Chemical Education Today
Especially for High School Teachers
Environmental Issues in the Chemistry Classroom
by J. Emory Howell
Secondary School Feature Articles
photo by Jerrold J. Jacobsen and Erica K. Jacobsen
Continuing a practice begun in December 1997 (Vol. 74), 䊕 The Cost of Converting a Gasoline-Powered Vehicle to this issue contains a collection of papers dealing with the Propane: A Practical Review Problem for Senior High School or Introductory Chemistry, by Michael P. Jansen, environment. Several are of interest to high school teachers. p 1578. “Green Chemistry and Education” is discussed in an article by 䊕 Hand-Held Conductivity Meter and Probe for Small Volumes Hjeresen, Schutt, and Boese (p 1543) and includes a list of the and Field Work, by Barry R. Ganong, p 1606. Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. Reading the article can 䊕 JCE Classroom Activity: #31. Fizzy Drinks: Stoichiometry give you a clearer understanding You Can Taste, by Brian Rohrig, p 1608A. of what green chemistry is and what it is not. Some chemical aspects of “Climate Change and Its Effect on Coral Reefs” are explored in an article by Weston (p Safety: First and Always 1574). Although the depth of the We often present dramatic demonstrations to illusdiscussion goes beyond what is trate chemical principles and concepts to our students. usually included in a high school chemistry course, the carbonic acid Fizzy Drinks: Stoichiometry You Can Taste Successful demonstrations may be used year after year and become a comfortable addition to the lesson plan. equilibria that impact coral reefs Unfortunately, with repetition we often become relaxed and provide an example that is interesting to many students. A may not pay as close attention as we should to procedures, Cost-Effective Teacher article by Ganong (p 1606) provides especially safety precautions. This month’s Accident Anecthe information needed to make a hand-held conductivity dote, “The Label Didn’t Say Not to Do It” by Jay Young (p meter that provides semiquantitative measurements. If you 1629), is a sobering reminder of the need for sound, prodo not have access to conductivity probes and calculator- or fessional judgment and careful supervision of student activcomputer-based interfaces, this article will be of interest. Lowity in the laboratory. Student and teacher safety must always cost conductivity meters described in previous articles probe the primary concern, and safety procedures should be revided less quantitative comparisons. viewed even if it is an experiment you have conducted nu“Integration of Pre-college Chemistry Education and the merous times previously. For that reason, I have considerGLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the able concern about the sugar–chlorate rocket demonstration Environment) Program” is discussed in an article by (p 1581). Readers are reminded that the Journal of Chemical Camacho-Zapata and López-Garriga (p 1586). You may not Education cannot assume responsibility for uses made of its be familiar with GLOBE (http://www.globe.gov/), or you may published materials. A statement titled “Caution” is published be using it already. In either case, I believe you will find this on page 1620 and I encourage each of you to read it in conto be an interesting article that provides new ideas for incorjunction with the article. I love dramatic demonstrations as porating environmental data into your curriculum. The promuch as anyone, and perhaps more than many, but the rocket gram also has potential for articulation across grade levels and demonstration is probably not suitable for use in high school disciplines. laboratories. You be the judge, and remember that it is you The cost of converting a gasoline-powered vehicle to who are responsible. propane is the basis for a real-world application problem described by Jansen (p 1578). “Refrigeration—From Ice Man to Ozone Hole” by Williams (p 1540) is another example of High School Program In San Diego technology that is familiar to students and has far-reachMark April 3, 2001, on your calendar now! An outstanding environmental implications resulting from the chemiing one-day event for chemistry teachers will be held in cal properties of the substances used. conjunction with the ACS National Meeting in San Diego. Several environmentally oriented articles in this issue are Program Organizer Joe Baron (La Jolla High School) is targeted to college-level courses, ranging from introductory planning a full day of interesting workshops that will provide chemistry to upper division courses, and therefore are not you with new ideas and techniques that you can use in your marked in the Table of Contents as being of likely interest to classroom. Full program information will be carried in the high school teachers. However, if you have an interest in March issue of the Journal of Chemical Education and in the environmental chemistry, I encourage you to look at these Winter issue of the ACS Division of Chemical Education articles for ideas that you could use in your classroom. For Newsletter. Program information will also be disseminated example, details of a module on global warming are availdirectly to San Diego area teachers. Joe Baron may be conable in a JCE Online supplement to an article authored by tacted by email at
[email protected]. Dunnivant and others (p 1602).
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 77 No. 12 December 2000 • Journal of Chemical Education
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