In Chemical Mystery #12, curious floating and sinking behavior is exhibited by three different balloons. To pull off this experimental trick, a tank is filled with sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), and three balloons are filled with three different gases: helium, exhaled breath, and SF₆. The balloon filled with SF₆ sinks when placed in the tank. The balloon filled with exhaled breath floats in the tank, and the helium filled balloon floats up out of the tank and through the air.

Bob Worley and Amiee Modic commented on this experiment, noting that many teachers do not have access to SF₆ and therefore would likely be unable to conduct this experiment in their classrooms. This gave me the idea of trying to figure out how to pull off the trick using easily obtained items. I have experimented a little bit and found that it is easy to pull off this experimental effect using baking soda, vinegar, a large deep plastic bin, balloons, and a tank of helium (which can be purchased in the party section of stores such as Wal Mart). It is important to note that this experiment works best when using balloons with very thin plastic skins when inflated. Water balloons work well.

First, baking soda and vinegar are mixed in the plastic bin to fill the container with CO₂ gas:

NaHCO₃ + HC₂H₃O₂ --> NaC₂H₃O₂ + H₂O + CO₂

One balloon is filled with helium, a second balloon with exhaled breath, and a third balloon with half exhaled breath and half helium. Some experimenting may be required to get the right density of the balloon filled with helium/exhaled breath. The balloons display different floating and sinking behavior when placed into the tub filled with CO₂ - quite similar to the experiment done with SF₆:

Amiee and Bob, thank you for commenting on Chemical Mystery #12 and noting that many teachers do not have access to SF₆. Your comments provided me with inspiration to get into the lab to try some further experimentation, which I always enjoy having the chance to do!

The NSF 2026 Idea Machine is a competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science and engineering. Participants can earn prizes and receive public recognition by suggesting the pressing research questions that need to be answered in the coming decade, the next set of “Big Ideas” for future investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

It's an opportunity for researchers, the public and other interested stakeholders to contribute to NSF's mission to support basic research and enable new discoveries that drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security and advance knowledge to sustain the country's global leadership in science and engineering.

Anyone can enter - individual scientists, high school classrooms, professional societies, et al. It is a chance to win glory - and some money. Contest winners will be announced Summer 2019. Think big! The NSF is looking for BIG umbrella themes with lots of community engagement and involving all units at NSF. Think how much fun this would be to engage students in your classroom.

The deadline for submission is October 26, 2018.

Download the information flyer:  

nsf2026ideaslide.pdf

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While attending BCCE 2018 at Notre Dame, I had the pleasure of co-leading a workshop with a fellow chemistry teacher, Amiee Modic. Our workshop focused on introducing teachers to the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning framework and the various ways it can be implemented and applied to develop students' ability to generate better evidence-based arguments. When Amiee and I started preparing for the workshop, she introduced me to some cards, that she referred to as "strong vs. weak argument cards," made by the folks at Argument-Driven Inquiry.

Though I had hundreds of student examples of my own to choose from when introducing this framework to my students, I never really developed a specific activity that helped model the difference between strong and weak scientific arguments. Seeing these cards helped me realize the useful role they could serve toward getting students to write better scientific arguments, rather than me continuously explaining what goes into the claim, evidence, and reasoning. And I was not the only one to have this revelation. The cards were a huge hit among teachers at our workshop. Amiee and I continued to receive questions after our workshop from teachers wanting to know how they could get their hands on these cards. As soon as I got back to school, I pitched the idea to my department chair. Not only did we end up buying the chemistry cards, but we also bought cards that were specific to biology, physical science, and physics!

I think that the price ($8.95) for the argument cards for chemistry is great. The argument cards come as a class set of 32 cards, which is enough for eight groups of four students. Each group receives four cards which contain one strong and one weak argument for two different arguments. For example, the arguments on cards 1 and 2 are about specific heat while cards 3 and 4 are about intermolecular forces. The cards themselves are printed in color on a sturdy material which is laminated. Though anyone could easily produce their own cards, paying a small amount for someone else to produce higher-quality cards than you likely could yourself is well worth the price.

I recently did a short activity with these cards and I am so glad I have them now. Being able to quickly take them out and have students look at the features of strong scientific arguments when they felt stuck writing their evidence or reasoning was powerful. The purpose of the cards is not to act as a silver bullet. Instead, like most things we purchase in our profession, they serve as a useful supplement for achieving what we want our students to be able to do. I highly recommend you take a look at the Argument-Driven Inquiry store and see the other useful products they offer. I think you will be pleased!.

