Volume 1, Number 5

In his editorial, Neil Gordon noted the resurgence of interest in teaching that was being spurred by the Division of Chemical Education and the Journal. He noted that, "A river never rises above its source nor are we likely to graduate greater chemists than we find in our teaching profession." Twelve pages were devoted to outlines of a standard minimum high school course and a minimum first-year college course. Gordon's editorial noted that both high school and college teachers would benefit from their joint efforts to create a seamless curriculum. And students would certainly reap major rewards.

William Evans and Jesse Day of Ohio State University described a laboratory exercise in atomic structure in which students worked in groups of three or four. Each group used either cardboard or glass tubing and wire to construct a model of the structure of an atom (based on the Lewis electron-shell idea). Octets were represented by placing single electrons at the corners of cubes. Students then put atomic models together to produce Lewis diagrams for molecules such as carbon dioxide.

In a paper titled "Making High School Chemistry Worth While", C. E. Osborne of Oak Park-River Forest Township High School recounted that it had been "...a privilege to have devoted my life to teaching chemistry to high school boys and girls." In his view, more than just content knowledge was essential to the high school teacher: "The chemistry teacher who helped me most knew the least about chemistry, but he took a personal interest in me."

Volume 25, Number 5

The first paper in a symposium on lecture demonstrations was by Hubert Alyea of Princeton University. He described an apparatus for lighting demonstrations from both above and below and extolled the virtues of semimicro demonstrations. Vinton Rawson and Robert Pfeil of White Plains High School described a demonstration model of atomic structure in which electrons were arranged in circular shells around the nucleus. Atoms could be shown to be bonded by sharing electron pairs.

T. A. Ashford of the University of Chicago reported on the testing program of the Division of Chemical Education. The testing program, which evolved into today's Examinations Institute, was 15 years of age in 1948. Examinations were available in general chemistry, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry. More than 200 chemistry teachers were involved in constructing these exams.

A review of the fifth edition of Joel Hildebrand's Principles of Chemistry quoted Hildebrand to illustrate his philosophy of teaching: "...the ability (of the student) to do something difficult is developed not by having it expounded but by first-hand effort and practice. The role of the learner must be an active one." The reviewer, Sidney French of Colgate University, clearly agreed with this philosophy.

Volume 50, Number 5

The most ancient possible history of chemistry - nucleosynthesis of the elements - was treated in two papers, one by Joel Selbin, Louisiana State University, and one by V. E. Viola, University of Maryland.

A number of papers reported on practical applications of chemistry. Doig, Heyl, and Martin reported on lithium and mental health; Stephens and Price described how to analyze for peroxyacetyl nitrate in polluted air; and in the Chemical Principles Exemplified column, edited by Robert Plumb, principles of chemical kinetics were applied to death by alcohol overdose and to saving lives by injecting alcohol intravenously into children who had been poisoned by ethylene glycol.

A paper by Donald Jones and David Roswell contrasted course content in general chemistry in 1971 with what it had been in 1961. The periodic system went from number one in importance to number ten, while chemical bonding rose from number 12 to number 1. The table listing topics in order of relative importance as perceived by directors of general chemistry at 194 institutions is quite interesting to compare with today's textbooks and with the minimum first-year college course of May 1924.

In a Provocative Opinion, Robert Niedzielski of the University of Toledo reacted to a downturn in the job market for chemists. He suggested that students (and more importantly faculty who were advising them) ought to consider opportunities in areas other than the chemical industry. Examples that were given included polymer science and engineering, microbiology, pharmacology, solid-state science, oceanography, information/computer science, geochemistry, and interdisciplinary areas in general. It was even suggested that chemistry students might look into positions in industrial management or take graduate courses in business. It is worth considering today what additional fields might be excellent sources of careers for our students.