In This Issue

• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 73, Nº 7 (July), 1996, págs. 600-600
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • For your summer reading pleasure this month's issue provides a wide rangeof subjects and activities. Our lead article is a tribute to achemist-composer, Lejaren A. Hiller, Jr., as well as an examination of theinteresting relationship between chemistry (and science) and music. LikeHiller, Wamser and Wamser (page 601) love both chemistry and music, andthis comes through loud and clear in their historical perspective onHiller's work.

    Much of the rest of the issue impinges on the chemistry curriculum in oneform or another. Rettich, Bailey, Frank, and Frick (page 638) describe an integrated first- and second-year curriculum being developed at IllinoisWesleyan University that includes all subdisciplines of chemistry. Theydescribe ways to teach topics such as acids and bases so that theperspectives of (for example) organic and inorganic chemistry areintegrated and contemporaneous. Those contemplating a popular reform, groupwork or cooperative learning, will be interested in Birk and Kurtz'sprogram (page 615) for training teaching assistants using cooperativelearning. Surely TAs who have participated in cooperative groups to developtheir own techniques for handling discussion and lab sessions will be ableto use group learning to better advantage.

    Several years ago the ACS Division of Chemical Education set up a TaskForce on the General Chemistry Curriculum. With support from the NationalScience Foundation and others, the task force has been quite active. Inaddition to the summative reports published here (pages 617-636) on fourareas in which general chemistry teaching can be improved, they havecontributed many Forum columns in earlier issues of the Journal and havepublished much of their work in New Directions for General Chemistry: AResource for Curricular Change; Baird W. Lloyd, ed.

    Our current approach to teaching electron configurations of the atoms islargely based on quantum theory Because of the mathematics required,quantum theory is not accessible to even well prepared introductorystudents, except in a qualitative, often confusing, version. Gillespie,Spencer, and Moog (page 617) provide a new way of introducing the idea ofelectron configurations that is based on experimental data instead oftheoretical quantum numbers. Beginning with the periodic table they developthe inference that electrons must be arranged in shells. They then useionization potentials and photoelectron spectra to develop further theideas of shell and subshell. This provides a radically different approachthat is at the same time based more firmly on experiment and moreaccessible to students.

    Gillespie, Spencer, and Moog (page 622) describe an approach to molecular structure that is closely related to the VSEPR theory originally developedby Gillespie and Nyholm, but does not depend on the orbitals or quantummechanics. Their electron domain model is based on electron spin andelectron pairs but not orbitals and provides an interesting way forstudents to be introduced to the idea of structure. Birk and Abbassian(page 636) provide a way of visualizing either orbitals or electron domainsthat uses readily available, inexpensive plastic eggs and is a nicecomplement to Gillespie, Spencer, and Moog's article.

    Spencer, Moog, and Gillespie's third article based on the work of the Task Force on the General Chemistry Curriculum begins on page 627. It developsthe idea of average valence electron energy and applies it to determiningelectronegativity values. In the fourth article in this Forum collection,Spencer, Moog, and Gillespie (page 631) propose that students can much more readily assimilate the ideas of reaction thermodynamics if changes inenthalpy, entropy, and free energy are all developed in terms of completeatomization of all reactants followed by putting the atoms back together ina different way to form products. Their tables of enthalpies, entropies,and free energies of atomization will be extremely useful to anyone whowants to adopt this approach.

    Maier (page 643) describes a pilot program in polymer science designed tointerest minority students in polymer science and chemistry. This is amodular program that could be incorporated into a variety of curricula. Adifferent approach to curriculum and outreach is the combinedbiology/chemistry van program described by Craney, Mazzeo, and Lord (page 646). And yet more outreach for younger children is described by Nolan and Gish (page 651).

    Information technology can support and aid curriculum reform. The abstractfrom JCE: Software is for a CD-ROM that summarizes the work of anNSF-supported materials science curriculum development project carried outby Lisensky and Ellis (page 667). The Computer Series includes a proposed addition to the typical physical chemistry curriculum by Williams, Minarik, and Nibler (page 608); it is possible because microcomputers can now do ab initio molecular orbital calculations with reasonable speed.

    Demonstrations have long been a part of the curriculum. They are alwayspopular and usually instructive. Beall (page 641) reports on a conferencethat considered the pros and cons of demonstrations as a teaching tool.Tested Demonstrations includes a means for estimating equilibrium constantsbased on the odor of a solution by Anderson, Buckley, and Niewahner (page 639) as well as a way of making ion exchange visible devised by Driscolland Villaescuesa (page 640).

    A very important and time consuming aspect of curriculum development isincorporation of new laboratory experiences for students. Mabrouk (page A149) describes a laboratory that brings biochemistry to the fore. Sundback(page 669) shows how high school students can test for lead in theenvironment, and Rees (page 670) shows how homeowners can easily test forlead in paint. Elderd, Kildahy, and Berka (page 675) provide a way to use modern GC equipment to show students how to determine whether a fire mayhave been arson. In addition to these there are six more new experimentsthat you may want to consider incorporating into your curriculum.

    A whole summer's worth of reading in one issue! Find something you reallylike and use it in your fall classes. Or, better yet, find a dozen thingsand use them!