I encourage you to take a look at the other content-specific cards available. Your colleagues in the other sciences and elementary teachers in your district will appreciate the tip! 

“What are we doing to help kids achieve?”

I teach in a school that was originally designed to be an “open air” school. The school was built with support walls all on the outside of the building. The building, built in the 1970’s, was built with “classrooms without walls”. Someone did a sales job and convinced many people that “rooms without walls” would be the school of the future.

The future only lasted a couple of years before walls were hastily built to provide separate traditional rooms. Fast forward to 2017. I was teaching in a room that was outdated and in need of an overhaul. The school board agreed to the overhaul. An architect came in and gave us the good news. The good news was that with outer load bearing walls, it would be easy to demolish the entire second floor of the science wing and start to rebuild. We could pick and choose where the new walls would be placed. The architects gave us five different plans to choose. A week before school ended, demolition began and a day before the students arrived, we walked into brand new rooms. The new addition is nice and clean but surreal. Here is what I have learned and how a new space can impact teaching and learning.

Cubbies- Every student has a space to place their backpack. They find what items they will need for the class on the board when they arrive. Everything else is left in their backpack and placed in a cubby. It is off the floor and out of the way. This simple idea has had a huge impact on the culture of the room. All distractions, including cell phones, are put away and students only have out the items needed for academic activities. This alone has increased the learning environment immensely and decreased distractions.

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Mini Lab - Just off of the room there is a smaller room. This smaller room has cabinets, storage, gas jets, a sink and a table. Students can go to this room to make up labs, tests or watch a video. Class can still continue and I can still have an eye on the students. This is perfect for students on IEP’s, 504’s, make up labs, or lab preparation. Any make up activities are down in a safe, secure and well monitored space with minimal interruptions.

Desk Pods - In my old room I placed the desks in “pods”. The theory was that this would stimulate students working in groups and I would lecture less. I could never get it to work. Students ended up socializing too much. This idea of “pods” works great in the new space. The difference is that there is extra space. The extra space and the backpacks in the cubbies allows easy and constant movement around the room as the instructor (something I could never do in the old room). This cuts down the socializing between students. I am able to quickly address academic needs while being next to the students instead of at the front of the room.

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Moveable Furniture and Technology - Almost all of the furniture and technology is on wheels. It is easy to move anything around instantly. Lab set ups can be prepared in the mini lab. Materials can be moved into the room for one class period. The same lab or demonstration can be moved out of the way in minutes and safely stored. This really reduces “scrambling” and time out of the room.

Storage - All storage has current locks. There is a giant storage cabinet with about 30 plastic pull out bins. All bins have boxed and labeled labs and demonstrations. Demonstrations can be pulled out and put back quickly and safely.

Whiteboards - There is plenty of whiteboard space that is layered. Some of the cabinets also have whiteboard space. The additional space is great for messages for students and class information.

The downside…. Every great endeavor has its downside. Our department had to pack up chemicals, equipment, place items in storage, get items out of storage and teach all at the same time. Even after moving into the rooms there was a large “punch list” of items that were not working. There have been many days when I would look for something and spend a class period searching “for a box that was lost”. The process put communication skills, relationships and stress to the test.

The Good News. The journey has been difficult but worth it. The benefits outweigh the cons. In the end, the students will benefit with a better educational experience. I realize that not every teacher can control the physical space of the room. If you can, hopefully this is something to think about. Do you have any ideas? I would love to hear about them...don’t be afraid to post something.

The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special issue on Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry. See the opening paragraph of the announcement:

"A number of recent publications have challenged the profession of chemistry to transform itself to address emerging global challenges in the context of a rapidly changing world.(1−4) Common themes in these calls are the need for integration of systems thinking into the practice of chemistry and for the reimagination of chemistry education to more effectively help educate scientists and citizens for their roles in a rapidly changing planet and society.(5−8) The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special issue to report on and guide efforts to reimagine chemistry education through infusing systems thinking approaches throughout educational programs. The themed issue will publish reviews and explorations of the scope and definition of systems thinking in the context of chemistry education, as well as educational research and practice oriented by systems thinking approaches. The issue will include a strong focus on the application of systems thinking to green and sustainable chemistry education and seeks to include interdisciplinary perspectives that can drive innovation in this area."*

Go to the official Journal of Chemical Education - Call for Papers announcement for information about the Scope and Content of the special issue along with the Submission, Review and Publication process. The guest editors for this special issue are Peter Mahaffy, Ed Brush, Julie Haack and Felix Ho. The deadline for submission is April 1, 2019.

