implementation of organic chemistry in the high school ... · • functional groups •...
TRANSCRIPT
Implementation of organic chemistry in the high school curriculum
Daniel S. Meyers, M.S., M.A.T. Chemistry Teacher
Portage Central High School, Portage, MI
Outline
• Background • Cardinal Ritter High School, Indianapolis, IN • Portage Central High School, Portage, MI • Summary
Student Perceptions
Student Perceptions
• Organic is difficult, challenging, and competitive
• “Weed out” course for pre-professional programs
• Not easily mastered • Thinking and learning processes generally
unknown to undergraduate chemistry students; requires thinking different from general chemistry
Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2008, 9, 93-101
High School Organic Chemistry: Why Not!?
• What purpose does this allow? • Start students early, expose to organic sooner,
develop unique thinking skills earlier to permit future success.
• An objective of secondary science education • Prepare students for collegiate studies, not only
in content but with appropriate study skills as well
• Develop scientifically literate citizens
J. Chem. Educ., 2012, 89, 850-853 Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2008, 9, 157-162
High School Organic Chemistry: Why Not!?
Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2012, 13, 201-208
“Organic chemistry is a rich, vibrant discipline and given its
central importance to science, it is imperative that students develop
a sound, conceptual understanding of the subject”
(Grove 2012).
High School Organic Chemistry: Why Not!?
Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2008, 9, 157-162
“Modern organic chemistry is a rich, vibrant, and diverse field
situated at the heart of the global economy” (Grove 2008).
Central Indiana High Schools
Focus on Indy
Aims at Cardinal Ritter High School
Year-long course for 11th and 12th grade
students – advanced science elective
Prerequisites: B in Honors Chemistry or B- in AP Chemistry
Mimic CHEM-C341 course at Indiana
University.
Utilize networking from IU, GVSU (alma
mater), and later IUPUI to design
curriculum.
Aims at Cardinal Ritter High School
Promote rigorous course requiring
students to write, draw, and think.
Assess with short-answer based
problems rather than MC questions.
Build a culture that requires students to learn and think
rather than regurgitate information
J. Chem. Educ., 2012, 89, 850-853 Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2012, 13, 201-208
Aims at Cardinal Ritter High School
• Course emphasis placed on • Structure • Functional groups • Nomenclature • Acids and bases • Conformational analysis and stereochemistry • Important classes of organic reactions
• Alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, substitution, elimination • Synthesis • Spectroscopy*
* Not achieved
Aims at Cardinal Ritter High School
Labs at Cardinal Ritter High School
• LABS!!! – more of them, more often • Block schedule = slow pace (2 or 3 classes/week) • Very few undergraduate labs correspond to 1st
semester content • Unable to order lab materials through private
donor until 2nd semester
Labs at Cardinal Ritter High School
• Used Flinn’s Vial Organic Lab series (cis-trans isomerization, oxidation of benzaldehyde, tie-dye, esterification)
Portage Central High School
Lab Concerns at Cardinal Ritter High School
Portage Central High School
Lab Concerns at Cardinal Ritter High School
• Chemistry 3 – Organic Chemistry is a one semester course
• Offered to 10th-12th grade students who have had Chemistry 1 and 2 or Honors Chemistry 1 and 2
• Elective course; not required for graduation • Course format depends on instructor • IB Chemistry students have 10-week organic
chemistry component which is more intensive
Aims at Portage Central High School
Aims at Portage Central High School
Course emphasis placed on: • Structure
• Lewis Dot Structures • Orbitals • Bonding • Drawing structures • Resonance
• Functional groups • Nomenclature • Stereochemistry
Labs at Portage Central High School
• Myriad of equipment available allows for technique-based experiments
• Experiments include: • Melting point (2 days) • Recrystallization of N-phenylacetamide (3 days) –
vacuum filtration and melting point • Aspirin synthesis (3 days) • Ethanal/acetone (2 days) – Ag Mirror and Benedict’s
Test • Distillation (2 days) – Essential Oils
Labs at Portage Central High School
Labs at Portage Central High School
Summary
• Why? – Helps build critical thinking and problem solving skills
earlier; builds confidence in a “tough, weed out” type course
• How? – Depends on instructor; focus on structure and basics or
dive into broad scope of reactions – Labs can encompass techniques and reactions
• Improvements? – Will depend on future class sections and scope of
students’ abilities – Introduction to orbitals, bonding, and resonance still
beneficial – Labs need to be maximized as much as possible to meet
desires of the administration
College/University Professors
• Be available and willing to assist high school teachers who may seek you out for resources
• Resources include: – Advice – Syllabi – Worksheets – Old tests/exams – Links to helpful websites including your course
website, if available
Contact
Dan Meyers • Chemistry Teacher • Portage Central High School • [email protected] • dmeyers.site.portageps.org • @MeyersChemistry