edited by HARRIET G. FRIEDSTEIN Rochester Institute of Technology P.O. Box 9887 Rochester. NY 14623
media e change Those of us in the northern states are in the grips of a cold, snowy winter. With the reduced dayliaht and cold temperatures, most of us are spending more time indoors. This kxtra time can he used to great advantage by developing new ideas and integrating them into our daily classroom activities. Stagnation is like a festering sore, it could eventually kill you. That does not mean that you should change for the sake of change alone. Keep all these great lessons going, since your students av~reciatethat. but i m ~ r o v ethose weak ones. and your studeh'ts will appreciate that, too. Best of all, yourfeelines will eet an unlift as vou venture into new territorv with " anew text, a new demonstration, anew technique, a new slide show, or just a new you.
Recombinant DNA: What it is and Recombinant DNA: Industrial Promise Format: Time: Cat. No.: Price:
Audio Cassette 15 min each side 1022, 1023 (transcripts) $7 (10% discount for accompanying payment) Supplier: Man and Molecules American Chemical Society 1155 Sixteenth St., NW Washington, D.C. 20036 This cassette taoe. which deals with recombinant DNA. is part of the American Chemical Society's long stmditit. \liltt and .\lulrculrs radio series. In mmr cilies rhe 15-mi11proyr;un i broadcait several timea a week on the I,.cal Narional I'uhlic Radio.st:uiun. Oneom unlw ~ a s s i : i I~wr i t iilnd ur trmsrril~ts of the programs from the above address. The tape reviewed here consists of two 15-min interviews by Stuart Finley with scientists working in the field. On side one, "Recombinant DNA: What It is," Mr. Finley interviews Dr. Lynn Enquist of the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The tape begins with an explanation of the recombinant DNA laboratory technique. As Dr. Enquist describes it one "takes a piece of DNA from one organism and joins it to a small self-replicating piece of DNA from a simpler organism and then propagates that joint molecule in the simpler organism." In other words, a kind of chemical factory is established. Dr. Enquist covers three Topics: 1) What is DNA and what does i t do in living organisms? 2) Haw is DNA moved from one organism to another and what
cheaper than current methods with the aid of the new biotechnology. The pharmaceutical applications are perhaps now making the most headlines with prospects for bacterial manufacture of insulin, interferon, growth hormones, and artificial fertilizer. T o really have much of an understanding of this tape, especially the first side, students should have had a hiology course where the subject of DNA was presented. This tape would best be used in an organic chemistry section after bonding had been talked about. I would recommend its use in a second-year biology or honors hiology or a second-year chemistry course. I t should he presented for enrichment, to show this very promising application that probably 1s not included in most current textbooks. The tape is excellent for teacher reference on this important emerging laboratory technique. And, the transcripts can he ordered independently which would he iust as useful. The overall technical quality of the tape is good. The narrator was easy to understand but the interviewees sometimes spoke too quickly for one to catch everything that was said. The taues andlor transcripts are the onlv components of the program, with no accompanying materials. LEE R. MAREK Naperville Nonh Hlgh School Na~ewille,IL 60566
The moelcular theory of matter Format: Time: Cat. No.: Price: Supplier:
16 mm. film 11 min 2227 $170. Rental: $14. Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp 425 North Michigan Ave. Chicaoo. IL 60611 This film is useful &r both college and high school students. There is no flashy photography and the film is somewhat unexciting but it does an excellent job of presenting the basics of the kinetic molecular theory. Many good demonstrations are done which clearly illustrate the theory. Students follow the film very easily so they learn most of the concepts presented. Our students liked this film. RICHARD P. DAVENPORT CAPTAIN United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, Colorado 80840
tools are needed? 3) Why make recombinant DNA?
Side two "Recombinant DNA: Industrial Promise" Dresents an intrrview with Dr. Stcphrn'l'urner, prrsidriir and titunder of h t h e i d a Rcacarch 1.i1l1.s.a tomn;~n\.\wrkl~iri n thr field new trkks." It is felt by many that recomhinant DNA research and applications will eventually have as major an impact on society as the transistor has had in electronics; that this research will change the face of the chemical industry and the way chemicals are produced. Dr. Turner sees industry producing both food stuffs and chemicals (such as petroleum products) by processes that are both pollution free and 166
Journal of Chemical Education
Powers of Ten1 Readers who have used the film "Powers of Ten" . . . . should realize that this popular film produced by Charles Eames is now available in an entirely new version. The transitions from actual photographs to artist's renditions in this film occur so subtly that only a trained eye will catch the change. The treatment of molecules, atoms, and subatomic
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Reprinted from IAC Newsletter, Winter 1981-Dave Tanis, IAC Newsletter Editor, Holland Christian HS, 950 Ottawa Ave., Holland, MI 49423
suggests the few modifications which are needed for running on APPLE, PETICBM, or TRSBO computers, as well as those changes needed for use with eathode-ray terminals. The hook's few drawbacks are mechanical: a binding that may not survive extensive student use and reproductions of computer printout that are occasionally difficult t o read. In summary, this hookshould hevaluahle to any chemistry teacher who has access to amino- or micro~computer.Use of its programs, and at" programs which it may inspire the individual teacher to write, can he expected to produce a positive response from students as they ohtain immediate feedhack to their answers. Teachers who mav he
particles i n t h e new version is considerably improved comnared t o the 1968version of t h i s film. T h e new version of t h e h r n c a n b e r e n t e d for five-day periods for $15 plus r e t u r n postage a n d insurance from: Herman Miller, Inc. Resource Center-Film Library 8500 Byron Road Zeeland, MI 49464 616-772-3284
for almost all of the commonly used classroom computers.
