Secondary School Feature Articles

* Sir Humphrey Davy and Frankenstein, by Charles J. Thoman, p 495

* An Analogy to Help Students Understand Reaction Orders, by Charles J. Marzzacco, p 482

Making Interdisciplinary Connections

We are very pleased that Mark Alber will edit this new high school feature. Mark, who teaches high school chemistry in Rome, Georgia, is well qualified to edit this column by virtue of education, interest, and practice. He and the column are introduced on page 496. I first learned of Mark's ability to interrelate chemistry to other disciplines when I attended a workshop which he and English teacher Rena Patton presented at the 1997 NSTA convention in New Orleans. I was drawn by the title "The Humanization of Chemistry: Models of Writing" and came away convinced that JCE needed this feature and that Mark should edit it.

The first Interdisciplinary Connections article, "Sir Humphry Davy and Frankenstein", appears in this issue. Author Charles Thoman describes the apparent influence that Davy's writings had on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Thoman's account provides an interesting and compelling argument for a relationship between scientific discovery and what is known as science fiction.

Throughout the history of human kind, progress in understanding chemical and physical processes has been driven by social and political considerations, as has every other area of human development. In the mind of the modern student, however, intellectual pursuits often appear divided into discrete and unrelated subjects, many of which seem irrelevant and uninteresting. Teachers soon learn that, for many students, chemistry fits into both the irrelevant and uninteresting categories.

Tobias observed that "the nonsciences are perceived by students, particularly those who switch out, to be more self-expressive, more personal and personally relevant, more creative, more understanding-oriented, more expansive, and more 'synthetic' than the sciences" (1). Although Tobias was studying why first- and second-year college students change from majors in chemistry or physics, the description appears to fit a large proportion of high school chemistry students.

The National Science Education Standards (2) and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy (3) both speak to the need for students to recognize connections to history and culture. Articles dealing with the connections of chemistry to art, (4-6) music, (7-9) and fiction (10,11) have been published in JCE in recognition of an interest that is not a new idea among our writers and readers. This issue contains the tenth article in a series of detective stories by Thomas and Rybolt, "The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Burning" (see also 10). There are also two articles that mention the relationship of chemistry to history, "The Chemical Heritage Foundation - Fifteen Years of Service to the Chemical Community" by Mary Virgina Orna; and the introductory section of "Chemical Education: Past, Present, and Future" by J. J. Lagowski. What is new and different about Interdisclipinary Connections is that it is edited by a highly qualified teacher who actively makes these connections in his teaching.

As if on cue during preparation of this column, a high school teacher posted a message on the Chemed List, requesting ideas for topics linking chemistry to other curricula such as English, drama, or art. If you responded to that message on the basis of an experience in your classroom, you may have something to share with the readers of JCE. You are encouraged to contact Mark to discuss the possibility of developing a manuscript for Interdisciplinary Connections.

Retrieving Articles

Looking for ideas for teaching a topic? The JCE Online Index provides a quick and easy method of finding articles that can be used in the classroom. Tips for searching this resource are provided by Jon Holmes on page 509.

Meet Us in Las Vegas

Are you attending the National Science Teacher's Association National Convention? If so, please stop by the Journal of Chemical Education booth at the NSTA Exhibits. When you visit, be sure to register for the daily door prize. Caren Daniel, Editorial Assistant for the JCE high school section, and I will be staffing the booth. Feature editors David Byrum (View from My Classroom), John Fischer (Second Year and Advanced Placement Chemistry), and John T. Moore (Chemistry for Kids) also look forward to talking to you at the booth.

We invite you to come to our workshop "It's Your Journal of Chemical Education: What Do You Want it to Be?" where David Byrum and I will conduct an interactive workshop, soliciting your suggestions for making the Journal more useful. We also will involve you in one or more activities published recently in JCE and seek to increase your awareness of print and electronic resources available through JCE. The workshop will be held in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N112, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18. We hope to see you there.

Literature Cited

1. Tobias, S. They're Not Dumb, They're Different ; Research Corporation: Tucson, 1990; p 79.
2. National Science Education Standards; National Research Council, National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1996; pp 21, 104-105, 200-201.
3. Benchmarks for Science Literacy; American Association for the Advancement of Science, Oxford University Press: New York, 1993; pp 151-178, 237-260.
4. Orna, M. V. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 373.
5. Greenberg, B. J. Chem. Educ. 1988, 65, 148.
6. Schrenk, J. L.; Malde, P.; Bordley, J. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1993, 70, 389.
7. Eberhardt, J. G. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 1076.
8. White, A. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1987, 64, 326.
9. Wamser, C.; Wamser, C. C. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 601.
10. Labianca, D. A.; Reeves, W. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1981, 58, 683.
11. Waddell, T. G.; Rybolt, T. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 1157, and references therein.