* Peter G. Mahaffy, Edward J. Brush, Julie A. Haack, and Felix M. Ho, Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers—Special Issue on Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry, J Chem Ed, September 2018.

At the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE) in Notre Dame this summer, Holly Walter-Kerby and Maria Gallardo-Williams unveiled an event called The Mole. According to Walter-Kerby, inspiration for The Mole stems from the popular storytelling event called The Moththat is featured on NPR radio. The Mole at Notre Dame consisted of several teachers of chemistry taking a few minutes to tell a story about life in the classroom. I was invited by Walter-Kerby and Gallardo-Williams to speak at the inaugural session of The Mole at BCCE 2018, and it was a real honor to participate in this incredible event.

I told the story of how one of my students discovered how to make marshmallows spark in the microwave oven. I went on to describe how we made sense of the sparking phenomenon, and how the process of his discovery and our work together contributed to transforming the way I think about teaching chemistry. You can listen to a podcast of my story.

In the video below you can see how to get a marshmallow to spark in the microwave, and also how we think the sparking phenomenon occurs.

The sparking marshmallow phenomenon ends up being a good way to demonstrate the fact that sugar contains carbon, and also that graphite is a good conductor.

Due to its success and popularity at its debut, I’m pretty sure we’ll see additional runnings of The Mole at future BCCE meetings. I hope to hear your story in Oregon in 2020!

Acknowledgement: A huge thank you to David Welch, who first observed that charred marshmallows spark when microwaved, and who also helped to determine possible causes for how it did so.

Read an interview about how The Mole Storytelling Jam.

Tom Kuntzleman presented a story titled "Charred Marshmallow Souffle" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Tom is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. He is a former middle school teacher. And of course, he is an associate editor for ChemEd X. Enjoy listening to his story!

Tom wrote a blog post about the event and included a video of the Charred Marshmallow Souffle demonstration prior to the publication of this podcast. Check it out!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night. 

Marie Gallardo-Williams presented a story titled "It's Not You, It's Me" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Maria is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at North Carolina State University in North Carolina. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night. 

Ryan Johnson presented a story titled "The Long and Winding Road to Chemistry Ed" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Ryan teaches chemistry at Doherty High School in Colorado. Enjoy listening to his story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

Diane Bunce presented a story titled "I Hate Cheating" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Diane is Professor Emerita Chemistry Education at The Catholic University of America in Washington. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

An Interview with

Maria Gallardo-Williams and Holly Walter Kerby

BCCE 2018 was held at Notre Dame July 29 – August 2. Maria Gallardo-Williams and Holly Walter Kerby were nice enough to allow me to interview them about the inaugural Mole Storytelling Jam they created and hosted as part of the conference.

Deanna: Tell me a bit about how you came to host a storytelling event.

Maria: Well, teaching chemistry is a challenge.

Holly: At any level—

Maria: The content can be difficult. Many students are afraid or just don’t want to be there.

Holly: And then, they have their own problems that have nothing to do with chemistry.

Maria: We get better at teaching the longer we do it, but we’re isolated in our own classrooms. What we learn doesn’t help other teachers facing the same problems.

Deanna: So where does story come in?

Holly: At the 2016 BCCE. That’s where we met.

Deanna: You and Maria?

Maria: Yes. At the Sunday night social.

Holly: And somewhere in the conversation we got on how it would be great if teachers could share their wisdom with other teachers, so we wouldn’t all have to reinvent the wheel.

Maria: And then Holly brought up story,

Holly: And we decided story was the perfect way to communicate the stuff you’ve learned to other teachers.

Maria: We thought about organizing a symposium. Or giving workshops at the next BCCE. But that didn’t go anywhere.

Holly: And finally, we got the idea to host a storytelling jam event at the BCCE 2018 held at Notre Dame.

Deanna: How did you get chemistry teachers to tell stories?

Holly: A few volunteered, but mostly, we asked them. We looked for people we knew could tell a good story and we tried to get teachers from across of the chemical education community.

Deanna: What do you mean?

Maria: High school, small college, university, community college,

Holly: Middle school,

Maria: Chemical education researchers, and graduate students.

Holly: Innovators, entrepreneurs.

Maria: In the end we recruited 9 chemistry teachers--

Holly: A really good line up--

Maria: We asked them to tell a story about how they learned something they wished they’d have learned earlier.

