Journal of Chemical Education April 2021 Issue
The April 2021 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: environmental chemistry; curriculum innovation; redesigning courses; representation in chemistry textbooks; public understanding of chemistry; teaching with models; visual and aural demonstrations; teaching chemistry with inks and pigments; examining the chemistry of beer; synthesis in the laboratory; improving student understanding of analysis; instrumentation; chemistry education research; from the archives: resources for celebrating Earth Week 2021.
Cover: Chemistry and Geology of Alkaline Surface Lake Waters
Soap Lake, in the Lower Grand Coulee of Washington State, is one of five alkaline lakes sampled by general chemistry students in a project-based laboratory. The white residue resembling soap suds, shown in the photographs of Soap Lake on the cover, is calcium carbonate. A. M. R. P. Bopegedera and Christopher L. Coughenour, a chemist–geologist teaching team, developed an interdisciplinary investigation of lake geochemistry, as described in An Interdisciplinary, Project-Based Inquiry into the Chemistry and Geology of Alkaline Surface Lake Waters in the General Chemistry Laboratory. Following a multi-day field trip, students determined alkalinity, dissolved solids, calcium, and magnesium ion contents in surface waters. Progressive alkalinity increases were interpreted via observation of the "closed" system bearing little surface flow between lakes. Lake water is partially evaporated and fluxed underground to down-gradient lakes through basalts containing calcium and magnesium. Through foundational solution chemistry concepts, students developed an understanding of lake water trends and broader geologic processes.
Other environmental content in this issue includes:
Cleaning Our World through Green Chemistry: Introducing High School Students to the Principles of Green Chemistry Using a Case-Based Learning Module ~ Joy Ballard and Suazette Reid Mooring
Increasing Awareness of Materials and the Environment: Hands-On Outreach Activity Presenting Water Purification Materials and Concepts ~ Enrica Luzzi, Veronica Ambrogi, Giovanni Filippone, Barbara Liguori, Martina Salzano de Luna, and Paolo Aprea (Available open access without a subscription.)
Examining Particle Size of Inorganic Active Ingredients within Sunscreens Using Dynamic Light Scattering ~ Rosalynn Quiñones, Sara Moreno, Deben Shoup, Mieke Klein, Tamara D. Westfall, and Aakriti Damai
An Undergraduate Experiment to Investigate Air Pollutants Created from Lightning ~ Eugene P. Wagner and Bridget E. Murray
Phytochemical Analysis and Determination of the Chemical Composition of Larvicidal Extracts of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Waste: An Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment ~ Danielle R. Lucas, Thaiany S. C. Bressiani, Anne C. C. Gomes, Ingrid M. Hayashide, Naomi K. Simas, Maria F. F. Lelis, Ricardo M. Kuster, and Paulo R. G. Moura
Stimulating Students’ Learning in Analytical Chemistry through an Environmental-Based CURE Project ~ Grace W. Muna
Editorial
In the editorial Integrating Sustainability into Learning in Chemistry, guest authors Jane Wissinger, Aurelia Visa, Bipul Saha, Stephen Matlin, Peter Mahaffy, Klaus Kümmerer, and Sarah Cornell reflect on the extent to which we integrate sustainability into chemistry education. (Available open access without a subscription.)
Curriculum Innovation
The American Chemical Society General Chemistry Performance Expectations Project: From Task Force to Distributed Process for Implementing Multidimensional Learning ~ Samuel Pazicni, Donald J. Wink, Ashley Donovan, John A. Conrad, Joshua P. Darr, Rachel A. Morgan Theall, Dana L. Richter-Egger, Adrian Villalta-Cerdas, and Deborah Rush Walker
Potential for Chemistry in Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Transdisciplinary Teaching Activities in Higher Education ~ John G. Hardy, Stephanie Sdepanian, Alison F. Stowell, Amal D. Aljohani, Michael J. Allen, Ayaz Anwar, Dik Barton, John V. Baum, David Bird, Adam Blaney, Liz Brewster, David Cheneler, Olga Efremova, Michael Entwistle, Reza N. Esfahani, Melike Firlak, Alex Foito, Leandro Forciniti, Sydney A. Geissler, Feng Guo, Rania M. Hathout, Richard Jiang, Punarja Kevin, David Leese, Wan Li Low, Sarah Mayes, Masoud Mozafari, Samuel T. Murphy, Hieu Nguyen, Chifundo N. M. Ntola, George Okafo, Adam Partington, Thomas A. K. Prescott, Stephen P. Price, Sherif Soliman, Papri Sutar, David Townsend, Patrick Trotter, and Karen L. Wright
Scholarship-Based Undergraduate Laboratory Courses Modeled on a Graduate School Research Rotation ~ Geoffrey M. Bowers, Randolph K. Larsen, and Kelly Y. Neiles
