answers to the essay questions are given in complete sentences and answers t o problemsare worked out completely. The study guide works out the answers given in the back of the book in detail. In this way. the student learns how to work out the oroblem correctlv. The guide has exolicit learnineobiectives. The seif-tests are excelient wi;h the an~
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are multiples of ten instead of a classroom set. Again, the authors were thinking of the classroom teacher. This multiple also applies to the summaw of reagents and ta the summaries of individual and eeneral equipment as well. I would not hesitate to use this text as the course of stud".. . or a s a -11ppl~111rn1.i text. The pnhlmma prrrentrd t vcrllcnt mr. whl. h can br urrd in any r hemlatry .uursr. It n , u d r ~ . i l yI.+ uir.1 it.r ..ccelerated students, or for those students preparing far advanced placement tests. The study guide could be used with any text to assure proficiency in chemistry. I t is an excellent reference hook for any science student. This is a unique set of books, unlike any I have used before, complete in themselves; a boon to those of us striving to interest and hold the interest of high school students. ~
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JUDY BERRY LaPorte High School 301 East Fairmont Parkway LaPorte, TX 77571