Holly: And then Maria told everyone on Twitter.

Maria: And we gave out fliers at the Conference.

Deanna: So, if it was not a symposium, was it still scheduled as part of the conference?

Maria: Yes. It was scheduled as a Birds of a Feather. Tuesday night in McKenna Hall.

Holly: We decided to run it like the Moth. But since it was for chemical educators, we decided to call it—

Maria and Holly Together: The Mole!

Maria: Which amused us to no end.

Deanna: How many people attended?

Maria: About one hundred fifty.

Holly: It was packed.

Maria: Holly and I were the emcees.

Holly: And here’s the thing: every story was incredible. But the audience was the most incredible.

 

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Maria and Holly welcoming the audience to The Mole Storytelling Jam

 

Deanna: What do you mean?

Maria: They cheered and tweeted (#TheMole)

Holly: And answered questions out loud and burst into applause and groaned in empathy. It was glorious.

Deanna: Anything else you want to tell people?

Maria: Listen to the podcasts. You can find them at soundcloud: The-Mole-Storytelling

Holly: We hope you like them. Because we love them.

Maria: Yes. And send us ideas about how to keep this going.

Deanna: Thanks for talking. And thanks for the podcasts. I loved them as well.

Maria: Thank you. It was great to talk to you.

 

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The cast of the 2018 Mole Storytelling Jam

I Missed It, But Got a Second Chance to Hear the Stories

I have spoken with several of the chemistry instructors that spoke at The Mole Storytelling Jam as well as many members of the audience. Some phrases that were repeated over and over in regard to the event: “It was awesome!” “It was magical!” “I had such a great time!” Several people expressed that listening to other chemistry instructors share their personal stories made the listener feel more connected to the wider chemical education community because the audience could relate and see themselves in every one of them. Even though I attended BCCE and wanted to go to the event, my schedule did not allow for the time to attend. I was happy to hear that Maria and Holly were uploading the stories as podcasts to Soundcloud so that others could enjoy them. Having now listened to each of the stories, I agree with friends that said it was magical! I hope you will take the time to listen. You might groan with sympathy a few times. You will definitely nod your head yes. You will laugh out loud! You will be inspired.

You can reach out to Holly and Maria in the comments below or you can find them both on Twitter.  Maria Gallardo-Williams: @teachforaliving  &  Holly Walter Kerby: @HWKerby

I hope that I will be able to attend The Mole at other conferences in the future. I can’t wait to hear your stories!

Listen to the Podcasts

Tom Kuntzleman: The Charred Marshmallow Souffle - Tom is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Spring Arbor University in Michigan.

Kristen Drury: Finding Your Niche - Kristen teaches chemistry at William Floyd High School in New York.

Maria Gallardo-Williams: It's Not You, It's Me - Maria is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at North Carolina State University in North Carolina.

Holly Walter Kerby: Mary Ryan is Never Wrong - Holly is the executive director of Fusion Science Theater and Faculty Emeritus, Chemistry and Playwriting at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin.

Zena McFadden: Too Many Lab Rules - Zena teaches chemistry at North Boone High School in Illinois.

Julia Winter: How I Built a 2.5 Million Dollar Business From a High School Classroom - Julia taught chemistry at Country Day High School in Michigan for many years. She is the founder of Alchemie.

Ryan Johnson: The Long and Winding Road to Chemistry Ed - Ryan teaches chemistry at Doherty High School in Colorado.

Lyniesha Wright: They're Just a Little Bit Taller - Lyniesha is a graduate teaching assistant at North Carolina State University in North Carolina.

Diane Bunce: I Hate Cheating - Diane is Professor Emerita Chemistry Education at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

Kristen Drury presented a story titled "Finding Your Niche" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Kristen teaches chemistry at William Floyd High School in New York. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night. 

Julia Winter presented a story titled "How I Built a 2.5 Million Dollar Business From a High School Classroom"during The Mole Storytelling Jamheld as part of BCCE 2018. Julia taught chemistry at Country Day High School in Michigan for many years. She is the founder of Alchemie. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

The Festival of the Spoken Nerd is a trio of comedians who work in comedy clubs in the UK, using material based on science and math. From the routines and jokes developed for their shows, two of the three (nerd singer/musician Helen Arney and physical scientist Steve Mould) have distilled “The Element in the Room” (EitR). Their audience is adults, and part of the book they have produced would not be comfortably presented to children. For example, they freely proclaim that scientists have sex, which is something you wouldn’t want youngsters to know about. They also assume that their readers would be comfortable experimenting with gin and tonic. You can see video of some of their humor and demonstrations of science and math on their Festival of the Spoken Nerd website.

