The Twelve Days of Chemistry A Model for a Chemistry Demonstration Show Steven D. ~ a m m o n 'and Graduate Students for Chemical University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843
The Chemistry Auditorium a t the University of Idaho (UI) was filled to capacity a s Chemistry Graduate Students presented the first annual %elwe Days of Chemistry. The Chemistry Christmas program was presented a s a community outreach project. The idea for this Dmmam arose from the desire of eraduatestudents in the'U1;hemistry department to share their expertise with the general public through a series of chemical demonstrations and skits. I t was hoped that the chemical demonstrations would interest and educate the general public about the importance of chemistry in their lives. While the program focused on chemical principles and phenomena, i t also had a humorous element that delighted the children and helped illustrate that chemists are ordinary people. In the body of this paper the details of preparing, promoting, and performing a program such a s the %elwe Days of Chemistry will be related and discussed. Promotion There were two vital components to the success of the Christmas Program. The first was the quality of the p r o gram andits appeal to the target audience. The second was
'Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. 2The Graduate Students for Chemical Education is a arouD in which!40% o-f the- chemistrv students at the ~nivirsitiof .~ - - ,oraduate laano partic,pate. Contrto~mgautnors of ih s paper from in s grOLp are. R. D. Bra~er,T. M. Braher, h. Dan el, F. M. Faran, J. F~sher.C M. Pharr, C. L. Phelps, and R. Richardson. ~
ducat ion^ the promotion of the show. Promotion was of particular im~ o r t a n c ebecause the Universitv of Idaho is not in a lawe population center. Promotion if the %elwe Days of Chemistry included posters, newspaper announcements and public service announcements a t a local radio station. T h e promotional campaign was started with the development of a n eye-catching logo that has now become associated with the event. (See figure.) Program Logo The logo was used on tickets, posters, and flyers sent home with elementary school children. The local newspaper ran a brief announcement describing the show a few weeks prior to the performance and wrote a short article'accompanied by a photograph. The photograph featured a "mad scientist" being tempted with a gaseous concoction of dry ice and colored water. Public service announcements were aired on local radio stations for a 10-dav ~ e r i o dpreceding the show and two of the participants appeared on local radio and television talk shows to advertise the performance. The faculty advisor for the program inhaled sulfur hexafluoride and helium on the radio show that demonstrated the dramatic effects of
Volume 71 Number 12 December 1994
1077
these gases on his speakingvoice (the SF8 caused his voice to be noticeably deeper). The linchpin of the promotional efforts was a booth a t a local mall durine .. the Deak . Thankmivine .. ..s h o.~. u i.u.~e. e r i o d . Simple, large scale demonstrations were used to draw peo~ l to e the hooth. The most successful demonstration for getting attention involved the use of a large Plexiglas box with several chunks of dry ice placed on the bottom. Soap bubbles were blown into the top of the COz-filled box. The bubbles would then float for long periods of time on the "sea" of COz. Beakers filled with COz from the box were used to put out candles. Another key to the success of the hooth was to have a n outgoing individual "working" the crowd in the best of county fair tradition. I t was found t h a t once a crowd formed, people started askingquestions, and the process of interesting people and selling tickets became self-perpetuating. In addition to the two day promotion mentioned above, tickets were made available a t the Chemistry Department Offke and a t the UI Ticket Outlet. The latter proved to be the most convenient place for non-university people to purchase tickets and obtain information. Ticket prices were $1.00 for adults and $0.50 for children, with children under five admitted free. This nominal charge covered some of the costs and eliminated the problem of people taking free tickets hut not attending the show. Courtesy tickets were sent to the University President, Deans and other University VIP's, a s well a s to disadvantaged kids and to a regional retirement home. Afinal promotional method was to send letters to all science teachers in both the local school and surrounding school districts telling them about the show. As a result of this effort, many teachers gave extra credit points to those students who attended the show. This ploy had the unexpected result that many high school students attended the show, a group that one might not ordinarily expect to participate in such a program. Technical Details Major technical issues that were addressed included: obtaining a large room with good accessibility, ordering supplies and equipment for the demonstrations, coordinating the and conducting dress rehearsals. A date and time for the show was chosen that was both convenient for the participants and would maximize attendance. Shows were performed a t 7:00 and €230 on both a Monday and Tuesday evening. By conducting the show on weeknights early in the month more people were able to attend. Free refreshments (cookies, soda, juice, cups, and coffee) were donated by locally owned grocery stores and soft drink distributors. Performance The ?tuelue Days of Chemistry program was a 75-minute program that consisted of a series of chemical demonstrations interspersed with humorous chemistry skits. The skits served to fill time between demonstrations and added flair to the show routine. The theme for the skits was that of a typical-looking Dr. Frankenstein (frizzy hair, black rimmed glasses, rumpled clothes, etc.) attempting secret experiments with Igor, the bumbling, hunchback assistant, who is fed up with long slave-like (graduate student) hours. As the program continues the skits are interspersed between demonstrations, with Igor continuing to frustrate and supposedly endanger the life of Dr. Frankenstein. For the demonstrations that comprised the main body of the program, each participating graduate student performed
1078
Journal of Chemical Education
and explained a t least one demonstration. The graduate students were responsible for choosing a demonstration, obtaining the supplies and equipment necessary and developing an explanation appropriate to the audience. The faculty advisor was available to assist in choosing and preparing the demonstrations. Although a few of the demonstrations involved complex chemical reactions (e.g., the clock reactions ref. ( I ) ) ,explanations were kept simple and accurate. Creative titles for the demonstrations were used in the program, see table below. Twelve Days of Chemistry Program and Demonstration Program Title
Demonstration
Foam for Today's Environment
Ecofoam versus Styrofoama
How Strong Are You?
