Using only potassium iodide crystals and drops 0.1 M lead(II) nitrate solution, Cortel, in the article "Equilibrium with Fried Eggs of PbI₂ and KPbI₃", demonstrates how concentration affects solubility equilibrium. If you teach a physics class you will be interested in an article on demonstrating refraction, "Using Lasers To Demonstrate Refraction, Diffraction, and Dispersion", by Hughes and Holmes.

Chemistry Everyday for Everyone

Have you been puzzled when a student asks why S is the symbol for entropy or why H indicates enthalpy? Battino, Strong, and Wood provide the answers in "A Brief History of Thermodynamics Notation". Krieger enlists the help of Larry, Curly, and Moe to help her students visualize molar relationships in "Stoogiometry: A Cognitive Approach to Teaching Stoichiometry".

In the Laboratory

West, Poon, Anderson, West, and Foote explain how a relatively recent chemical discovery can be brought into the teaching laboratory through "Extraction, Isolation, and Characterization of Fullerene C₆₀: A Safe and Reliable Separation Experiment". This activity could be of greatest use in second-year high school classes or in college courses.

Information · Textbooks · Media · Resources

Exciting new JCE Software is described in "Abstract of Volume 10B, Number 1". The issue contains two games, "Periodic Table Games" and "FactGAME", that can be used by first-year high school students and students in advanced courses. "DNA Sequencing" provides teachers with a useful new tool for second-year chemistry and advanced biology courses. Ordering information is on page 346.

The "Use of Simultaneous-Synchronized Macroscopic, Microscopic, and Symbolic Representations To Enhance the Teaching and Learning of Chemical Concepts", described by Russell et al., addresses the difficult task of helping students build their own mental models with links between the three types of instruction. Although the multimedia program being developed by the authors is still in the prototype stage, the article provides research-based insights that can be helpful in more effective use of currently available materials.

Research

The challenge of helping students apply prior knowledge to learning is addressed by Fountain in "Meta Task for Organizing Prevenient Knowledge in Organic Chemistry". Although the discussion is about organic chemistry, the ideas discussed should be helpful to all chemistry teachers.

NSTA Convention in New Orleans

ACS Meeting in San Francisco

There will be a JCE booth at the NSTA Convention in New Orleans, April 2­6 and at the ACS Convention in San Francisco, April 13­17. I look forward to meeting JCE readers who are attending either of these meetings. This is a good opportunity for me to discuss manuscript ideas and to listen to your suggestions for making the Journal more effective.

Featuring a Feature Editor:

Frank Cardulla "View from My Classroom"

The value of the Journal to high school teachers is enhanced by several feature columns that appear as appropriate manuscripts become available. An example is Kreiger's article, which is published as a View from My Classroom feature. Through this feature high school teachers from around the world open their classrooms for all to see. Teachers are invited to share their techniques, methods, and philosophies. The feature provides a professional venue in which high school teachers publish their experiences, observations, and action research.

View from My Classroom is made possible by the editorial work of Frank Cardulla, who generously gives his time to work with authors in developing manuscripts. Cardulla has been a member of the faculty at Niles Township High School, Skokie, Illinois, for 33 years. He teaches honors chemistry and ChemCom and also has taught Advanced Placement Chemistry, regular level chemistry, physics, and science for special education students.

Cardulla serves the American Chemical Society as chair of the High School Subcommittee of SOCED, member of SOCED, and Councilor of the Division of Chemical Education. He is also active in the Examinations Institute of the Division of Chemical Education, where he has chaired two advanced examination committees, served on the Board of Trustees, and is a member of the ChemCom Test Development Committee. He has received numerous awards, including the CMA National Catalyst Award in 1987 and the Presidential Award for Science Teaching in 1988.

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript that is consistent with the purpose of the feature, please indicate in your cover letter that you would like it to be considered for publication in the View From My Classroom feature of the High School Chemistry Section. See "A Guide to Submissions" on page 1246 of the December 1996 issue of the Journal for the address to which all manuscripts should be sent.