Highlights from The Science Teacher: December 2009 to Summer

Chemical Education Today

Highlights from The Science Teacher : December 2009 to Summer 2010 by Steve Long Rogers High School, Rogers, Arkansas 72758, United States [email protected]

This installment of reviews of chemistry-related articles published in The Science Teacher (TST) highlights material published from December 2009 through Summer 2010. TST is the high school publication of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Topics in this review include several aspects of classroom safety such as the use of fire extinguishers and the new NSTA portal to safety, as well as a redox reaction producing copper crystals, writing student lab reports, making “green” root beer with inquiry extensions, building a digital thermometer, and an instructional unit on local air quality. Perhaps some of these topics and articles will be useful for JCE readers interested in introductory or high school chemistry. Safety Ken Roy, NSTA's science safety consultant, writes a regular feature for each issue of TST entitled Safer Science. The December 2009 article is “Taking Responsibility for Safety” (1). Roy reminds readers about the “duty of care” that teachers have for their students' personal wellbeing. This duty of care includes identifying potential student risks, assessing methods to increase the safety of lab procedures, providing appropriate controls and procedures, and seeking safer alternatives for labs and activities. Roy emphasizes that the teacher, not lab manual publishers, are liable for student injuries. Of course this Journal has a strong focus on chemical safety. Safety Tips, a column currently edited by Timothy Champions (previous editors include Miriam Nagel), provides readers with valuable safety information. A 1983 article in this column by Jack Gerlovich (2) was an early step in informing high school teachers about avoiding negligence in chemistry teaching. Other useful JCE articles include avoiding liability (3) and how to fund safety activities (4). “Lab Extinguishers: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?” (5) is the January 2010 Safer Science article. Roy emphasizes, “If flammables are present, the fire code requires the presence of fire extinguishers—even if other fire-suppression equipment, such as a sprinkler system, is available.” Regulations and standards related to fire safety are briefly referenced in addition to the PASS acronym for properly using a fire extinguisher. Roy reviews a dozen good housekeeping points for preventing fires. Personally, the most successful professional development I have conducted for the science teachers in my district was a hands-on training using fire extinguishers. Conducted by the local fire department or a local fire extinguisher company servicing your school, each teacher was given the opportunity to use different types of extinguishers to contain a controlled fire. The minimal cost to refill the used fire extinguishers and pay for the training was a worthwhile investment in the skills and confidence of the district science teachers. 1286

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The February 2010 article announces the “NSTA Portal to Science Safety” (6). This new Web resource, Safety in the Science Classroom (7), serves as a gateway to numerous safety resources that should be valuable to science teachers. The evolving list of resources comprise materials applicable for elementary through high school teachers and sources including professional societies, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and science supply houses with free materials or resources. The article lists a sample of the safety resources available on the portal, including some American Chemical Society (ACS) materials (8- 10). Additional ACS classroom safety publications are also available for free download from the Committee on Chemical Safety's publications Web page (11). “Getting Students in the Safety Zone” (12) describes using the School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide (13) published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as an example for establishing safety practice and protocol for students and teachers. The guide covers many aspects of lab safety needed to operate a safer science lab program. In the March 2010 article, Roy provides readers with examples of the major divisions of the guide, including housekeeping, apparel in the lab, hygiene practices, and emergency procedures. Safe practices for students include safety training; some related JCE articles include lab safety through comics (14), a trivia game (15), and student-centered or cooperative student teams (16, 17). One of the most important means that a teacher has of assuring student safety is to select the safest labs; the JCE article, “How Do Teachers Choose New Labs?” (18), addresses this. The April/May 2010 Safer Science article returns to the concept of “duty of care” with “Failure of `Duty to Warn'” (19). Science teachers must provide students with appropriate safety instruction and supervision. In this article, Roy uses The School Improvement in Maryland Web site as a resource and provides examples of actions that a reasonable and prudent science teacher needs to take for avoiding negligence and accidents. The curiously titled Safer Science article in the Summer 2010 issue, “Are Your `Bungs' on Tight” (20), focuses on storing flammable and combustible liquids. Roy references sections of the National Fire Protection Association, the International Code Council, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration codes related to flammables. In addition, Roy discusses the classification of flammables and combustibles as well as requirements for flammable storage cabinets that may prove useful to readers. A 1982 JCE Safety Tips article, “Chemical Storage” (21), contains suggestions that are still useful. Growing Copper Crystals “Grow Your Own Copper Deposit” (22) is an activity written for earth science teachers, but has appeal and use for