Despite the title, “The Element in the Room” includes only a moderate amount of chemistry. The chemistry they describe appears to be pretty accurate, if somewhat skewed. Most of it is in the chapter, “Element Stuff”. For example, they list the four reasons why mercury is a great working fluid for thermometers and only one why it is not much used anymore (its neurotoxicity). Although it is not original to them, the radiation measure known as the Banana Equivalent Dose is especially appropriate when engaging “environmentalists” who argue that the landscape must be purged of all radiation. A small fraction (about 0.01%) of the potassium atoms in a banana, or in a handful of Brazil nuts, or any other potassium-containing material is the radioactive 40-dalton variety, so banana consumers receive radiation with their lunch. [By the way, the EitR footnote on Brazil nuts is another of those gratuitous adult references that I mentioned above. For radiation levels not far above background, the Banana Equivalent Dose is useful, convenient, and evocative.

The opening chapter, “Body Stuff” is about observations and experiments that you can do with your own body, such as discovering some of the check valves in your veins that keep your blood moving in the right direction and finding out whether you are among the humans whose wrists contain an unnecessary tendon, that is often used in surgery as a spare part. Also in this chapter is a very amusing account of a nerd’s contribution to a natural childbirth. Other chapters, “Food Stuff”, “Brain Stuff”, and “Universe Stuff” deal with food (obviously), psychology and perception, and mathematics and space, respectively. In my opinion, the last chapter, “Future Stuff” is pretty lame, but it must be conceded that the future is the hardest topic for anyone to deal with. Of course, science needs to have an experimental component, and EitR puts some into the “Experiment Stuff” chapter. They suggest that an adult party, rather than a laboratory, might be the best venue for investigating static electricity, flame vortexes, smoke rings, and a randomized test of the effect of caffeine on reaction times. As in the rest of the book, the experiments are done more for fun than for rigor.

Holly Walter Kerby presented a story titled "Mary Ryan is Never Wrong"during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Holly is the executive director of Fusion Science Theater and Faculty Emeritus, Chemistry and Playwriting at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

Zena McFadden presented a story titled "Too Many Lab Rules" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Zena teaches chemistry at North Boone High School in Illinois. Enjoy listening to her story!

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

Lyniesha Wright presented a story titled "They're Just a Little Bit Taller" during The Mole Storytelling Jam held as part of BCCE 2018. Lyniesha is a graduate teaching assistant at North Carolina State University in North Carolina. Enjoy listening to her story.

Read The Mole Storytelling Jam - An Interview with the Creators to learn more about the event. You will also find links to the other stories that were shared that night.

The Human Side of Teaching and Learning

The October 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: research on: AP chemistry reform and writing instruction; novel teaching approaches; demonstrations: safety and effectiveness; augmented reality and technology for teaching; using stories and history to teach; exploring acid-base chemistry; understanding energy; biochemistry in the laboratory; teaching resources; astrochemistry resources for National Chemistry Week 2018.

Cover: Illustrating the Human Side of Teaching and Learning

Those involved in teaching and learning chemistry interact with the science in ways that are unique, as noted in this issue's editorial in which Norbert Pienta discusses Illustrating the Human Side of Teaching and Learning. For example, the cover shows students learning chemistry in a course that uses an approach to encourage student interaction and minimize instructor lecturing. In this integrated learning environment, the space is designed to facilitate interactions between small groups of students with guidance from peer-learning assistants. Students are grouped at tables where they are encouraged to interact within their smaller group as well as with the other groups on activities that emphasize conceptual understanding.

Some articles in this issue showing the human dimension:

From Water to H₂O: Using the Human Dimension of Science To Teach the Nature of Science ~ José Luis Aparicio and María P. Elizalde

Utilizing Snapchat To Facilitate Engagement with and Contextualization of Undergraduate Chemistry ~ Glenn A. Hurst

Journal News

Ellen Yezierski, chair of the Board of Publications, announces that Tom Holme of Iowa State University has been selected as the Ninth Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chemical Education. (ACS has also issued a news release on this announcement.)

Call for Papers: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry

A Special Issue on Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry with guest editors, Peter G. Mahaffy, Edward J. Brush, Julie A. Haack, and Felix M. Ho, has been announced. Deadline for submissions is April 1, 2019. (This was also recently announced on ChemEdX.)

