Guiding the Pupils' First Steps in High-School Chemistry CARROL C. HALL' Hollywood High School, Hollywood, California
HOW can the first class sessions with a beginning group in high-school chemistry be most profitably spent? This question must be answered. If not, the teacher's instruction is likely to be ineffective. The first class sessions must be planned! They cannot be left to chance. Good guidance for the pupils' first steps aids greatly in the development of desirable learning habits and attitudes. Before any suitable learning activities can be planned for the beginning classes a set of learning objectives must be drawn up for this phase of the instructional procedure. Here are some suggested objectives: (1) To acquaint the pupils with the instructor and the instructor with the pupils (2) To establish the mechanics of laboratory and classroom administration (3) To review the objectives of the course of instruction (4) To become familiar with the literature of chemistry (5) To study the organization of the course of study (6) To stimulate interest in chemistry (7) To instruct in basic laboratory technics (8) To teach certain fundamental skills essential for success in the study of any science With the foregoing objectives in mind the teacher can now plan a series of classroom and laboratory activities which will have considerable influence on the pupils' future mastery of the subject matter. Following are some activities that have been used with success in beginning chemistry classes: Testing the ability to observe.-During the first part of the class session the pupils are instructed to observe a simple laboratory demonstration. A series of objective questions is then given, leading to a discussion on observing experiments and demonstrations. An exercise of this nature is given in detail in "Science and General Education" (I). An informal reading and browsing session.-If the chemistry lecture room contains a library corner, a browsing period can be well spent. Opportunity should be given for looking through reference books, periodicals, pamphlets, and other supplementary literature. This period should be followed by a discussion of the materials available; also, how to use library facilities not in the classroom. Rm'euring basic labmatory technics.-The author for a number of years has devoted a t least one class lecture to a demonstration of a number of these fundamental processes. (A card-file listing of them is helpful.) The pupils repeat the demonstration in the laboratory with their own desk equipment.
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'Exchange Instructor in Chemistry from Sprinpfield High School. Sprinpfield, Illinois.
Laboratory safety instruction.--Safety instruction, including such items as the handling of glass, strong chemicals, flames, and simple first aid, may provide a separate class session or be combined with the session on laboratory fundamentals. A set of lantern'slides has been developed on safety in the laboratory (2). Metric system drills.-This work, standard practice for high-school chemistry teachers, should be used in both classroom and laboratory. The work in the classroom includes a review of the basic ideas of the system and memorv drill: laboratorv work should include mavimetric and volumetric measurements. A pupil-rating testing program.-Time spent in measuring pupils' abilities in fundamental science thinking is not wasted. Such a testing program will provide the instructor with a more adequate concept of the potential success of any particular pupil or class group. These tests afford material for class discussions. A few titles of such tests are listed:
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A Test in the Elements of Problem Solving and Scientific Procedures (3) A Scale for the Measurement of the Scientific Attitude (4) A Test for the Measurement of Superstitions and Misconceptions (5) A Test in the Elements of Scientific Thinking (6) A Test Measuring the Ability in Learning Procedures in Science (7)
A student self-mluation exercise.-By class discussion, informal written statements, or by checking a prepared form the pupils can evaluate their use of time, their interests, and other factors that may influence their success in the study of chemistry. A laboratory inspection trip.-The writer has found i t a good practice to take the new chemistry groups through the laboratory prior to their work in it. This is particularly valuable for gids, who are likely to be unfamiliar with a laboratory. This trip includes a survey of the general organization, an inspection of the stock room, an explanation of fume-hood operation, room cleanliness and safety regulations, f i e extinguisher and fire blanket locations, and, finally, the location and contents of the first aid cabinet. Laboratory locker inspection and equipment identification.-This may or may not be in conjunction with the laboratory inspection trip. It is best done as part of the program for the first regular laboratory session. There are printed tests available which may be used to check on student mastery of apparatus nomenclature. Inspection of textual materials.-A considerable portion of one class session can be well spent in examining the organization and content of the basal text materials. As elementary as this may sound, many youngsters, unfamiliar with the glossary, index, and appendix ma-
terials, use their texts only as directed during the course. Two excellent testing instruments have been developed to aid in this type of instruction. They relate to the use and location of reference information both in the textbook and from other sources (8, 9). Visual aids as introductwy materials.-If the chemistry teacher is supplied with moving picture films, film strips, or slides, these may be used in the introductory sessions, accompanied by a class lecture. Considerable editing must be done in order to fit the visual materials for introductory work, as they are usually designed for the formal divisions of the course of study. By means of a well-planned introductory period the beginning group in chemistry gradually assumes a desirable class attitude that will go far in making the year's work an interesting and profitable excursion. It must be kept in mind that such a program can become functional only when it is based on definite and wellgrounded objectives and accompanied by appropriate and worth-while learning exercises.
LITERATURE CITED
(1) WYER ET AL.,"Science in general education." D. AppletonCentury Co., New York City, 1938, pp. 398401. (A Study of Our Ability t o Observe. Parts A and B.) (2) LEVELLE. "A visual insuurtion project in laboratory chemi* try." Educational Screen, 16, 3940 (1937). (3) ROBERTSON AND SaLBERo. "Test in the elements of problem solvine and scientific orocedures. Forms A and B." ~ o l o r ~ dState o ~ o l l e g eof Education. Greeley, Colo.. 1035~ ----.
(4) EDWARDS. BOWER, SCHNABRL.. AND R-ERPORD, "A scale
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for the measurement of the scientific attitude." Colorado Stntc College of Education. Grcelry. Cola 1937. ' (5) Kost~rsos.Sa~nenc.A N D MCCLASKRY. " A t r ~ measuring t runrrsti~ion.i and misranr.cotions. Forms A and 5."
(6) DOWNING. "Some ele&ents of scientific tGinking," The University of Chicago. School of Education, Chicago. 1931.
(7) Roesnrso~AND SELBERG, "A test measuring the ability in
learnine Drocedures in science." Colorado State Colleee of ~ d u c a i i o n Grecley. . Colo., 1935. (8) SeLBsnc ET AL., "Test on locating information for use in science," Colorado State College of Education, Grecley. Colo.. 1935. (9) Ronr,RTsou .AND SRLBBRC., "A test measuring thc ability 10 locate and nse rrfrrence books and marerids in science." Colorado State Collrgr of 1Iducation. Grccley. Colo, 1935. ~
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