The Can Ripper (8
Fighting Gravity with Chemistry Ammonia Fountain (3) Banging Bubbles
Hydrogen and Oxygen Soap Bubbles (1)
So. You Don't Like Your Voice
Inhaled Helium and SF^,^
A Warm Experiment for a Cold
Gun Cotton (4
You Light Up My Chlorine
Photoinduced Rxn of CI2and H2
Night
(5)
A VERY Warm Experiment for a Thermite Reaction ( 5 )
Cold Night
Happy Holidays
Luminol (5)
Efforts were made to choose a varietv of demonstrations. Some demonstrations such a s thermite, gun cotton, and luminol were dramatic. Others dealt with the various D ~ O D erties of different gases; including COz, Nz, Hz and 0,: still others were thought-provoking, such as the "can crusher" and dissolving Styrofoam peanuts in acetone. Every effort was made to relate the demonstrations to the presence of chemistry i n daily life. For example, a demonstration with Styrofoam and Ecofoam (corn starch foam) was related to the problems of solid waste disposal. The "can crusher" was used to describe the process of corrosion and its aunual cost in the United States. The dry ice demonstrations were used to explain the use of COz fire extinguishers and the properties of gases. Avery important element that contributed to the success of the program was a mix of present a t i o n a n d audience participation. Using volunteers proved to be extremely important for maintaining order and the attention of the younger members of the audience. Some of the demonstrations required considerable safety precautions before performance for an audience. For example, the thermite reaction (5)was done with 213 of the suggested quantities. It was practiced repeatedly in order to refine t h e experimental details. This a n d m a n y o t h e r demonstrations were performed behind large safety shields. Fire extinguishers were always close a t hand. All of the skits that involved Dr. Frankenstein and Igor, although designed to look dangerous, were conducted in a safe and tested manner. Safety precautions were emphasized a t all times during the show and aspects of chemical disposal were also discussed. All participants, including those from the audience, were required to wear safety goggles. Program Benefits and Evaluation
There are many benefits associated with putting on a performance such a s the Tbelue Days of Chemistry.
Firstly, the audience might become more aware of the importance and influence that chemistry has on everyday life. Throughout the program common items like cabbage juice, dry ice, Styrofoam peanuts, and Windex were referred to as chemicals. By emphasizing these "chemicals" as useful or helpful, the word "chemical" loses some of its negative connotations. Secondly, the audience may form a more positive atti6 extude aboui chemistry as a career option. ~ h wonder, citement, and enthusiasm generated by the demonstrations may make chemistry look more attractive and interesting. Although the Dr. Frankenstein in this promam is not an accurate oortraval of the tvoical chemist. it rs possible that by prese&ing h i s stereoGe in direct cdntrast with the other chemists in the uroeram. that the point is made that not all chemists are liki ~ r . ' ~ r a n k e n stein. A surprising result of the program was that many children in the audience later came to us and said that they wanted to he chemists when they grew up. Whether or noi this eoal is realized. the attitude that these students form regarding chemistry will cany to science classes and, it is hoped, to future careers and life decisions. Another important advantage of the program was of benefit to the oerformers themselves. All eraduate student participants ielt that they learned new ehemistry either from their own demonstration or from another student's. The opportunity to stand in front of a large audience and speak on a chemical topic proved to be beneficial for the participants. In addition, the camaraderie firmed hetween the students from many disciplines of chemistry carried over to collaboration betweenresearch groups in the department. Many students found the program offered some variety to the routine of graduate school. The success of the program had the effect of creating a strong interaction between the chemistry department and the local school districts. As a result, many requests have been received from area schools for demonstrations in the classroom. This has provided opportunities for faculty and students to actively participate in the science instruction
at the K-12 grade level. All of these efforts help lead to a better understanding. - of chemistry and science in the community a t large. Although no formal evaluation of the program was requested, many of the people who attended felt compelled to write and call the department of chemistry to express their appreciation for the presentation. The truest measure of success. attendance. was attained with standing room only for all presentatidns. Since the orifinal Christmas promam. modified versions have been pe;formed upon request. ~ a c h time the grins and questions of the young and old alike implied that the audience, no matter what their age or chemical sophistication, found the performance a success. Recently, we have completed a second successful presentation of the lluelve Days of Chemistry program to nearly 1000 people. The lhelve Days of Chemistry is now a fixture of the University of Idaho Department of Chemistry and is greeted with anticipation by the entire community. Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank the University of Idaho Deoartment of Chemistrv for their suooort of this promam anti all the members of (he ~raduate'studentsfo; ~ c e m i cal Education Group. Special thanks to the Department Chair, Peter Griffiths and Dan Edwards. Also, thanks to the local ACS section and the NASA Space Grant Consortium for financial contributions to the organization. Literature Cited 1. Shakhsshin',
1989.
B. 2. Chemical Demonstrations Vd.$University of W~smnainPress,
2. This demonstration involved dissolving p tyro foam in acetone and Eeofosm (mm starch foam, in water ltwss 2. Phan: C. M.: Stoner, M. R. J. Chem. Edue 189168.855-856. 3. Shakhashiri, B. 2. Ckmieol lkmonstmfions V d 3; University ofWsmnsin Press, 4. la) Davis, T L The Chemistm olPoudPr and E*plosiuen; AnglifTRess, 1941.(Now
h important safety infomation is mntained in this reference; tbl Sumrnerlin. L., Borgford, C. Ealy, J. Chemieol LkmonLmfion, o Soureobaok for American Chemical Society. 1987.
nmrhers;
5. Shskhashiri, B. 2. Chsrnlcol Domonstmtions Vol I ; University of Wisconsin
Prese,
1989.
Volume 71 Number 12 December 1994
1079
