Chemical Education Today
Especially for High School Teachers by Erica K. Jacobsen
Looking Back, Looking Forward Faced with 125 new faces spread across five class periods, I had a standard first day homework: each student wrote Secondary School Featured Articles a “bio-poem”. It was an old assignment gleaned from a pre䊕 Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative…? by service teaching course. Since then, I’ve seen the idea in many Catherine Hurt Middlecamp, p 31. places, including other content areas (1). Students wrote a poem about themselves following an 10-line template. It in䊕 JCE Classroom Activity: #86. Cooking Up Colors from Plants, Fabric, and Metal by Jennifer E. cluded their name, Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly, p 96A. traits, things they feel, things they fear, etc. Erica After they handed the The mad scientist mixes her potions, students brew poems in, I was the and bubble in her classroom only one to read them. charm and warmth have been a welcome Sibling of Einstein? Paracelsus? Mendel? to dare to be so great For students who let part of the section. I wish her well over themselves get into the her next few years, as she has a lot on her Lover of visions that strike with lightning speed in the night project, the poems plate hosting ChemEd 2007 and BCCE Who feels the thud of a flaming explosion were a small window I 2010. Please make your way to Denton could peer into, to get to share these events with her “and a Who gives the questions for students to ponder a feel for that person. couple thousand of her closest friends”, Who fears the day when all mysteries will be solved As a new teacher on as she says. Not sure where Denton is yet? Who would like to see the top the block, it helped me Be sure to ask Diana about the “Golden She resides… everywhere learn about them, and Triangle”. She is Bode, the Jacobsen to be. I shared my own poem I also look forward to serving my Erica K. Jacobsen, 1995 with them on that first term as editor with Laura Slocum, a viday. Then, after a brant teacher from Indiana. She is already school year with these students filled with ups and downs, I involved in important work such as the CHED Examinations pulled the poems out of the file cabinet and handed them Institute, and she was a key part of orchestrating the great back. There were some laughs, but I think it was a time for high school program during BCCE 2006 at Purdue last sumreflection as well. mer. I know she will be a great asset to the Secondary School Despite having worked for JCE in various roles for the section and this column. Laura’s spent the last couple months past eight years, I feel like I’m back on the first day again. It’s learning more about the inner workings of JCE than she ever a new time for me as editor of the Secondary School Chemthought there was to know! The best of luck to both Laura istry section. Naturally, the main goals of the section conand Diana in their new endeavors. tinue: to make the Journal an even better resource for our high school audience and to increase the number of high In This Issue school teacher subscribers and contributors. I will investigate new ways of getting the word out about what a great value I need to borrow Laura’s first word from her column to JCE is for both new and veteran teachers. Sure, JCE staff chat describe my reaction to Ramette’s “Exocharmic Reactions Up with educators about it a couple times a year at major conClose” (p 16). WOW!!! Don’t miss this gorgeous array of ferences, but what can we do to assist and encourage you to photographs taken through a stereomicroscope. Even a simple share the Journal, either with colleagues or at your own local process such as the dissolution and recrystallization of NaCl conferences and workshops? We will continue to develop great crystals is fascinating. The article describes how students can products for your classroom. For instance there’s a compilashare this same experience live in your classroom. After readtion that’s already in the works that offers the first 50 JCE ing Bruce’s review of the book “Kitchen Chemistry” (p 41), Classroom Activities on a convenient CD. (Don’t know how which includes a discussion of salt substitutes, I wondered great the Activity series is? Check out Activity #86 on p 96A what different salts from the grocery store would reveal unof this issue.) I will increase my follow-up communication der the stereomicroscope. Bruce describes other experiments with the potential authors I meet at conferences. Plan on my you’ll find in the book to try in your kitchen. This month’s politely twisting your arm a little more often. How can we Classroom Activity (p 96A–B) shares even more chemistry help you overcome the activation energy it takes to get your to cook up in your kitchen (or classroom). It uses natural teaching ideas down on paper, to share them with others? products to dye cloth, with surprising results. Tell us! Literature Cited A look back would not be complete without paying homage to Diana Mason and her past five years of service to the 1. Bio Poem Assignment. http://www.studyguide.org/bio_poem.htm Secondary School Chemistry section. Her big-hearted Texan (accessed Oct 2006) www.JCE.DivCHED.org
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Vol. 84 No. 1 January 2007
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Journal of Chemical Education
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