Content in this issue using a green approach:

A Second Look at the Kinetics of the Iron–Oxygen Reaction: Determination of the Total Order Using a Greener Approach ~ A. M. R. P. Bopegedera

Organocatalytic Cyclopropanation of (E)-Dec-2-enal: Synthesis, Spectral Analysis and Mechanistic Understanding ~ Marta Meazza, Agnieszka Kowalczuk, Sarah Watkins, Simon Holland, Thomas A. Logothetis, and Ramon Rios

Research on: AP Chemistry Reform and Writing Instruction

Adapting to the Large-Scale Advanced Placement Chemistry Reform: An Examination of Teachers’ Challenges and Instructional Practices ~ Christian Fischer, Arthur Eisenkraft, Barry Fishman, Nicolas Hübner, and Frances Lawrenz

Writing Instruction in Chemistry Classes: Developing Prompts and Rubrics ~ Kayla Logan and Lee Mountain

Novel Teaching Approaches 

Impact of an Atoms-First Approach on Student Outcomes in a Two-Semester General Chemistry Course ~ George Chitiyo, Darek W. Potter, and Chad E. Rezsnyak

Designing and Teaching a Course about Characterization Techniques for Solid State Materials in an Undergraduate Institution ~ Alexandre H. Pinto

Demonstration: Safety and Effectiveness

Playing with Fire: Chemical Safety Expertise Required ~ Samuella B. Sigmann (available to non-subscribers as part of ACS Editors’ Choice program)

Chemistry Demonstrations and Visual Attention: Does the Setup Matter? Evidence from a Double-Blinded Eye-Tracking Study ~ Andreas Nehring and Sebastian Busch

Augmented Reality and Technology for Teaching

Increasing Enthusiasm and Enhancing Learning for Biochemistry-Laboratory Safety with an Augmented-Reality Program ~ Bolin Zhu, Mi Feng, Hannah Lowe, Jeffrey Kesselman, Lane Harrison, and Robert E. Dempski

Social and Tactile Mixed Reality Increases Student Engagement in Undergraduate Lab Activities ~ Rainier Barrett, Heta A. Gandhi, Anusha Naganathan, Danielle Daniels, Yang Zhang, Chibueze Onwunaka, April Luehmann, and Andrew D. White

Integrating 360° Videos in an Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Course ~ Alvita Ardisara and Fun Man Fung

Using Stories and History to Teach

Biological Impact and Ethical Implications of Pesticide Use: A Short Module for Upper-Division-Undergraduate Biochemistry Courses ~ Lisa M. Ryno and Cheryl Cottine

Incorporating Stories of Sedatives, Spoiled Sweet Clover Hay, and Plants from the Amazon Rainforest into a Pharmaceutical Chemistry Course To Engage Students and Introduce Drug Design Strategies ~ Eneko Larrañeta

Naming the Cycle: On the Etymology of the Citric Acid Cycle Intermediates ~ Peter Polčic

Exploring Acid-Base Chemistry

Buffers in Context: Baby Wipes As a Buffer System ~ Jon-Marc G. Rodriguez, Sarah Hensiek, Jeanne R. Meyer, Cynthia J. Harwood, and Marcy H. Towns

Unimolecular Nucleophilic Substitution (S_N1): Structural Reactivity Evidenced by Colored Acid–Base Indicators ~ Willber D. Castro-Godoy, Juan E. Argüello, Marisa Martinelli, and Daniel A. Caminos

Understanding Energy

How Batteries Store and Release Energy: Explaining Basic Electrochemistry ~ Klaus Schmidt-Rohr (available to non-subscribers as part of the ACS AuthorChoice program)

Electromotive Force versus Electrical Potential Difference: Approaching (but Not Yet at) Equilibrium ~ Leandro da Silva Rodrigues, Jones de Andrade, and Luiz H. S. Gasparotto

Electrochemical Reaction Gibbs Energy: Spontaneity in Electrochemical Cells ~ Tomasz Pacześniak, Katarzyna Rydel-Ciszek, Paweł Chmielarz, Maria Charczuk, and Andrzej Sobkowiak

Comparative Analysis of Fuel Composition and Physical Properties of Biodiesel, Diesel, Kerosene, and Jet Fuel ~ Timm A. Knoerzer, Elise M. Hill, Todd A. Davis, Scott T. Iacono, Jane E. Johnson, and Gary J. Balaich

