Fall 2007 CONFCHEM

Papers

P1. Chemistry in the Natural Sciences

by Peter Koehler and David Pratt, Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh

This paper will describe the role that chemistry plays in the two-term integrated science course “Science of Everyday Life” that is being taught at the University of Pittsburgh. The principal goals of this course are to engage students in thinking about the natural world that surrounds them, and to encourage them to develop an understanding of the fundamental scientific principles that govern its behavior, as well as to appreciate the “beauty of all things”. The principal topics discussed in the first term include the laws of motion, work, and energy; the molecular world, including the kinetic theory of gases and degrees of freedom; sources of energy, renewable and non-renewable, and energy transfer; electricity and magnetism; atomic theory, the chemical bond; intermolecular forces; materials (including an introduction to organic chemistry); radioactivity; and the sub-atomic world. The course continues in the second term with discussions of astronomy, geology and planetary science, energy and the environment, and biology. All topics are taught from a conceptual point of view, though quantitative ideas (orders of magnitude, statistics, etc.) are introduced when necessary. Knowledge of the simple physical and chemical ideas discussed early in the course gives the students a basis for understanding the more complex topics discussed later in the course. Most instructors in the course attend all lectures, making it possible to reinforce connections between “old” topics and “new” ones as they are introduced.

P2. Integrating Computational Chemistry (Molecular Modeling) into the General Chemistry Curriculum

by Robert Gotwals, The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Computational science is considered by many scientists to be the fourth leg of how modern science is done, joining observational, experimental, and theoretical science.  Computational chemistry (also known as molecular modeling) is one of the most important application areas for the computational sciences.  In North Carolina, we have built a statewide resource to provide pre-college students and teachers with access to research-grade computational chemistry resources.  We have also developed several complete courses (Intro to Computational Chemistry and Research in Computational Chemistry), and have written a textbook specifically for high school teachers and students.  Recently we have partnered with the Global Grid Exchange to provide computing resources to a national audience.  In this paper we will describe these efforts and how they can be utilized by other educators.

P3. The Natural Science of the Caribbean

by Jennifer Spillman, University of the Virgin Islands

“SCI 100: The Natural Science of the Caribbean” is a one-semester, 3-credit general education science course taken by all freshmen at the University of the Virgin Islands for the past 10 years.  This team-taught course focuses on four natural phenomena that potentially affect our island community:  hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.  It should be noted that the intent of this course is not to present the natural world solely as viewed through the eyes of a chemist, but designed to incorporate many disciplines simultaneously (i.e. biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, physics) and to highlight the contribution of each field to our current understanding of natural processes and relationships.  Specific examples illustrating the role of chemical principles in natural processes include: energy transport via convection, the role of latent heat in hurricane development, crystal size in lava as a function of cooling rate, the detection of calcium carbonate in local rock samples, mineral composition of mafic vs. felsic lava, wave properties and propagation, and density as a function of temperature and salinity of our oceans.  Our intent is for students to complete this course with a better understanding of and a greater appreciation for the natural world around them, thus ultimately developing a more informed citizenry.

P4. Engaging Liberal Arts Students Beyond Introductory Chemistry: A New Course in Nanotechnology

by Lon Porter, Wabash College

Just as genetic engineering and forensics before it, nanotechnology is quickly gaining the attention of the general public through media outlets and recent works of fiction.  Since the mid-late 1980's, the notion of nanotechnology has escaped laboratories and disseminated into popular works of science fiction.  Refer to a newspaper, surf the internet, or look to recent sci-fi books and movies, because nanotechnology appears to be increasingly prevalent in the popular culture.  Much of the driving force for building and studying tiny devices and features on the nanoscale is their importance for existing and emerging technologies such as microelectronics, electromechanical systems, sensors, molecular computing, and a myriad of other applications.  In response, we have designed a course, open to undergraduate students that have completed at least one semester of chemistry, which focuses on the basic science behind the science fiction and the hype. Nanotechnology provides an excellent way of learning to look at the opportunities that arise when various fields of science intermingle.  We utilize this as an occasion for applying the fundamentals we learn in our subdisciplinary courses to applications and problems with a broader scope.  The course revisits the origins of the field and spotlights current advances.  Utilization of a central text is supplemented by the use of the primary chemical literature as well as selected works of quality science fiction.  Writing, critical reading, discussion/debate, and oral presentation skills are also emphasized.  Furthermore, students consider the social, political, economical, environmental, and ethical ramifications of a “nanotech revolution.”  In addition to lecture and discussion, students participate in laboratory exercises and a major writing assignment.

P5. Offering Introductory Chemistry in a Learning Community versus a Stand-alone Course: Gains, Losses and Extras

by Rachel Wang and Adriana Bishop, Spokane Falls Community College

At Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC), up to 350 students enroll in Chem. 100 (Survey of chemistry) each year for various reasons. As a college-level, fully transferrable laboratory science course, Chem. 100 satisfies a degree requirement of the Associates of Arts and several vocational-technical programs. It also prepares students for more advanced chemistry courses. In the past five years, students at SFCC are offered an option to take Chem. 100 in conjunction with English Composition 101 (or 201, for those with more advanced writing skills) in a learning community (LC). This LC enrolls up to 45 students per section; they attend classes together, led by one instructor from each discipline, working collaboratively. The LC integrates traditional course contents in both chemistry and English composition, with an added emphasis on personal and civil responsibilities to the environment.  This report compares the chemistry portion of five LC sections versus traditional stand-alone Chem. 100 sections offered during the same five-year period. Aspects compared include: course format, student profiles and completion rate, assessment strategies, curriculum issues, administrative / instructor issues, and some unexpected extras.

P6. Teaching Chemistry and General Science in Cultural Context with a Travel-abroad Component

by Vladimir Garkov, Mary Baldwin College

A course called “Science in Cultural Context” has been a great success with our students as evidenced by their quite positive evaluations. It was offered three times over the last five years to groups of 3 to 5 non-science majors who took it to fulfill a general education requirement at Mary Baldwin College . This course integrates the fundamental concepts of science and chemistry in particular with the humanistic aspects of science, i.e. its history, geography and philosophy. Using a variety of text sources and classroom discussions, students are introduced to the main historical stages of development of the scientific way of thinking, including the relationship between science and religion – the ideas of Descartes, Bacon, Popper, Kuhn, Cromer and others. This historical framework is integrated with the study of the laws of nature, the structure of the atom, the elements and the periodic table, and the formation of molecules and matter. Next, the physical and cultural geographies of science are covered by focusing on “Yali's question”: Why did the Europeans have so much cargo? The final component of the course is a travel experience in Europe where students have the opportunity to explore the places where science was born (Greece and Italy), or to visit museums, industrial sites, and universities in cities like Vienna, Prague, Munich, and Paris, or in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The first, pre-travel part of the course may be conducted either at the home campus or on the campus of the American University in Bulgaria, located in the town of Blagoevgrad.