High School Chemistry for the "General Student" in ... - ACS Publications

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High School Chemistry for the "General Student" in the 80's Douglas A. Halsted Evanston Township High School Evanston. IL 60204

I will discuss what I consider to he several of the most important challenges facing high school chemistry teachers in the 80's and describe some strategies which have been effective a t Evanston Township High School (ETHS). I will focus on two major topics: (1) increasing enrollment of non-scienceoriented students in chemistry courses in high school and (2) a discussion of my method of teaching all seven modules of the "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Chemistry" (IAC) (1)program to college-hound "general students". ETHS is in the first suburb north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. I t is a comprehensive public high school serving approximately 4000 students in grades 9-12. About 64% of ETHS students pursue higher education after high school graduation. Ahout 30% of students are black or other minorities. ETHS has the equivalent of six full time chemistry teachers. There are six separate chemistry lecture-labs. Chemistry ol ETHS

FYI'HS has hrrn faced nith decreasing enrdlment;, I'anllty I ~ S haw knmer nli~th R e d u r ~ r nin Force rRlF), rnwr E ~ I I ~ C I 11110 and other academic skills, and more non-science oriented students who have less desire to take a rigorous college preparatory chemistry course. At ETHS only one year of science is required for graduation. A majority of students complete one year of hiology. Most students who complete one year of high school biology have very little appreciation of the impact of chemistry upon their daily lives. Professor Anna J. Harrison (2), 1978 President of the American Chemical Society, spoke to chemistry teachers a t the Chemical Education Conference in August 1978, a t Beaver Doug Halsted received his BA from Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska, in 1958. He completed his MA and PhD at Northwestern University, Evanston, IIlinois, in 1961 and 1973,respectively. He has completed other studies at University of Colorado, Roosevelt University, University of Illinois, Ohio Wesleyan, Illinois Institute of Technology, and San Diego State. He has been a chemistry teacher at: Evanston Townshio Hieh School (ETHS)' since 1959, and has been ETHS-EAST Douglas A. Science Department Chairperson since 1976. In 1966 he was a supervisor for ten CHEM Study Teacher Training Insti- Eva"ton Township tutes in India. He has taught: "1959 tra-, High IL 60204 ditianal chemistry," CBA, CHEM Study, 1965 Silver-Burdett, IAC, ISlS Chemistry, and advanced placement chemistry. He designed a number of molecular models which have been commercially available since 1968. He has presented speeches, demonstrations, and workshops at a number of national, regional, state, and local conventions since 1967. He received the National Science Teachers Association 1970 Science Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR Award) for his work with molecular models. In 1972 he received the Midwest Regional MCA Award for Excellence in Chemistry Teaching. From 1973-71 he was active in the ISlS testing program. He has worked with a great many science student teachers as: cooperating teacher, supervisor, and 1978-79 Professor for the Secondary Science Methods Course at Northwestern University.

College. She expressed her overwhelming concern that more meaningful science programs be developed for the general student a t all levels. She defined the general student "as the student who does not have and probably will never have orofessional " eoals that reauire technical comuetence in science." A special conference of the American Chemical Society a t Columbus, Ohio, in October 1978, recommended that meaningful courses in chemistry he provided for the general student. " 'Meaningful' was defined as rewarding and satisfying to the student, as .iudged hv the student. No attempt was made . to suggest the sprciiic design or ruurse m n t m t uppruprintc to thr nccds of thegeneral student" 13,. 'l'he conferees wired strong support "for programs that would include interdisciplinary topics, units that would relate chemistry to topical issues, units that would deal with the impacts, both positive and negative, on society, and units that would he useful to teachers in other disciplines. Many strongly supported laboratory experience as a part of any program for the general student" ( 4 ) . Other chemists and chemical educators have suggested that it would be in the best interests of the United States to have more citizens with a higher level of chemical literacy. One way to implement this objective is to provide more high school students with introductory chemical education. Who should h e responsible for increasing the chemical literacy of increasing numbers of high school students? It seems to me that the local high school chemistry teacher should undertake the task of systematically increasing chemical literacv in that communitv. However, vast exuerience indicates t i m e that there is some danger of haphaz&dly "inviting" larger numbers of students to enroll in a "High School Chemistry'' course. Many high school chemistry teachers consider their course to he a very selective course with exceedingly high and rather rigid "standards." Such chemistry teachers may indicate a concern about attempts to "waterdown" the course. The attitude of non-science-oriented adults in the communityseems to verify the mind set that high school chemistrv is onlv for the verv intellieent science-oriented college-bound st;dent. ~ d u loften t ~ speak of the chemistry course which thev took when in hiah school as heine verv difficult, generalfy unintelligible, aGd often rather impractical. Many high schools are experiencing decreasing enrollments. The numher of students choosing to take high school chemistry and physics in many high schools is lower than expected. Apparently many 1979-80 high school students are more interested in getting a part-time job to earn money, than they are in spendinn.the time to master high - school chemistry objectives. It appears to me that new high school chemistry courses are needed that provide chemical education which can he mastered by less able and less highly motivated students. Perhaps the hieh school chemistrv teacher should consider the develupme& of a different chkmistry course, designed to provide a chance for lower ahilitv hieh school students to succeed. At ETHS such a courie has been developed over a period of about eight years. Up through 1977-78 the ETHS "Chemistry" course used a variety of texts, hut emphasized the 1963 CHEM Study (5) topics of Chapters 1-16 or 1-17. The students in my sections of "Chemistry" from 1973-78