Biochemistry in the Laboratory

Permanganate Oxidation of DNA Nucleotides: An Introductory Redox Laboratory Framed as a Murder Mystery ~ Stephen M. Testa, John P. Selegue, April French, and Brett Criswell

Synthesis and Evaluation of Artificial DNA Scissors: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Experiment ~ Jan Hormann, Sabine Streller, and Nora Kulak

Genotype and Phenotype of Caffeine Metabolism: A Biochemistry Laboratory Experiment ~ Julie T. Millard, Tenzin Passang, Jiayu Ye, Gabriel M. Kline, Tina M. Beachy, Victoria L. Hepburn, and Edmund J. Klinkerch

Activation of Split RNA Aptamers: Experiments Demonstrating the Enzymatic Synthesis of Short RNAs and Their Assembly As Observed by Fluorescent Response ~ Sameer Sajja, Morgan Chandler, Caryn D. Striplin, and Kirill A. Afonin

Real-Time Visualization of in Vitro Transcription of a Fluorescent RNA Aptamer: An Experiment for the Upper-Division Undergraduate or First-Year Graduate Laboratory ~ Joseph M. Heili, Jose Gomez-Garcia, Nathaniel J. Gaut, Brock W. Cash, Lauren M. Aufdembrink, Brent A. Heffron, Joshua D. Shirley, Erin E. Carlson, Katarzyna P. Adamala, and Aaron E. Engelhart

Investigating the Clough, Lutz, and Jirgensons Rule for the pH Dependence of Optical Rotation of Amino Acids ~ Scott Simpson and Alexandra M. Izydorczak

Teaching Resources

Is a Metal “Ions in a Sea of Delocalized Electrons?” ~ Peter F. Lang

Crime in the Classroom: Conclusions after 27 Years ~ David N. Harpp

Color Space Mathematical Modeling Using Microsoft Excel ~ M. J. Delgado-González, Y. Carmona-Jiménez, M. C. Rodríguez-Dodero, and M. V. García-Moreno

Employing Spreadsheets for Applying Calculus in Upper-Level Chemistry Courses ~ Paul D. Cooper

Correction to “3-D Topo Surface Visualization of Acid–Base Species Distributions: Corner Buttes, Corner Pits, Curving Ridge Crests, and Dilution Plains” ~ Garon C. Smith and Md Mainul Hossain

3! 2! 1! Archives: Chemistry Is Out of This World!

Celebrate National Chemistry Week 2018: Chemistry Is Out of This World! with astrochemistry resources in past issues of the Journal of Chemical Education, such as:

Exploring Astrochemistry

Astrochemistry Examples in the Classroom ~ Reggie L. Hudson

Astronomy Matters for Chemistry Teachers ~ Jay S. Huebner, Robert A. Vergenz, and Terry L. Smith

Experimenting with Sunlight

CD Light: An Introduction to Spectroscopy 

A Simple Photocell To Demonstrate Solar Energy Using Benign Household Ingredients ~ York R. Smith, Eric Crone, and Vaidyanathan (Ravi) Subramanian

Putting UV-Sensitive Beads to the Test ~ Terre Trupp

Investigating Rockets and Space Exploration

Rocket Scientist for a Day: Investigating Alternatives for Chemical Propulsion ~ Marcus Angelin, Martin Rahm, Erik Gabrielsson, and Lena Gumaelius

Improvements to the Whoosh Bottle Rocket Car Demonstration ~ Dean J. Campbell, Felicia A. Staiger, and Chaitanya N. Jujjavarapu

Teaching Chemistry Using October Sky ~ James G. Goll, Lindsay J. Wilkinson, and Dolores M. Snell

Carbon Dioxide Absorbers: An Engaging Experiment for the General Chemistry Laboratory ~ Thomas M. Ticich

Using NASA and the Space Program To Help High School and College Students Learn Chemistry. Part I. The Shuttle and Our Living Earth ~ Paul B. Kelter, William E. Snyder, and Constance S. Buchar

Using NASA and the Space Program To Help High School and College Students Learn Chemistry. Part II. The Current State of Chemistry in the Space Program ~ Paul B. Kelter, William E. Snyder, and Constance S. Buchar

The Apollo Missions and the Chemistry of the Moon ~ Richard A. Pacer and William D. Ehmann

Teaching Chemistry Using the Movie Apollo 13 ~ James G. Goll and B. J. Woods

Teaching Chemistry Using From the Earth to the Moon ~ James G. Goll and Stacie L. Mundinger

Examining the Chemistry of Planets, Stars, and Space

Chemistry in Planetology ~ Robert E. Mueller

The Chemistry of Planetary Atmospheres ~ W. T. Huntress Jr.

