New Jersey Chemistry Teachers' Association - Journal of Chemical

New Jersey Chemistry Teachers' Association ... Martin Greenwald stands in a windowless control room at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding...
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of the individual. The scientific spirit of searching for facts impersonally, regardless of the field of endeavor, needs.to be developed in every student. The natural sciences are most adaptable for this purpose. It is noticeable that the smaller schools have nearly twice as high a percentage of science students as the larger schools. Certainly the large town and city child should know the principles of science. Public sanitation, social studies, individual interest in industrial usages from merely a cultural standpoint, and the probability of practical application should lead the majority of students into science courses. Heredity and environment determine the man to a great extent and the sciences deal with both of these factors. Too little organic chemistry is offered in the chemistry course. Surely the chemistry of foods, cloth manufacture, fuels, dyes and medicines deserves more than two or three lessons. The student cannot fail to be interested and instructed if these subjects are presented in a proper manner. Fifteen per cent of the chemistry teachers are teaching some subject other than science. The greatest effiaency cannot be obtained in this way. The sciences are inter-related, and can all be handled, if need be, without much loss of specialization, but a teacher should not be expected to specialize in two entirely diierent fields. The great majority of the chemistry teachers last year were degree holders, and many more were approaching that standard. This is very good. However, the preparation in chemistry does not show as favorably. No teacher can be prepared to develop chemistry properly to a high school student unless he has a very clear understanding of inorganic, organic and some analytical chemistry. For the development of the scientific spirit among our high school students, we wish to suggest the following: 1. The requirement of two years of science for graduation. 2. The stimulation of reference reading and plant observation by the students of science courses. 3. The requirement of sufficientscience preparation for science teachers. 4. Minimizing the teaching of other subjects by science teachers. 5 . The organization of science clubs, in regular meetings, for the discussion by students, and visitors, of scientific problems and observations.

NEW JERSEY CHEMISTRY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION A committee has been appointed and has plans practically completed for the formation of a Chemistry Teachers' Association as a Section of the New Jersey Science Teachers' Association. This idea is meeting with hearty approval by the New Jersey teachers.