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studied all seven IAC modules, and additional CHEM Study Chapters 1-17 topics. A new lower level chemistry course was first offered in 1971-72: "Techniques and Applications of Chemistry" (CHEM TECH). The CHEM TECH course from 1973-79 used the 1973 "Chemistry for the Health Sciences" by Sackheim and Schultz (6). The laboratory program was developed a t ETHS for the CHEM TECH course. CHEM TECH emphasizes chemical bonding and topics in organic and biochemistry. The CHEM TECH course is designed for students with limited math achievement who are interested in medically oriented careers. CHEM TECH is not recommended for students who plan t u enroll in a chemistry course in college. CHEM TECH currently serves a number of general students with limited math achievement. Enrollment in CH K>1 TECH averages ahout 60-8CI students c i l ~ hyear. The iiveniee mnxitnum sectiun size of l e ~ofl ETHS chemistry cour& is 31 students. Beginning in Septemher 1978, all ETHS students in "Chemistry" studied all seven modules of the 1973 "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Chemistry" (IAC): Introductory, Physical, Inorganic, Organic, Biochemistry, Nuclear, and Environmental. About 300 general students enrolled in "chemistry" in 1978-79 and in 1979-80. "Chemistry Honors" was offered for the first time in 1978-79 for talented "general students" and talented science-oriented students who chose not to take Advanced Placement Chemistry and Physics. "Chemistry Honors" students study the 1975 Prentice-Hall version of CHEM Study (7), complete many of the 1963 CHEM Study experiments, complete an extensive set of prohlems and laboratory worksheets developed a t ETHS, and spend nine weeks doing qualitative analysis laboratory work. "Chemistry Honors" enrollment increased from 134 in September 1978, to 173 in September 1979. Enrollment in CHEM TECH, Chemistry, and Chemistry Honors has been increasing. In September 1978, total enrollment in these three courses increased by 5.3% over September 1977, enrollment (from 490 to 516). In September 1979. total enrollment in these three courses increased hv another 4.8% over September 1978, enrollment (from 516 to 541). The number of students enrolled in these three courses increased, despite decreasing total school enrollment. Most students taking these courses are juniors. Physics courses are usually taken by seniors. Physics enrollment is increasing as

