mnething new from the p w t I t has been this writer's observation during his travels to visit and teach in schools around the nation and the world that motivating the student(s) to want to learn chemistry is one of the major goals of quality chemistry teachers. Quite intentionally, then, the topics for June, July, and August were to be selected from the rich resources of the journals that could help the teacher with ideas for topics for motivation. T h e students in your classes are usually there to satisfy their own interests or to fulfill a science requirement. Some may ask, "Why study chemistry?" A good opening topic can help them hezin to answer that auestion and can set a nositive tone for thzrest of the course.in the June issue ( T H ~ JOURNAL) S the enrichment tonic was radioactiuitv. It included historv. .. suhstnntive articles on related concepts, and activities to do. For the Julv issue ITHIS JOURNAL) this writer used articles about tastdand sm'ell!~~ain, substsntive as well a s activityoriented articles were ~resented. This month's topic an issue of concern for the teacher of beeinnine chemistry courses (and anv others who care to share
Health-Related Topics From the Journal Chemistry [51,4 (Oct. 1978)]comes an idea that can serve as a central theme for an entire year's work. It can serve as an initial assignment, i.e., items to be collected, categorized,and then referred toduring the entire year. The topic is food labels!Students will become familiar with the various formats of labeling and of the vagaries inherent in many of them. Since nutrition is a tooie that will alwavs be of oaramount oublic concern, the articles refeked to below canielp th&tudent(s) &wer the question, "Why study chemistry?" "Notes on Nutrition,"'J. CHEM. EDUC., 55 [2], 113-114 (February 1978). The staff writers of J. CHEM.EDUC.have put together an excellent reference that can he duolicated and eiven to the students as a handout. MI. Cyndee Renton, iJniversity of Arimna, is credited for preparing the unit. She fir51 cites the six major gruups uf nutrients and their ruurres. The rest of her work discusses key chemical components of foods, approximateenergy expenditures and some energy equivalents, essential nutrients for humans, and content and energy value of certain foods. "The Hieh Technolow Pizza (and Other Puzzlements of he Teacher, 12-16 Modem Nutrition)," R& ~ u m e , ' ~ Science (Mav 1979). Hume says, "If YOU are what you eat, then a mass identity crisis may be in order-for our foods are changing much faster than the
666
Journal of Chemical Education
Edited by: JOSEPHS. SCHMUCKLER Chairman of Science Education Temple University 345 Riner Hall Philadelphia,PA 19122
Knowledge of nutrition. . . .Pr-sing . . .now embraces awide range of sophisticated chemical techniques that virtually [recasts] the molecular architecture of foods." Hume very matter-of-factlyoutlines the high technology of making pizza that is to be frozen and sold at some future date. He shows that the artificialtomato used never came off a tomato plant, that the artificial cheese was never near a cow. and that the simulated sausaee ~"~ was newrdwived from animal flesh.'~llofrhia is co make.) pirrn that ail1 withsrnnd freeling and reheating, and still rnate'.aood." Humc mys, "Although it s t a r ~ from i firur of nature's crops, the hrch technology pizza is not a product of nature. For the crops serve merely as raw materials for an extensive manufacturing process, the end result hearing little resemblance to the original ingredients." The author stresses three maim lessons that should he eiven to our students: "(1) that the naturkof food in technalogieal~ocietiesis changing to an extent unparalleled in human history, (2) that we really know very little about human nourishment, (3) and that, ultimately, the responsibility for one's nutritional well-being falls on the indi~
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Hume alsosay*that "hecaure nutrition cuts across so many discipline~,it is easy to inwxrate inco hrolom, ehemisrry, physics, and health courses." He l i i t i some challenging studenr pnpjwrs. The following articles deal with specific elements and their biochemical roles.
1) "Biochemical Roles of Some Essential Metal Ions," J. Chem. Educ. Staff, J. CHEM. EDUC., 54 [12], 761-762 (December 1977). The article discusses Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Co, and Cu ions. 2) "Vanadium in the Living World," N. M. Senozan, J. CHEM. EDUC... 51 181.503 (August . " 19741. The table in this article dealing with different respiratory pigments-i.e., Fe with hemoglobin (red),Cu with hemocyanin (green), etc-and the animals that have them makes for a most interestine insert into a lecture-discussionon elements (ions) in hiosystems. 3) "Epilepsy Linked t o Manganese," Chemistry, 5, (November 1977). 4) "Are You Getting Enough Calcium?" Harvey E. White, e t al., The Science Teacher. 3 171. . . (October 1966). l'his article dndi uith rhe prohlems of teaching gwd nutritional hnhits nnd sugge.;t a method used sonirwhat ruccesufully hy the nu-
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5) "A Coincidence in Copper Metabolism," John Webb, J. CHEM.EDUC., 656 (October 1977). A story hehind rhc qrory of the Menkes' kmky hair syndrome and the dirwvcry itz rplnt~cmrhipto copper def~cienry.This is an ex-
erllrnr example uf
