Secondary School Feature Articles

* Super Science Connections, by Patricia B. McKean, p 916

* A pHorseshoe, by Roger Plumsky, p 935 National Conferences in Your Part of the Country

For the past several months, considerable space in this column has been devoted to forthcoming national conferences and conventions and to highlights of conferences past. For some of us, location is fairly unimportant; but for most of us travel costs and time are both factors to consider when choosing a conference. The community of high school chemistry teachers is favored by the number of national conventions and conferences that are held each year in different locations. In 1999, for example, the spring National Meeting of the American Chemical Society was in Anaheim and the National Science Teachers Association National Convention was in Boston. This summer CHEMED '99 will be held in Fairfield, CT, August 1-5, and the fall National ACS Meeting will be in New Orleans. Teachers from the mid-South especially should consider attending the High School Program at New Orleans, described below by Lillie Tucker Akin, Chairperson of the Division's High School Program Committee. The event will be held on Sunday to minimize conflicts with the beginning of the school year.

JCE at CHEMED '99

Stop by the JCE booth at CHEMED '99 in the exhibits area to learn more about the wide array of print and nonprint resources you can use in your classroom and laboratory. Members of the editorial staff will be on hand to talk with you. You are invited to participate in a workshop, "Promoting Active Learning through JCE Activity Sheets and Software", on Monday, August 1, 8:30-10:30. The free hands-on workshop is number WT11 and we encourage you to include it among your choices in the blanks provided on the third page of the registration form. We will also conduct an interactive session to listen to ideas for making the Journal more useful to you. Check the final program for location and time or inquire at the JCE exhibit booth.

NSTA in Boston

For the representatives of the Journal, the highlight of the National Science Teachers Association Convention was visiting with the many readers who stopped by the JCE booth. Among them were several who have authored an article or reviewed manuscripts. We hope that number increases from year to year. JCE exists for its readers and because many readers are willing to devote the time and effort necessary to write a manuscript and revise it based on peer review.

The convention offered such a variety of opportunities to acquire useful information that it is impossible to name a single highlight, or even to list the top ten. Representative of the many outstanding chemistry-oriented sessions presented by high school teachers were "Ultraviolet, Visible and Infrared Spectroscopy in the Chemistry and Physics Laboratory", "Kool Conversions in a Block Schedule", and "Hot Packs, Cold Packs, and a Six-Pack of Chemistry Projects".

Reports from Other Journals

On pages 882-885, Steve Long and Kathy Thorsen have summarized interesting articles that have appeared recently in The Science Teacher and Chem 13 News, respectively. Even if you are a regular reader of one or both of these journals, you will enjoy reading these summaries. Steve and Kathy have done a great job of highlighting interesting and useful information. I thank both of them for these fine contributions to the Journal.

High School Day in New Orleans

Mark August 22, 1999, on your calendar now and plan to attend High School Chemistry Day at the National ACS Meeting in New Orleans. The High School Program Committee, with support from local ACS sections, has planned an extravaganza of workshops and presentations, including environmental programs and workshops conducted by Sargent-Welch; an afternoon of instrumentation by Buck Laboratories with the Alabama Science in Motion vans and drivers to show how to transport chemistry on wheels; 12 demonstrations by nationally recognized chemical demonstration experts; a series of nine oral presentations on "hot" topics in chemistry today; Carolina Biological's showcasing of Chemistry Set to Music and demonstrations where you can watch the periodic table come to life in front of your eyes; an afternoon of safety by Kauffman and Associates; and Penny Sconzo's entire day on calculator literacy in chemistry and biology with sessions for beginners and advanced users. In addition to five concurrent sessions specifically for high school teachers, the Division of Chemical Education will offer a variety of programs throughout the conference. A high school-college interface luncheon will feature chemical educator Glenn Crosby as keynote speaker. An array of door prizes will be given away, including a crisp $100 bill. Tickets for the luncheon are limited and will only be sold through preregistration.

Registration information can be obtained through the ACS Internet home page, http://www.acs.org, in Chemical and Engineering News, or in the summer issue of the Division of Chemical Education Newsletter. Eisenhower funds can be used as support funds (check with your school coordinator for title programs). There will be a membership registration desk for teachers interested in joining the ACS Division of Chemical Education. Membership dues are $15 per year. We have a lot planned for you and we need all our high school chemistry teachers to attend and make this event a huge success! I look forward to seeing each of you in 'Nawlins!

Lillie Tucker Akin