1973 1AC Module 1) inhoductory

2) Physical

3) inorganic

4) Organic 5) Biochemisby 6) Nuclear

7) Environmental

more students who are experiencing success in chemistry desire to take physics. For over 20 years ETHS has had a very successful science program for talented science-oriented students who are capable of completing Advanced Placement Chemistry and Physics. Students in this program: complete high school biology in grade 9, complete hoth high school chemistry and high school physics in grade 10, start A. P . Chemistry and A. P. Physics in grade 11, and finish A. P. Chemistry and A. P. Physics in grade 12. Some of these students also complete A. P. Biology in grade 12. Approximately 90 students complete one or more years of this program and take one, two, or three science A. P. exams. Approximately 40 students each year take hoth the A. P. Chemistrv and the A. P. Phvsics exams. Hwing summarized (he total KI'HS Chemistry Curricu111111,1 u i l l now indicate some u t the details necessary ro accomplish these changes. Development of the Current Program Course prerequisites provide the student with an idea of which course is appropriate. The prerequisites for "Chemistry" were lowered from having earned a "C" or better in geometry to having earned a "C" or better in any algebra course. The prerequisite for "Chemistry Honors" requires that the students have credit for or concurrent enrollment in a second algebra course. The prerequisite for "Techniques and Applications of Chemistry" is previous completion of one year of high " school science. Students in the A. P. Science Proeram were recommend~dhy eiynth grade science reachers and 1)). W H S Science Chairuersun.; h~isrdunun eiehth grade math " and science achievement, and math and other standardized test results, Initially, chemistry teachers expressed concern about the possibility of decreasing enrollments in the rigorous high school chemistry courses as capable students chose the less demanding courses. This did not happen. Students are directed to appropriate chemistry courses by detailed course descriptions; course prerequisites; and conferences with science teachers, science chairpersons, and guidance coun~

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Guidance counselors and science teachers are oriented by chairpersons and teachers of the different chemistry prerequisites and the nature of the dif. courses, ~h~ ferent chemistry courses are described in writing and are ex. plained verbally to all science teachers and all guidance Typical ETHS Schedule for the 1973 IAC Program counselors. All ETHS science teachers Experiments devote one day in February to Weeks Tests Ominsd Added Topics and Activities "Science Information Day." 9 5 A: 10, 20. 22. 31 Students balance 1st equations using Each teacher meets underspacefilling molecular models. Heavier classmen in the lab and deemphasis on names, formulas, balancing scribes the course taught by equations, males and masses, and bond that teacher. Student quesangles. tions are answered by the 9 6 P: 13, 23 A H and Hess's Law, reaction coordinates teacher who will teach the and KE dishibution, reduction potentials course. E' and balancing equations by use of Oxidation numbers. Once a student enrolls in a chemistry course, the student 9 5 1: 39 Student experiment: Li. Na, and K + HOH. Electronegativily, atomic and molewiar is encouraged to complete the orbitals. course. A few students are al3 1 0: 10.13.45 Students me assigned to read about 10 lowed to transfer to a different pages each day. chemistry course during the 3 1 B: 31. 34.42. 47 Students are assigned to read about 10 first month of classes. I n pages each day. 1978-79 a few students trans1% 1 N: 19.25 . 10 to 15 Geiaer Counters are borrowed ferred from Chemistrv.Honors from C w Defense Students are to Chemistry. Some Chemistry ass~gnedto read ebolrt 12 pages each Honors students c o m ~ l e t e d day. One hour in ETHS planetarium. the course, hut experienced a 1% 1 E: 4, 13. 24, 26, K,. Students are assigned to read about high level of frustration in at29, 32, 34. 40, 15 pages each day. (Some experiments tempting to master CHEM 44. 46, 54. are similar to those In previous iAC Study objectives. A f ~ w stumodules.) dents dropped each of the dif-

820 / Journal of Chemical Education

ferent chemistry courses. The number of students who dropped chemistry courses was much lower than in previous years. At ETHS the number of students who actually enroll determines what courses are taught, how many sections are taught, and how many teachers are hired. The advantages of the new chemistry c u ~ i c u l u mhave been stated above. There are also disadvantages which must be considered. Some chemistry teachers have two preparations instead of one. Unusual enrollment figures may require decreasing the amount of course time for students inorder to accommodate the teacher's contract. Two different lahoratory chemistry courses taught out of one lab require more lab nreoaration time and limit flexibility of student use of the chemistry laboratory. In order to provide some chemistry for those students who do not enroll in a second high school science course, a new ninth grade Physical and Earth Science course was offered in September 1977. This ninth grade course includes about nine weeks each of chemistry, physics, earth science, and astronomy. Thus, a greater number of ETHS graduates will have a higher level of chemical literacy than did previous ETHS graduates. Perhaps some students who would have been apprehensive about enrolling in chemistry as a junior, will enroll in chemistry based upon a successful experience in chemistry for nine weeks as a freshman. Science ~ w i r d Day s In order to impnnv the imagr of students wh