Chemical Education Today
Reports from Other Journals
The Science Teacher: Fall 2007 by Steve Long
Now that the new school year is well underway, it is time to review chemistry-related articles published in The Science Teacher (TST) from January through Summer 2007. Topics featured in these articles include a student activity simulating HPLC separation, inexpensive inquiry activities using film canisters, learning the history of the evolution of atomic theory as student role-play scientists, testing for radon in homes, and using writing to help high school and elementary students learn about gas laws. In addition, JCE articles that complement these articles are cited. HPLC Simulation Using an activity to simulate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), students learn about brain chemistry and the detrimental effects of drugs on the brain in “The Human HPLC Column”. This article provides classroom instructors with real-world relevance for the use of analytical techniques such as HPLC chemical separation and microdialysis. Additional resources and references including Web sites are included in Kyle Frantz’s article. An introductory Explorer Guide, figures, and sample data are provided in the article as well as assessment methods. The student activity simulating how chemical separation occurs in HPLC is valuable for helping students grasp the process of chromatography. For a more in-depth look at the personal history and development of HPLC techniques, readers can access Barry Karger’s article in this Journal, “HPLC: Early and Recent Perspectives”; the computer simulation, “HPLC for Windows”, is also available on CD-ROM from JCE Software (1). Inquiry and Film Canisters While “Film Canister Science” was written as inquiry activities for preservice teachers, readers may find the activities applicable for some chemistry classes. Authors Andrew Ferstel
and Jamie L. Schneider describe how they used opaque film canisters for activities such as the traditional “black box”, floating and sinking, and density. The activities can be used at a variety of grade levels by modifying the instructions, expectations, and mathematics. The article provides three activities with objectives, materials and setup, student instructions, instructor notes, results, discussion/conclusion, and photographs for clarification. A more sophisticated use for film canisters is described in “A Film Canister Colorimeter” (2), which was published in the Cost Effective Teacher column of this Journal. A JCE Classroom Activity, “The Science Mentor: An Adventure in Chemistry Education”, uses film canisters as well as balloons to demonstrate pressure (3). If readers need additional inquiry activities with mass and volume relationships, they may enjoy Stephen DeMeo’s article in this Journal, “Beyond Density: An Inquiry-Based Activity Involving Students Searching for Relationships” (4). History of the Atom In “Unlocking the Atom”, high school chemistry students research and assume the roles of eight scientists as they study the evolution of the atomic model. Students role-play and present developments in the understanding of the atom from the viewpoints of John Dalton, Dimitri Mendeleev, Marie Curie, J. J. Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger. The authors Jennifer L. Craft and Jacqueline S. Miller provide personal insight into organizing, managing, assessing, and extending the activity. Teacher materials as well as a sample scoring rubric are provided. Using a flow chart, James Leary and Tadd Kippeny present accomplishments to the modern view of the atom in the JCE article, “A Framework for Presenting the Modern Atom” (5). Henry Bent provides his thoughts on atoms and elements within the perspective of historical chemists in this Journal in his article, “Should Atoms Be X-Rated?” (6). Radon in Homes
TST Featured Articles Frantz, Kyle. The Human HPLC Column. TST 2007, 74 (1), 33–39. Ferstl, Andrew; Schneider, Jamie L. Film Canister Science. TST 2007, 74 (1), 46–50. Craft, Jennifer L.; Miller, Jacqueline S. Unlocking the Atom, TST 2007, 74 (2), 24–29. Stone, Jody. Accomplishing Multiple Goals through Community Connections. TST 2007, 74 (4), 28–32. Marcum-Dietrich, Nanette; Ross, Patricia. Learning through Stories. TST 2007, 74 (4), 52–54.
Collaboration between school and community in the study and detection of radon in homes is the focus of “Accomplishing Multiple Goals through Community Connections”. A Toyota Tapestry grant funded the purchase of home radon test kits that allowed students to investigate indoor air quality. While studying nuclear chemistry, students completed the radon project and presented the collective data to the community through mail and newspapers. Jody Stone provides readers with inside information on conducting this student/community project as well as supplying a grading rubric. Charles Atwood’s JCE article, “Radon in Homes: Recent Developments” (7), is an excellent companion to the TST radon project. Atwood discusses the formation, accumulation, and effects of radon in homes and presents case studies and methods for readers to determine radon levels in their homes.
1748 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 84 No. 11 November 2007 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org
Chemical Education Today
Gas Laws and Writing The Idea Bank supplies a project for emphasizing the “writing to learn” philosophy in “Learning through Stories”. High school chemistry students created children’s books about the properties of gases and then shared them with fourth- and fifthgrade students. The elementary program included the student stories as well as lab activities, demonstrations, discussions, and writing activities in the program titled “Air Is Something”. The article provides student directions on writing the books, an evaluation rubric, and sample activity stations. The authors believe that the cooperative project proved beneficial for both groups of students. If creative writing in the classroom is intriguing, Mark Alber’s JCE article, “Creative Writing and Chemistry” (8), may be of interest. If readers are interested in using stories to teach chemistry to elementary students, then “Employing Popular Children’s Literature To Teach Elementary School Chemistry: An Engaging Outreach Program” (9) is recommended as an additional JCE article. This article provides extensive chemistry activities built around the fictional Harry Potter characters. Armed with excellent reading and resources from TST and
JCE, readers should be well prepared for a great academic year in chemistry. Literature Cited 1. Karger, B. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 45–48. Rittenhouse, Robert. HPLC for Windows, in Advanced Chemistry Collection [CDROM]; J. Chem. Educ. Software 2003, SP28. 2. Gordon, J.; James, A.; Harman, S.; Weiss, K. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79, 1005–1006. 3. Huseth, A. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 528A–528B. 4. DeMeo, S. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 201–203. 5. Leary, J.; Kippeny, T. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 1217–1218. 6. Bent, H. A. J. Chem. Educ. 1986, 63, 878–879. 7. Atwood, C. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83, 1436–1439. 8. Alber, M. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 478–480. 9. Wally, L.; Levinger, N.; Grainger, D. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82, 1489–1495.
Steve Long teaches at Rogers High School, Rogers, AR 72756;
[email protected].
www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 84 No. 11 November 2007 • Journal of Chemical Education 1749
