CHM 594 Modeling Instruction in High School Chemistry

June 13 - July 1, 2005

Instructor: Larry Dukerich (ldukerich@mac.com)

Co-leader: Brenda Royce (brendar@csufresno.edu)

Description: The workshop focuses on key concepts in high school chemistry from a model-centered perspective.

Prerequisites: In-service teacher of chemistry or physics, or instructor approval. CHM 480, PHY 480 (PHS 530) or instructor approval.

Course Objectives: The emphasis is on plans and techniques for helping students to learn concepts in chemistry from the perspective of systematically developed particle models for matter. Instructional strategies include a coherent approach to the role of energy in phase change and chemical change.

Grading:

Each student is expected to spend 45 hours per semester hour.

Letter grade vs. satisfactory-fail: satisfactory grades may not transfer.

A-B-C grades: B means average; a 3.0 GPA is minimum requirement for MNS and other graduate degrees.

Incomplete: only for special circumstances.

Attendance: Grades are based on attendance, journal, and participation.

Journal: a daily log book or notebook of problems solved, labs done, reflections on classroom activities and assigned readings; journals will be evaluated periodically.

Course Content (Major topics in bold. Suggested topics below each major topic.)

I Particulate structure of matter

Macroscopic vs microscopic descriptions. Compounds, elements and mixtures.

Explanation of (observed) macroscopic properties with microscopic models.

Systematic explanation of details with models of increasing complexity .

Macroscopic evidence for microscopic structure (ionic vs molecular substances).

II Energy and Kinetic Molecular Theory

Visualizable models (macroscopic analogs) for solids, liquids and gases.

Energy storage modes and transfer mechanisms.

Interaction energy and phase change.

Distinction between heat and temperature.

III Stoichiometry

The mole concept – relating how much to how many.

Using equations to represent chemical change.

Non-algorithmic approaches to chemical calculations.

IV. Energy and chemical change

Long-range attractions vs chemical bonds.

Chemical potential energy and ∆H.

Activation energy and rates of chemical reactions.

V Molecular models

Diagrammatic representations of molecular structure.

3D models of molecular shapes.

Macroscopic behavior based on molecular structure.

Suggested resources and readings before the course starts:

Before the workshop begins, please download and study these 2 articles at <http://modeling.asu.edu>. Click on “Research and evaluation” or “Modeling Instruction in High School Physics”.

A Modeling Method for high school physics instruction, Malcolm Wells, David Hestenes, Gregg Swackhamer, Am J Physics 63 (7), July 1995

Modeling Methodology for Physics Teachers, David Hestenes, Proceedings of the International Conference on Undergraduate Physics Education (College Park, August 1996)

Try to find and bring any of the CHEM-Study high school curricula (dating from the 1960's), e.g.

Chemistry; J Dudley Herron, David Frank, et al, D.C. Heath 1993 ISBN 0-669-20367-X

Chemistry: Experimental Foundations (3rd ed). Robert W. Parry, Herb Bassow, Phyliss Merrill, and Robert L. Tellefsen. Prentice Hall, 1982. ISBN 0-13-129254-4.