Ask A Scientist Chemistry Archive

From:       dana mafit
Text:       I teach mostly physical science in middle school.  We do quite a 
bit of chemistry-more than two 12 week terms of straight chemistry.  I am 
facing/having 33 students per class next year due to the state crisis on 
school funding.  I believe students at this age learn by DOING not by 
listening, watching, reading.  Can you offer me any suggestions to continue 
doing chemistry with this age group under altered conditions like this? 

Response #:  1 of 2
Author:      Robert Topper
Text:        Gee dana, you sound just like the kind of science teacher I would 
have loved to have had.  I wish I had some good suggestions for you, but I 
have really only worked with college students, or with high school students 
one-on-one.  I agree with you about learning by doing; in fact, I firmly 
believe that this is how students learn at ANY age.  You have just got to find 
experiments they can do without close, one-on-one supervision and involving 
safe materials.  Perhaps these "kitchen chemistry" notes will be helpful, 
if/when we finally get them done.  Any suggestions out there?



Response #:  2 of 2
Author:      wiz kid
Text:        I agree with Dr. Topper ... your the kind of teacher we all 
wished we had!  And I agree, too, that some "kitchen chemistry" experiments 
will grab their interest and attention.  I think if you can find projects 
which will relate to the kid's lives, they will be much more interested ... 
maybe things they can even do at home and show their family and friends.  
There were some great suggestions how to use a balloon and differences in 
temperature to demonstrate how gases expand and contract in hot and cold 
temperatures in the "Teacher Exchange" section on Newton ... check it out!  
Another idea, if you can manage to do it ... video tape some scenes of 
MacGyver when he is improvising.  There are many neat tricks he does,which 
although dramatized, are based in sound physical and chemical principles.  
(And then there are things he does which are quite impossible, too! but that 
is Hollywood!)  The idea is to show the kids what he does, then explain why or 
why not it happened.