Implementing Curriculum and Program Changes at a Chinese University to Foster Excellent Chemistry Teachers for Rural Middle Schools ~ Longfei Cai, Minghua Zhong, Zankai Yan, Junsheng Huang, Huiying Zhang, Manbin Lin, Heyun Lai, Hui Pan, Dongxian Ke, and Nailin Ren
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Scientific Modeling Course on Concentration Cells ~ Yizhou Ling, Pengwen Chen, Jingying Wang, Kai Chen, and Hongyan Ren
Redesigning Courses
Virtual versus In-Person Presentation as a Project Deliverable Differentially Impacts Student Engaged-Learning Outcomes in a Chemical Engineering Core Course ~ Andrew J. Zak, Luke F. Bugada, Xiao Yin Ma, and Fei Wen
How to Design Experiential Learning Resources for Independent Learning ~ Pavan Inguva, Parth Shah, Umang Shah, and Clemens Brechtelsbauer
In-Class Student Questions and Take-Home Projects for Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics ~ Xiao Dong
Redesigning a “Writing for Chemists” Course Using Specifications Grading ~ Kate J. McKnelly, Michael A. Morris, and Stephen A. Mang
Representation in Chemistry Textbooks
College Chemistry Textbooks Fail on Gender Representation ~ Mona L. Becker and Melanie R. Nilsson
Public Understanding of Chemistry
The Life and Career of James Andrew Harris: Let’s Ask More of History ~ Kristen Frederick-Frost
From Nantwich to Oxygen: Public Engagement in Chemistry at a Local History Museum ~ Helen Cooke, Heidi L. Dobbs, Katherine Haxton, Fabio Parmeggiani, and Glynn Skerratt
Chemistry in the Public Library: A Long-Standing, Valuable Community Partnership ~ A. M. R. P. Bopegedera
Chemistry in Our Community: Strategies and Logistics Implemented to Provide Hands-On Activities to K–12 Students, Teachers, and Families ~ José L. Godínez Castellanos, Aliz León, Christopher L. Reed, Jonathan Y. Lo, Patricia Ayson, Joseph Garfield, Michelle Alva, Miriam Ureño Moreno, Michael D. Drake, Michele Gordon, Shane Phillips, and Elvin A. Alemán
Service Learning Opportunity for Undergraduate Science Students: Integrating Problem-Based Learning in the High School Science Curriculum ~ David Armstrong, Barbara Murck, and Judith C. Poë
Chemical Anthropomorphism: Acting Out General Chemistry Concepts in Social Media Videos Facilitates Student-Centered Learning and Public Engagement ~ Matthew O. Hight, Nhien Q. Nguyen, and Timothy A. Su
Utilizing Unexpected Results in Water Electrolysis to Engage Students in Scientific Inquiry ~ Kihyang Kim and Seoung-Hey Paik
Teaching with Models
Crafting Molecular Geometries: Implications of Neuro-Pedagogy for Teaching Chemical Content ~ Debora Marchak, Inna Shvarts-Serebro, and Ron Blonder (Available open access without a subscription.)
Tactile Models for the Visualization, Conceptualization, and Review of Intermolecular Forces in the College Chemistry Classroom ~ Deborah C. Bromfield Lee and Grace A. Beggs (Available open access without a subscription.)
Computational Chemistry Activities with Avogadro and ORCA ~ Henry David Snyder and Tugba G. Kucukkal
Facile Method for Constructing Lewis (Electron Dot) Structures ~ Owen J. Curnow
Visual and Aural Demonstrations
Photoacoustic Demonstration: Making Music with Light ~ Rachel E. Peters and Han Jung Park
Colloidal Tornadoes in a Vial under Gravitational Sedimentation ~ Jianrui Zhang, Markus Antonietti, and Baris Kumru (Available open access without a subscription.)
Teaching Chemistry with Inks and Pigments
Chemistry through Tattoo Inks: A Multilevel Approach to a Practice on the Rise for Eliciting Interest in Chemical Education ~ Domenica Tommasa Donia, Emanuele Vincenzo Scibetta, Pietro Tagliatesta, and Marilena Carbone (Available open access without a subscription.)
Preparation and Characterization of Japanese Ink-Inspired Aqueous Dispersions of Carbon Materials with the Help of Glue as Colloid Chemistry Teaching Aid ~ Kaito Ishido, Kazuki Nakamura, Koki Taniyama, Kento Fujita, Kazuya Nakatani, Yuri Nakagawa, and Junpei Hayakawa
The Hunt for Maya Purple: Revisiting Ancient Pigments Syntheses and Properties ~ Jean-Yves Winum, Laurent Bernaud, and Jean-Sébastien Filhol
Examining the Chemistry of Beer
Analysis of Ethanol in Beer Using Gas Chromatography: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Calibration Methods ~ Rebecca A. Hunter
Malting in the Lab and at Home: The Forgotten Step on the Path to Beer ~ Kevin J. Cash
Synthesis in the Laboratory
Bis-4-hydroxycoumarin Synthesis: A Simple Laboratory Experiment for Undergraduate Students ~ Anamika Khaskel and Pranjit Barman
“Reprocessable Thermosets”: Synthesis and Characterization of Vitrimer in the Undergraduate Lab Course ~ Qiaomei Chen, Yang Yang, Ying Yu, and Huaping Xu
Improving Student Understanding of Analysis
Hands-On Model of the Principle of Isotope Dilution Analysis for Use in an Interactive Teaching and Learning Classroom Exercise ~ Stellan Holgersson (Available open access without a subscription.)
