Chemistry Everyday for Everyone edited by
Chemistry for Kids
John T. Moore Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Super Science Connections
David Tolar R. C Fisher School Athens, TX 75751
Patricia B. McKean Convent of the Sacred Heart, 1177 King Street, Greenwich, CT 06831;
[email protected] In 1992, a group of elementary, middle, high school, and college-level teachers gathered at the Institute for Chemical Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to discuss the great need for more science at the elementary level. ICE had recently published Volumes I and II of Fun with Chemistry (1, 2),1 which were meeting the needs of high school and middle school teachers. Now ICE was ready to reach out to elementary teachers. Physical science was selected as the major focus of the program, and several topics were chosen. The team worked on the units during the following year and field-tested them for the first time at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, in August 1993. A draft of Super Science Connections (3)1 was ready for the summer of 1994, and was used in a two-week workshop in Madison for elementary teachers from 20 states. It was published in final form and used by teachers in the summer of 1995. The final units selected were “Water”, “Color and Light”, “Pressure”, “Insulation”, and “Surface Tension”. It is geared toward grades K–3, but can be adapted to all levels. In the summers of 1996 and 1997, many more teachers were trained. Now the program is in the hands of a diverse group of Wisconsin teachers as well as teachers from 32 states and territories including Alaska and American Samoa. The Super Science Connections Workshop has changed the way these teachers think about science and the way they approach its teaching. The title Super Science Connections was chosen because each workbook activity has connections throughout all curricula and cultures. One of the activities in the “Surface Tension” unit is “The Milk Explosion”. This experiment uses three liquids: milk, detergent, and food coloring. These variables can be changed in many different experiments that could lead to a
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presentation at a science convention. Art can be brought in by drawing the color pattern that develops on the surface of the milk. There are several references for literature connections and a suggestion for investigating the history of milk as a food substance, with a possible field trip to a dairy farm or ice cream manufacturing plant. Sample lesson sheets and letters are provided to assist the busy elementary teacher. Teachers have found that the SSC materials are most successful because many students have not had much exposure to basic science and become really interested in the activities. “Now my students really like science and can’t wait to get to class each day,” said one SSC teacher. After two weeks of instruction, the teachers leave the workshops feeling empowered because of the great addition to their basic knowledge and reawakening of their dormant curiosity. They appreciate that the course is taught by classroom teachers who must meet the same situations that they face every day. They have discovered how much fun science can be! Note 1. Fun with Chemistry and Super Science Connections may be purchased from the Institute for Chemical Education, Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1396. Information about ICE publications workshops for teachers is available at the ICE home page, http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/ ice.
Literature Cited 1. Fun with Chemistry, Vol. 1, 2nd ed.; Institute for Chemical Education: Madison, WI, 1995. 2. Fun with Chemistry, Vol. 2; Institute for Chemical Education; Madison; 1993. 3. Super Science Connections; Institute for Chemical Education: Madison, WI, 1995.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 7 July 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
