Environmental Issues in the Chemistry Classroom
Continuing a practice begun in December 1997 (Vol. 74), this issue contains a collection of papers dealing with the environment. Several are of interest to high school teachers. "Green Chemistry and Education" is discussed in an article by Hjeresen, Schutt, and Boese and includes a list of the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. Reading the article can give you a clearer understanding of what green chemistry is and what it is not. Some chemical aspects of "Climate Change and Its Effect on Coral Reefs" are explored in an article by Weston. Although the depth of the discussion goes beyond what is usually included in a high school chemistry course, the carbonic acid equilibria that impact coral reefs provide an example that is interesting to many students. A Cost-Effective Teacher article by Ganong provides the information needed to make a hand-held conductivity meter that provides semiquantitative measurements. If you do not have access to conductivity probes and calculator- or computer-based interfaces, this article will be of interest. Low-cost conductivity meters described in previous articles provided less quantitative comparisons.
"Integration of Pre-college Chemistry Education and the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program" is discussed in an article by Camacho-Zapata and López-Garriga. You may not be familiar with GLOBE (http://www.globe.gov/), or you may be using it already. In either case, I believe you will find this to be an interesting article that provides new ideas for incorporating environmental data into your curriculum. The program also has potential for articulation across grade levels and disciplines.
The cost of converting a gasoline-powered vehicle to propane is the basis for a real-world application problem described by Jansen. "Refrigeration--From Ice Man to Ozone Hole" by Williams is another example of technology that is familiar to students and has far-reaching environmental implications resulting from the chemical properties of the substances used.
Several environmentally oriented articles in this issue are targeted to college-level courses, ranging from introductory chemistry to upper division courses, and therefore are not marked in the Table of Contents as being of likely interest to high school teachers. However, if you have an interest in environmental chemistry, I encourage you to look at these articles for ideas that you could use in your classroom. For example, details of a module on global warming are available in a JCE Online supplement to an article authored by Dunnivant and others.
Safety: First and Always
We often present dramatic demonstrations to illustrate chemical principles and concepts to our students. Successful demonstrations may be used year after year and become a comfortable addition to the lesson plan. Unfortunately, with repetition we often become relaxed and may not pay as close attention as we should to procedures, especially safety precautions. This month's Accident Anecdote, "The Label Didn't Say Not to Do It" by Jay Young, is a sobering reminder of the need for sound, professional judgment and careful supervision of student activity in the laboratory. Student and teacher safety must always be the primary concern, and safety procedures should be reviewed even if it is an experiment you have conducted numerous times previously. For that reason, I have considerable concern about the sugar-chlorate rocket demonstration. Readers are reminded that the Journal of Chemical Education cannot assume responsibility for uses made of its published materials. A statement titled "Caution" is published on page 1620 and I encourage each of you to read it in conjunction with the article. I love dramatic demonstrations as much as anyone, and perhaps more than many, but the rocket demonstration is probably not suitable for use in high school laboratories. You be the judge, and remember that it is you who are responsible.
High School Program In San Diego
Mark April 3, 2001, on your calendar now! An outstanding one-day event for chemistry teachers will be held in conjunction with the ACS National Meeting in San Diego. Program Organizer Joe Baron (La Jolla High School) is planning a full day of interesting workshops that will provide you with new ideas and techniques that you can use in your classroom. Full program information will be carried in the March issue of the Journal of Chemical Education and in the Winter issue of the ACS Division of Chemical Education Newsletter. Program information will also be disseminated directly to San Diego area teachers. Joe Baron may be contacted by email at albaron@sdcoe.k12.ca.us.
|
Citation