C. FRANCIS EGAN Kimball Union Academy Meriden. NH 03770
D€ LlRRlf JUDICIA Inside Chemistry Compton, Charles, McGraw-Hill. New York, NY, 1979
Chemistry with a Computer Paul Cauchon, Programs for Learning. New Milford, CT., 1980 184 pp. $14.95 (soft cover)
Instructor's Manual-$4.95
1 I t isunusual to find computer software with afarmofBASIC that is sn comoatihle that it can he run as is in nearlv.anvmicrocom~uter. . The hrond ranee of trmics from electronic confieuratian. and densitv ..~ ..-.-.-~~~o~ t o gas laws, KSP, pH, solubility, periodicity, to mention a few, cover alevel of difficulty which ranges from basic high school chemistry to advanced classes. In addition, the material can he used for independent study. The simplicity of the haok should make i t attractive to those just getting started in computer chemistry. The few differences in available forms of BASIC are also considered and directions are eiven to ~~
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gram materials available for a camputer-aided chemistry course. The
.oroerams are hiehlv .. . interactive and nacked with instructions. Several desirable features include a math help section and extensive error nreventinn. =.-. ...... Roth of ~- these characteristics helo toreduce student difficulties in using the material. Also included are sample runs of each program including a detailed output, which is a big help in determining and finding errors. This text should find a place on the shelf of anyone, beginner or experienced programmer, using computers in chemisry. The clarity and accuracy as well as the cost per program make this book worth serious consideration as a teaching reference work. ~~~~~~
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Central H.S. Route 50 West Breese. IL 62230
Chemistry with a Computer is a very useful collection of 28 instructional computer programs written in the BASIC language. These programs should prove valuable both t o the computer neophyte, far direct use, and ta the teacher experienced in using a mini- or m m o computer as an instructional tool, to whom they will suggest the kinds of programs which can he written and utilized in an introductory chemistry course. More than half the programs are in the style of a tutorial or drill session, offering the student the advantage of immediate error car rection. Most of these tutorials ~ncludea nkth routine which provides the student with help in calculations when needed. The oroerams ~. are remarkahlv free from "bues" - and are well-documented. each withabstract. oreliminarv orenarations. deserintion.
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Flexibility and general interest are my first thoughts to best describe "Inside Chemistry." It is a general text written for use with the non-science oriented student. The approach relates chemistry to everyday interests and concerns. A background of basic chemistry facts and principles are given a t a rapid-fire pace in the first eight chanters. Formulas.. eauations. and math relationshins are briefly ----r--~ exnlained. hjit little emnhasia isolaced uoon extensive Jse. Structural ...r......-, ~~~~-~ formulas are used throughout the text,not somuchfor memory as for illustration of the nature and interaction of chemical compounds. Only simple atomic structure is explained. Each chapter allows flexibility t o the depth of topics and some are reinforced with supplements a t the end of the book. Theunits conclude with self-study questions with answers, practice exercises, and suggsted readings. Why is ice slippery? What is antifreeze? The case of the dipping bird! Why does a pond freeze from the topdown? These are just afew of the short essays dispersed throughout the book-a definite plus, hoth mteresting and informative. The remainder of the hook seems valuahle for high school use. Included topics are: nuclear reactions; chemistry and food, chemistry and medicine; chemical industry; future energy sources; and environmental orahlems. These are extremelv interestine and well explained to&, and could he considered for an optiard high school course. Specific topics could he assigned to students for class pre-
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hieh school co&. I have enjoyed perusing the book and recommend iticonsideration
MARVINR. COLLINS Anderson High School Cincinnati, Ohio 45230
This text is well-written for its intended audience-the university non-science student. Since the reading level is for the mature student, comprehension should be easy for students who have had a year of highschool chemistry. Chapters are well-illustrated with generous use of tahles and figures. Chapters end with a cartoon related to its content, a List of Key Words, Summarizing Questions for Self Study, Practice Exercises, and Suggestions for Further Reading. The last pages contain supplementary sections for the student, a well-organized glossary keyed to sections of the text, and a comprehensive index. The text is essentially non-quantitative. The lack of mathematical rigor has not detracted from the clarity of material presented in the text. S.I. units are not stressed while old metric and same Enelish units
language systems. They appear, far example, to be completely compatible with all PDP-11 BASIC dialects. An appendix to the haok Volume 59
Number 2
February 1982
167