Demonstrations of Magnetism and Oxidation by Combustion of Iron Supplement Tablets ~ Max J. Palmer, Keri A. Martinez, Mayuresh G. Gadgil, and Dean J. Campbell

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Qualitative Analysis of Metals in Simulated Martian Soils ~ Curtis Mowry, Rob Milofsky, William Collins, and Adam S. Pimentel

A Nonradioactive Simulation of the Viking Mission Labeled-Release Experiment: A Search for Evidence of Life ~ Lydia Galagovsky, Santiago Kocmur, Guillermo J. Visbeek, Liliana Haim, and Eduardo Cortón

Periodic Tables of Elemental Abundance ~ Steven I. Dutch

Before There Was Chemistry: The Origin of the Elements as an Introduction to Chemistry ~ Neil Glickstein

Stellar Alchemy: The Origin of the Chemical Elements ~ Eric B. Norman 

Cometary Spectroscopy for Advanced Undergraduates ~ Osman Sorkhabi, William M. Jackson, and Iraj Daizadeh

The Discovery of the Chemistry among the Stars ~ Arturo Arnau, Iñaki Tuñón, and Estanislao Silla

Content in the Journal of Chemical Education Is Always Out of This World

With 95 volumes of the Journal of Chemical Education, you will always find something to help your chemistry experiences, including the articles mentioned above, and many more, in the Journal of Chemical Education. Articles that are edited and published online ahead of print (ASAP—As Soon As Publishable) are also available.

Do you have something to share? Write it up for the Journal! For some advice on becoming an author, it’s always very helpful to read Erica Jacobsen’s Commentary. In addition, numerous author resources are available on JCE’s ACS Web site, including Author Guidelines and Document Templates. In addition, ACS has recently created the ACS Publishing Center, which has resources for preparing and reviewing mansucript for ACS journals.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) will be accepting applications for the 2018-2019 ACS-Hach Professional Development Grant starting October 15.

The grant supports high school chemistry teachers as they identify and pursue opportunities that can advance their professional development and enhance the teaching and learning of chemistry in the classroom. 

Teachers can request up to $1,500 to fund their professional development needs such as: 

• Conference or workshop registration fees·
• Travel expenses
• Tuition and educational expenses for new/upcoming courses
• Books and online instructional resources
• Substitute teacher pay

Find out more about the process and the deadline for submission on the ACS website.

The story of the Radium Girls starts right after WWI. At first, the job of painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials seems like a dream come true for the young women working at the United States Radium Corporation in New Jersey. Light work and good hours, and the camaraderie of a group of fun and carefree girls makes the time pass quickly as they dip their paintbrushes in radium paint and shape them into sharp points with their mouths so they can complete the tiny numbers on the watch dials. They get to work with radium, the famous new element, and sometimes they even glow in the dark themselves! However, their gaiety is short lived and soon one after another the dial painters start to become sick and to exhibit a range of unusual symptoms that baffle the local medical practitioners. As it turns out, USRC in New Jersey is not the only place where this is happening. A similar story would unfold at Radiant Dial in Illinois.

Kate Moore does an exceptional job weaving together the two parallel stories. In both sites the health of some of the dial workers deteriorates. Many of them lose their teeth and their dentists have no remedies to offer. Cancers and other ailments plague many of the girls. Lack of communication and purposeful cover-ups orchestrated by the watch dial companies makes it hard for the information about the individual cases to coalesce. Sometimes it feels like it will never happen, but then unlikely heroes come into their lives to help organize the many stories. The book vividly brings home to the reader not just the history of these women and their battles against corrupt companies, misinformed and sometimes misogynist doctors, and crooked lawyers, but also the rise of workplace regulations in the United States. Against impossible odds some of the dial painters sued the companies for compensation and in the process gave all other workers in the country the right to do it as well.

Radium Girls is one of those books that can’t be put down. It challenges us with imagery so vivid that sometimes you just want to look away, but you are so invested in the lives of the girls that you persevere to the end. It is tragic and strong but also hopeful and tender. It reminds all of us why our current chemical exposure regulations in the workplace are a precious right that required the efforts of many, and the lives of a few. And it also makes us wonder what would have happened if the watch dial painters had been men. Would they have been heard by their doctors and respected by their employers? Would they have been able to attract the attention of the press or secure legal representation? Maybe the story would have had a different ending for them.