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Vol. 87 No. 12 December 2010 pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 10.1021/ed100890u Published on Web 09/28/2010


Figure 1. Example setup for copper crystal growth. Reprinted with permission from ref 22. Copyright 2009 National Science Teachers Association.

research group answering the question, “What influence does the degree of instructional support have on the quality of data analysis and writing in student lab report conclusions?” Three groups of students each received one intervention strategy: no instructional support, a checklist of conclusion guidelines, or a checklist of conclusion guidelines with teacher-led discussion and student practice on a different data set. As expected, the students with the most instructional support produced the highest-quality written lab conclusions. The authors provide additional details on their project and a discussion of their results in the article as well as three key points for educators to consider in their classrooms. Other resources in this Journal related to student labs include “Constructing the Components of a Lab Report Using Peer Review” (27), and “When Learning the Hard Way Makes Learning Easy: Building Better Lab Note-Taking Skills” (28). Web-based lab reporting is detailed in “Using Chem-Wiki To Increase Student Collaboration through Online Lab Reporting” (29). Environmental Awareness

Figure 2. Close-up view of (A) cubic copper crystals; (B) dendritic copper crystals. Reprinted with permission from ref 22. Copyright 2009 National Science Teachers Association.

chemistry teachers. The author sought to design an activity for geology students demonstrating the process of mineral concentration and deposition. The article describes the application to geology as well as step-by-step instructions for accomplishing the activity in a test tube using solid copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate, sodium chloride, and iron nails. (See Figure 1.) With minimal effort, chemistry teachers can adapt this colorful activity to use in a unit on redox. The copper formed in the reaction is a mix of cubic and dendritic crystals. (See Figure 2.) Again, teachers could use the cubic copper as an example of crystal shapes of materials. The author also discusses safety, disposal, and a possible final student report in the article. A JCE article relates to growing crystals: “How Does Your Garden Grow? Investigating the `Magic Salt Crystal Garden'” (23). Another copper-related article includes a discussion of copper compounds used in ceramic glazes (24). An additional JCE article, “Redox Demonstrations and Descriptive Chemistry: Part 3. Copper(I)-Copper(II) Equilibria” (25) provides an excellent reference on “some rather unusual redox properties involving precipitation and complex ion reactions” of copper. Student Lab Reports Getting high school students to write and communicate ideas scientifically is both imperative and challenging. “Writing Better Lab Reports” (26) is the result of a collaborative teacher

r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

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“The `Green' Root Beer Laboratory” (30) is not a recipe for producing a green beverage, but rather an activity to promote environmental awareness in the laboratory coupled with a bit of acid-base chemistry, sublimation, and gas laws. Included in the article are a history of root beer, two recipes (one with dry ice and one with yeast fermentation), and a series of student inquiry questions related to the production of their own root beer. Appropriate lab safety discussions accompany the article. The authors suggest that many science teachers already use a root beer lab in their classes, and this article encourages an inquiry aspect and an environmental component. If readers are looking for food-related information and activities, they need look no further than the exhaustive article compiled by Erica Jacobsen, “National Chemistry Week 2000: JCE resources in Food Chemistry” (31). In addition to these references, a JCE Classroom Activity with making sauerkraut (32) and an article with directions for making peanut brittle in the classroom (33) are available. Of course, teachers must use appropriate hygiene and safety guidelines anytime foods are made in the classroom. Digital Thermometers Teachers can use the 5E learning cycle (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) to design, build, calibrate, and use a digital thermometer. While many teachers use digital thermometers in the classroom for their convenience, accuracy, and safety, students constructing their own thermometer offers a new twist. “Make Your Own Digital Thermometer!” (34) discusses the procedure, materials, and current costs (approximately $10 each) for building a classroom digital thermometer with a temperature range of -18 to 150 °C. Photographs accompany the article to aid readers and the article also includes a discussion of safety and student assessment. A primary reason for using digital thermometers is to eliminate any mercury thermometers still in classroom use. Readers can learn about possible replacements for mercury thermometers in a JCE article by Barbara Foster (35). This Journal is a bonanza if readers want to build their own lab equipment. The archives include information on constructing a different digital thermometer (36), a distillation apparatus using household items (37), a film canister colorimeter (38), a simple

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polarimeter (39), a simple hydrogen electrode (40), and a 1984 compilation of “Homemade Lab Equipment” (41). Readers can also find two gas chromatographs they can construct (42, 43).

