Introduction
OVERVIEW
Chemistry has been called by some the central science- and for good reason. In the past as well as today, chemistry touches all parts of our world- from politics, to finance, to health, to nutrition, to sports and recreation. Although widely important, many do not appreciate the role that chemistry plays in our lives.
One of the much-needed roles of science educators is to provide a glimpse of the way that chemistry influences many of the things around us. One of the challenges is doing so in a way that is not intimidating or overly in depth (technical). This is especially true in early childhood education. One approach to addressing this challenge is found in relating the stories of science and chemistry, including the lives of scientists, their discoveries and failures, and the historical impact of their work.
During the course of the seminar series, we explored the history of chemistry, exploring the early Greek natural philosophers, following the thread of chemical developments through the era of alchemy, and ultimately reviewing the birth of modern chemistry. These stories illustrated the minimal understanding of the chemical world up until relatively recent times and highlight one the greatest scientific achievements of all times- the organization of the periodic table. In addition, we explored the relationship between chemistry and society through an investigation of individual’s lives as well as specific events and discoveries. These discussions touched upon religion, philosophy, political science, and modern technology.
These discussions provided the backdrop for the development of the curriculum units that follow. The Fellows have sought to capture the essence of early discoveries for the purposes of drawing their students into scientific study and making them aware of the importance of science and chemistry in the world around them.
THE UNITS
Acquiring the Foundation - The Periodic Table for Middle School Science was written by Annette Boles of Sharpstown Middle School. Her unit seeks to provide a solid foundation of chemical principles at the middle school level, while enticing students with a unique and creative way of understanding the most important aspects and trends of the Periodic Table of Elements. This unit presents the creative activity entitled “My Favorite Alien” in which students are taught to recognize periodicity in such a way that similar patterns are recognized in the Periodic Table of Elements.
Joseph Carlsen of Long Middle School prepared the unit entitled Overnight Sensations: Gregor Mendel. In this unit Mr. Carlsen seeks to place scientific discovery in context by developing lessons that correlate the culture and environment of the time of specific discoveries. The unit specifically focuses on Gregor Mendel and his work during the nineteenth century regarding genetic inheritance, yet provides an excellent model that can be extended to any number of any early scientist. The unit entails lessons involving the creation of a timeline, the fundamental principles of genetic inheritance, and the demonstration of the effects of genetic diversification.
Atomic Conversation Unabridged was written by Deborah Cobb of Houston High School. As the title suggests, this creative unit seeks to engage students in scie ntific discourse through their participation in a historic conversation- that of the structure of the atom. It takes the novel approach of encouraging students to deduce for themselves the nature of conversations held at different points in history. In order to accomplish this task, students must understand the context of the ‘discussion’ in terms of both scientific and societal development. In this unit, she strives to get students to think, debate, and support their positions and understanding- all vital aspects of any scientific undertaking.
Susan Creager of Gallegos Elementary School has created CSI: Children’s Science Investigations as her unit. This unit builds from the observation that modern society seems taken by the details of investigation, as evidenced by the topics of today’s most popular television dramas. The unit presents, in an age-appropriate fashion, the manner in which mock investigations of suspicious events can be conducted in the classroom and in turn pointing the way to the methodology of scientific investigations.
Discovering Matter, Crystals, and Reactions was written by Esther Donat-Mas of Piney Point Elementary School. This unit explores the importance of reaching young students of varying learning inclinations with some of the fundamental aspects of chemistry and experimentation. The unit emphasizes the use of hands-on activities and the development of relevance between the classroom exercises and their everyday lives. The activities of the unit involve the measurement of mass, volume and density, the formation of crystalline solids, and the demonstration of chemical reactions.
Albert Garlinghouse of M.B. Lamar High School created the unit entitled Teaching High School Chemistry. In this unit he seeks to engage students through the development of connections between different chemical principles and concepts. At this level, students are presented with the details of chemical nomenclature, chemical periodicity, and chemical reactions. The unit entails activities revolving around the Periodic Table of Elements and encourages the mastery of material through review and student media presentations.
Slime and Other Adventures: Inquire -Based, Hand-on Learning has been written by Jennifer Grande of Southmayd Elementary School. This unit is aimed at early science education and hits the target by creating a well-conceived pedagogy that will assist instructors at these grade levels in teaching ‘science thinking’ while actively engaging students in experiment and thought. The unit provides detailed instructions for safe in-class activities that are sure to be a hit with all the children, yet moves beyond the fun to demonstrate the process of science to students at a very early age.
Deborah Hennagir of Pin Oak Middle School has authored the unit entitled The Coroners Brunch- Discoveries Beyond the Originals. This unit describes activities centered around library research with the purpose of encouraging a contextual understanding of scientific discoveries, generating cross-disciplinary connections, and actively engaging female students with the goal of increasing their opportunities in the sciences. The Coroners Brunch refers to library-based discussions of scientific events. These events, outlined in the lessons, explore the relationships between the chemical sciences and the fields of beauty, health, and the environment.
Chemistry Around Us was created by Christiana Ichara of Pin Oak Middle School. In this unit, she presents the lessons entailing the history of the structure of the atom as well as modern demonstrations of the nature of chemical reactions. Together these topics aim to engage students in the experience and practice of chemistry while simultaneously establishing a framework of chemical understanding.
Phillip Keller of Sharpstown High School produced the unit entitled Gold, Dynamite, and Drug Discovery: Rags and Riches with Chemistry. The unit presents the historical accounts of a number of chemical developments that have had significant impact on society and, at times, the course of nations. The lessons seek to dramatize the process of chemical discovery the highlight the relevance of such discovery in our world today. The unit spans historical storytelling to modern molecular design and presents plans for the incorporation of computer modeling tools into the lesson activities.
Layli Strasburg of Lee High School has written Mars in Our Imagination: Fostering Critical Literacy Across the Content Areas. In this unit, she explores the subject of space exploration as a well-chosen launching point for a detailed consideration of science literacy. The unit presents a thorough discussion of the importance of science literacy and proven instructional strategies for assessing and enhancing such literacy in high school students. The unit and documented activities are designed for use in an English class, however entail a rigorous presentation of scientific examples and background, highlighting the highly interdisciplinary nature of the unit.
Discovering Chemical Discoveries was written by Jose Tapia of Elrod Elementary School. The unit addresses subjects intended for upper elementary school students and underscores the importance of engaging early science students in the process of discovery. The unit includes activities that seek to delineate the difference between physical and chemical properties, to demonstrate the influence of energy on matter, and to demonstrate the principles of chemical reactions. The unit takes the unique approach at this education level of presenting chemistry as an individual unit of study.
Una Topps of Austin High School created the unit Scrutinizing the Atomic Theory. This unit reviews the development of atomic theory by revisiting the individual theories that have arisen along the path to our modern understanding. In the lessons of this unit, students are encouraged to explore early authors of atomic theories and to assimilate the progression of understanding. The anticipated outcome of such an exercise entails a greater understanding of the principles of atomic theory as opposed to rote memorization on the part of the students. The unit encourages students to develop skills entailing research, cooperative learning, and presentation of scientific concepts.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The seminar series was greatly aided by the work and input of the Seminar Coordinator Susan Creager and the Writing Specialist Deborah Cobb. The seminar derived its success from the dedication and commitment of the Fellows to their students and the endeavor of science education.