Incorporating Benchtop NMR Spectrometers in the Undergraduate Lab: Understanding Resolution and Circumventing Second-Order Effects ~ Juan F. Araneda, Thaís Mendonça Barbosa, Paul Hui, Matthew C. Leclerc, Jonathan Ma, Alexander F. G. Maier, and Susanne D. Riegel
Sweetness of Aspartame: Introducing Key Statistical Concepts in an Upper Division Bioanalytical Laboratory Project ~ J. Charles Williamson and Todd P. Silverstein
Revamping a Classic Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Experiment to Improve Student Understanding of Chemical Analysis, Method Development, Validation, and Statistics ~ Talia Marie Sebastian, Ke Qu, and Xiangqun Zeng
Instrumentation
Facilitating Student–Instructor and Student–Student Interaction During Remote Learning Using a 3D Printed Mirror Mount ~ Karen E. Stevens, Richard E. Stevens, and Ryan L. Grady (Available open access without a subscription.)
Multifunctional Webcam Spectrophotometer for Performing Analytical Determination and Measurements of Emission, Absorption, and Fluorescence Spectra ~ Wenderson R. F. Silva, Willian T. Suarez, César Reis, Vagner B. dos Santos, Felipe Andrade Carvalho, Efraim L. Reis, and Fernando C. Vicentini (Available open access without a subscription.)
Evaluation of Augmented Reality Application Usage and Measuring Students’ Attitudes toward Instrumentation ~ Jiwoo An and Thomas A. Holme
Chemistry Education Research
Investigating How Assessment Design Guides High School Chemistry Teachers’ Interpretation of Student Responses to a Planned, Formative Assessment ~ Adam G. L. Schafer and Ellen J. Yezierski
Measuring Changes in Undergraduate Chemistry Students’ Reasoning with Reaction Coordinate Diagrams: A Longitudinal, Multi-institution Study ~ Molly B. Atkinson and Stacey Lowery Bretz
Getting Students Back on Track: Persistent Effects of Flipping Accelerated Organic Chemistry on Student Achievement, Study Strategies, and Perceptions of Instruction ~ Lynn C. Reimer, Kameryn Denaro, Wenliang He, and Renée D. Link
Chemical Security
The July 2020 issue featured a special section on Chemical Security. One article from that issue is discussed further in:
Comment on “Nomenclature, Chemical Abstracts Service Numbers, Isomer Enumeration, Ring Strain, and Stereochemistry: What Does Any of This Have to Do with an International Chemical Disarmament and Nonproliferation Treaty?” ~ Christoph Rücker, Markus Meringer, and Alfred Wassermann
Reply to “Comment on ‘Nomenclature, Chemical Abstracts Service Numbers, Isomer Enumeration, Ring Strain, and Stereochemistry: What Does Any of This Have to Do with an International Chemical Disarmament and Nonproliferation Treaty?’” ~ Christopher M. Timperley and Jonathan E. Forman
From the Archives: Resources for Celebrating Earth Week 2021
Chemists Celebrate Earth Week for 2021 (April 18–24) features the theme "Reducing Our Footprint with Chemistry." A list of articles, activities, and experiments from issues of the Journal of Chemical Education that can can help bring ideas to students on understanding our environmental impact and creating a sustainable future is available on ACS Axial.
JCE's Footprint Has a Big Impact
Even in these times of disruption, there are always ideas for teaching and learning chemistry available in the Journal of Chemical Education—including the April 2021 issue described above. Articles that are edited and published online ahead of print (ASAP—As Soon As Publishable) are also available. (For more information on how to access the articles cited above, see Deanna Cullen’s post on Accessing Cited Articles.)
Do you have something to share? Write it up for the Journal! In particular, consider submitting to the special issue of JCE on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect in Chemistry Education Research and Practice (deadline has been extended to April 30, 2021). Additional information about this special issue is available in the March 2021 issue.
Erica Jacobsen’s Commentary continues to provide excellent advice about becoming an author. In addition, numerous author resources are available on JCE’s ACS website, including the revised Author Guidelines and Document Templates. The ACS Publishing Center also has resources for preparing and reviewing manuscripts for ACS journals.