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Air Quality Jeffrey Thomas also uses the 5E learning cycle in his article, “The Air Up There” (44). This report is “A series of activities designed to teach students about local air quality.” Although developed as a four-week unit of study for an environmental science class, the article has application for chemistry teachers, too. In particular, Chemistry in the Community (ChemCom) (45) textbook users will find the article valuable in Unit 4, Air: Chemistry and the Atmosphere. Other teachers may find practical application of the article as they study gas laws, acid-base chemistry, and catalysts. Thomas provides examples of graphic organizers, questions, data collection and analysis, and evaluation of student work. Interestingly, JCE also has articles related to students' study of air quality and pollution (46- 48) as well as a student mock congressional hearing activity (49).

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Conclusion Readers will likely discover one or more of The Science Teacher articles mentioned here to be interesting and useful in their classrooms, as well as the rich resources that JCE has published on related topics. The difficulty at times is not in finding appropriate classroom resources, but rather in compiling the resources into a meaningful and concise package. This column endeavors to accomplish this and assist busy classroom teachers. Literature Cited 1. Roy, K. Taking Responsibility for Science. TST 2009, 76 (9), 12–13. 2. Gerlovich, J. J. Chem. Educ. 1983, 60 (4), 358–359. 3. Richardson, M.; Gentry, L.; Lane, K.; Vanberkum, D. Science Lab Liability for Teachers: Protect Yourself When Administrators Don't. J. Chem. Educ. 1994, 71 (8), 689–690. 4. Penker, W. Funding Safety Activities in Secondary Schools. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80 (12), 1401–1402. 5. Roy, K. Lab Fire Extinguishers: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? TST 2010, 77 (1), 10–11. 6. Roy, K. NSTA Portal to Science Safety. TST 2010, 77 (2), 10–11. 7. National Science Teachers Association Web Page for Safety in the Science Classroom. http://www.nsta.org/portals/safety.aspx (accessed Sep 2010). 8. Young, J., Ed. Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories: Vol. 1, 7th ed.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2003; available online at http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb= true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=2230&use_ sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=4b2ab466-9491-416b-9ca3e18a15186d4e (accessed Sep 2010). 9. Young, J., Ed. Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories: Vol. 2, 7th ed.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2003; available online at http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_ nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=2230& use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=4b2ab466-9491-416b9ca3-e18a15186d4e (accessed Sep 2010). 10. Joint Board-Council Committee on Chemical Safety. Recommendations for Shared Goggle Cleaning; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2009; available online at http://portal.acs.org/

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27. 28.

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30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

