Once upon a Time in the Land of Chemistry A Case for Fantasy Writing in Chemistry Naola VanOrden Sacramento City College, Sacramento, CA 95822 Master teachers of all ages have used fictional stories t o promote understanding of moral concepts. Christ's parables a n d Aesop's fables a r e etched i n our long-term memories, a n d recollection of t h e story brings a recall of t h e moral concept. I have found t h a t fictionaistories can also be used t o vromote understanding of chemical concepts-especially when t h e stories a r e created b y t h e students themselves. T h e students a r e given assignments t o write a fantasy story i n which t h e actions of t h e fantasy people are analogous t o t h e behavior of t h e ions a n d molecules being considered. F o r example, t h e following is a fantasy-writing assignm e n t designed t o help students understand how L e Chatelier's principle, a n d numerical ionizations constants can b e used t o determine t h e direction of reaction i n competing equilibrium. Write a fantasy story in which a group of acetate ions were visited by a group of hydrogen ions and then later by a group of hypochlorite ions. Use Le Chatelier's prinicple and a table of ionization constants to help you decide what will happen. (If you really want to get involved, pretend you are one of the characters in your story.) After you finish the story, explain in your own words, with chemical equations, what happens when NaCIO is added to a solution of HC~HPOZ. T w o examples of student fantasy stories are given i n t h e appendix. Most students really like these fantasy-story assignments because t h e y give them a chance to be a s creative a s t h e y wish. (It is a pleasant break from t h e constant barrage of mathematical homework problems.) However, t h e assignm e n t is n o t just for fun; t h e students m u s t ask themselves w h a t t h e concept really means before t h e y can write a n accurate analogy. An added benefit is t h a t t h e stories allow t h e students t o describe their own culture-and when their stories a r e selected for t h e bulletin board, their culture is given value. Also, from t h e stories, other students gain a better understanding of t h e cultural background of their classmates. I usually assign three fantasy stories during a semester. T h e stories a r e graded with a "10" or "rewrite". If t h e concepts are incorrect, or t h e grammar is s o poor t h a t t h e sententer do n- o t m a k e sense. t h e students a r e asked t o rewrite. ..--..- ~ -~~ (Native English speakers a r e required t o use better grammar t h a n ESL students.) E a c h s t u d e n t eets one rewrite without penalty. About 10 of t h e best s t o r i e l a r e posted on a bulletin hoard across from t h e stockroom-where they are read h v students (and instructors) from all chemistry Elasses. T h e reward for m e is t h a t I get concept-correct answers when I a s k a question o n t h e G d t e r m exam, such a s "Tell what, if anything, will happen when NaHSOa is added t o NazC03. Explain t h e reasons for your conclusions." ~
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Appendlx: Examples of Fantasy Stories These illustrate t h e concept of competing equilibria, h u t also compare t h e difference between American a n d Vietnamese culture. Dear Agnes. Last night some friends and I went to the New Year's parade in San Francisco. When I tell you what happened
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Journal of Chemical Education
vnu'll be d? a d vou didn't ~ ~ . come with us. When we cot to the eitv we w r r c loukittr nround tor somethmg to do and. jwt feeling like we w e n lacking romerhmg. Thcrr mere r w many uther, fur any one to PI B y(md h k at rhe parade so we just millrd around tor a while. Next thing you know the cutest bunch of Hydrogens came up behind us. We all tried to stand a little bit apart so they would know we weren't there with anyone special. Let me tell you, my oxygen was just aching to bond withany one ofthosechargedions. As it worked out, we each met a great ion and we were all getting along wonderfully. I t was the first time I felt I'd had an equal relationship in so long. I know, it sounds great, but then guess what happened. You know Amy's older sister Chlorous? Well, she and a group of her friends showed up. (They're all in college and think they're hot stuff). They started flirting with our ions, talking us down and acting real negative. Their attitude would have been a real turnoffto me, hut those hydrogenions dropped usas fast as they could and hung on to those girls like white on rice. I couldn't believe it. Chlorous and her friends are such whimps when they're by themselves; now they think they're so tough. The only good thing that came out of the whole thing is that at least now I know not to bond with just any ion I meet. They may act positive to you far a while,but as soon as they meet someone who seems to "need" them more, off they go. Laurie Manserrat ~
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In my mind, the picture of the family back to 20 years ago sometimes appeared vividly. I could perceive the presence of my father, mother, and my four brothers. I still remembered what happened a t my father's 41st birthday party. We invited relatives and friends in thevillage tocome andcelebrate withus, the family of Acetate. The excitement arose within fiveof us as we knew that among visitors in the party there were five beautifulgirlsfrom the Hydrin family, our very close neighbors. Since we had not gat any conversation further than daily greeting with these girls, their being in the party was really the only chance that we could make acquaintances, and chat with them. We might have a date or two after the party. Who knew? That day came, we kept our eyes on the gate to see if they were coming an time, and our hearts almost stopped beating when we saw five of them coming after Mr and MrsHydrin. We, like robots with awkward gesture, followed my father to the door to greet them. After a hesitant moment, we regained our liveliness and asked them for a dance. Musics were on air, five couples were moving in the melody like princess and princes in fairy tales. People kept coming in hut westill danced together, hand in hand, face to face. The bovs wished that moment would last forever. S m m t i m we ~ ~had torotate thronnrrw hut wcnhsolucrly had fun and e n y l y ~ the i p ~ r l yuntil the coming of Chlonn family. Thc presencr u i hc,vq i l l C l h r m really afrected, and altered, the behavior oiour pretty girls who were nttrnrted hy deadly charming bovs Excrpt for the ywrnzeat glrl u,ho was intrrerted inone of my bn,rlwrs,nll girla in Hydrm family turned their backonusand wni~edfor inwrnrwn from those "unexnected" vis~tcra.The rest of the party was unbearable to us, we seemed no longei k i s t . Looking at them dancing an the floor smiling to one another, and making fun on us, we were filled with hatred toward Chlorin boys and Hydrin girls. "What a fool, I would never have invited them over if I knew that,"my oldest brother could not hold his thoughts any more. My father asked if there was anything he could help. "No," I said, "it is over, Dad." We were totally defeated. Well, that is just a piece of what I have kept in my mind until now. Tri Hoang