portal/fileFetch/C/CNBP_023457/pdf/CNBP_023457.pdf (accessed Sep 2010). American Chemical Society Committee on Chemical Safety Publications Web Page. http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_ nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=2230& use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=624a76f7-0f35-4e5db04d-2cbc85e6ea89 (accessed Sep 2010). Roy, K. Getting Students in the Safety Zone. TST 2010, 77 (3), 10–11. National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety. School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide. U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission: Bethesda, MD, 2007; available online at http://www. cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-107/pdfs/2007-107.pdf (accessed Sep 2010). Raddo, P. Teaching Chemistry Lab Safety through Comics. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83 (4), 571–573. Gublo, K. A Laboratory Safety Trivia Game. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80 (4), 425–426. Wright, S. Introducing Safety Topics Using a Student-Centered Approach. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82 (10), 1519–1520. Alaimo, P.; Langenhan, J.; Tanner, M. Safety Teams: An Approach To Engage Students in Laboratory Safety. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87 (8), 856-861; DOI: 10.1021/ed100207d. DeMeo, S. How Do New Teachers Choose New Labs? J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (10), 1702–1705. Roy, K. Failure of “Duty to Warn”. TST 2010, 77 (4), 10–11. Roy, K. Are Your “Bungs” on Tight? TST 2010, 77 (5), 10–11. Nagel, M. Chemical Storage. J. Chem. Educ. 1982, 59 (2), 156–157. Corcoran, T. Grow Your Own Copper Deposits. TST 2009, 76 (9), 42–46. JCE Staff. How Does Your Garden Grow? Investigating the “Magic Salt Crystal Garden”. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77 (5), 624A-624B. Denio, A. The Joy of Color in Ceramic Glazes with the Help of Redox Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78 (10), 1298–1301. Ophardt, C.; Wollaston, G. Redox Demonstrations and Descriptive Chemistry: Part 3. Copper(I)-Copper(II) Equilibria. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68 (3), 248–249. Porter, R.; Guarienti, K.; Brydon, B.; Robb, J.; Royston, A.; Painter, H.; Sutherland, A.; Passmore, C.; Smith, M. H. Writing Better Lab Reports. TST 2010, 77 (1), 43–48. Berry, D.; Fawkes, K. Constructing the Components of a Lab Report Using Peer Review. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87 (1), 57–61. MacNeil, J.; Falconer, R. When Learning the Hard Way Makes Learning Easy: Building Better Lab Note-Taking Skills. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87 (1), 703–704. Elliott, E., III; Fraiman, A. Using Chem-Wiki To Increase Student Collaboration through Online Lab Reporting. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87 (1), 54–56. Clary, R.; Wandersee, J. The “Green” Root Beer Laboratory. TST 2010, 77 (2), 24–28. Jacobsen, E. National Chemistry Week 2000: JCE Resources in Food Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77 (10), 1256. JCE Staff. Cabbage Patch Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77 (11), 1432A-1432B. Adams, R. Gimmicks for Mid-Year Motivation. J. Chem. Educ. 1972, 49 (8), 536–537. Sorey, T.; Willard, T.; Kim, B. Make Your Own Digital Thermometer. TST 2010, 77 (3), 56–60. Foster, B. Mercury Thermometer Replacements in Chemistry Laboratories. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82 (2), 269. Gaus, P.; Yut, G. An Inexpensive Digital Thermometer. J. Chem. Educ. 1980, 57 (7), 477.


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37. Campanizzi, D.; Mason, B.; Hermann, C. Distillation Apparatuses Using Household Items. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76 (8), 1079–1080. 38. Gordon, J.; James, A.; Harman, S.; Weiss, K. A Film Canister Colorimeter. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79 (8), 1005. 39. Stary, F.; Woldow, N. Build a Simple Polarimeter. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78 (5), 644. 40. Eggen, P. A Simple Hydrogen Electrode. J. Chem. Educ. 2009, 86 (3), 352–354. 41. Schmuckler, J. Homemade Lab Equipment. J. Chem. Educ. 1984, 61 (4), 358. 42. Jones, M. A Simple-to-Build Thermal-Conductivity GC Detector. J. Chem. Educ. 1994, 71 (11), 995–996. 43. Vrtacnik, M.; Gros, N. A Small-Scale Low-Cost Gas Chromatograph. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82 (2), 291–293.


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44. Thomas, J. The Air Up There. TST 2010, 77 (4), 37–42. 45. American Chemical Society. Chemistry in the Community, 5th ed.; W. H. Freeman: New York, 2006. 46. Pirjola, L. Local Atmospheric Chemistry and Ozone Model (LACOM). J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77 (12), 1650. 47. Adams, E.; Smith, G.; Henthorn, M.; Ward, T.; Vanek, D.; Marra, N.; Jones, D.; Striebel, J. Air Toxics under the Big Sky: A RealWorld Investigation To Engage High School Science Students. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85 (2), 221. 48. Klemm, O. Local and Regional Ozone: A Student Study Project. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78 (12), 1641. 49. Smythe, M.; Higgins, D. Role) Playing Politics in an Environmental Chemistry Lecture Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (2), 241.


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Highlights from The Science Teacher: December 2009 to Summer

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