[fidelia]

Hello! I've been looking here on this forum for informations, but I haven't found...I have a paper to write about chemistry experiments in school, why are they necessary in teaching chemistry...so, I need some e-books about it, free if it is possible, because I don't live in USA, and I do not have opportunity to bay them from Amazon...or any internet sites that I could find informations about it. There are so many sites and I can not look at them all, so any suggestion is necessary. Thank you!

[Astrokel]

Learning chemistry without any experiments is like learning the theoretical framework of the subject. The real world which is based on chemistry experiments and on its investigations may not necessary agree upon the theoretical thoughts. When disagreement arises, people will start to ponder why it isnt so? and this leads to further discovery, otherwise chemistry will be rather stagnant. I think chemistry experiments allow observation which is pretty important in the area of science.

this is just my two cents' worth

[fidelia]

I agree completely with you. Now, I'm doing an investigation about experiments in schools, the problem is that our schools do not have much possibilities to do experiments, the laboratories are destroyed, we do not have equipment...But I wonder, is it enough to teach only the facts, or to learn only the facts, is that chemistry at all? And how can students memorize all those facts without seeing them? I think that kind of learning chemistry is not only boring, but difficult. So, my question is, where can I find literature about experiments in schools, so I can put it in my paper along with results of my investigation?

[Astrokel]

But I wonder, is it enough to teach only the facts, or to learn only the facts, is that chemistry at all?

To be honest with you, chemistry experiments weight 20% of my entire chemistry papers. However, because it is a school-based set experiments, so teachers would give us hint before actually it is tested. Well, HINTS by teachers, you get it? So the night before the test, we would memorize the hints and just write it out during the actual test therefore our 20% is secured. If you were to ask me if i have learn anything from chemistry experiments, practically is zero.

And how can students memorize all those facts without seeing them? I think that kind of learning chemistry is not only boring, but difficult. So, my question is, where can I find literature about experiments in schools, so I can put it in my paper along with results of my investigation?

What sort of experiments? QA? Titration?

[enahs]

If you were to ask me if i have learn anything from chemistry experiments, practically is zero.

It is a sad fact that many chemistry labs turn out that way. There are so many factors that can make things head towards that.

But when you get into research and doing your experiments, and you have to figure out what to do, how to do it, why, and what you learn from it. At least for me, I learn so much that way. I feel in one week of research I learned more then I ever did in all my lectures combined.


I really do not see a science such as chemistry at its purist form to really benefit all that much from lecturing. Doing real lab work with help from a mentor is the way to go. But typical school labs are too cookie cutter and do not encourage exploration and development, just doing something and seeing the result.

[fidelia]

What sort of experiments? QA? Titration?
[/quote]

Well, it's simple experiments that kids in elementary school could do, nothing dangerous, and also nothing too complicated for a teacher to do as demonstration. I'm thinking something simple, like filtration, for example, but I have so many recipes for those experiments, I don't need them, we have excellent books for kids that contain many experiments, but problem is that teachers do not show them to kids, or let them do that in chemistry class. Of course, they need also the theory to learn, but I think that they would memorize it better if they could see, for example, litmus in acid and in alkali medium, than to learn that it is red in acid and in alkali medium is blue...it is easy to be confused with colors of indicators...I'm talking here about very simple experiments. Someday maybe we will be able to organize a real chemistry laboratory where they can do many experiments...but I think a bigger problem is  that teachers always find some reasons NOT TO do experiments in class.

[Astrokel]

It's rather hard to explain the theory behind to elementary school kids, if colours of indicators have to be explained, it has to go to equilibrium, le chatelier and so on. During my O level days, my chemistry teacher taught about ammonium hydroxide as NH3OH. Only when i went on to do chemistry, and i realized actually such compound doesn't really exist. For simplicity and avoid confusion, teachers don't teach the right thing. It would be more appropriate, at least, to tell the students that such compound don't exist and if they really want to know the reasons, they can consult the teachers or encouraging them to further chemistry.

I was watching An Inconvient Truth few days ago, and inside there was a cartoon on global warming, have you seen it? I think cartoons are actually a good thing to explain something rather hard to understand, especially theories to kids in elementary school.

Check this out http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/chemistry.htm#Crystals,
I think coloured compounds are pretty interesting when they change colour.

enahs: I agree completely with you, i really wish to do some decent lab works in chemistry, at least, not until i finish my A level(nov)

[enahs]

I think cartoons are actually a good thing to explain something rather hard to understand, especially theories to kids in elementary school.

These are great books, and not for just young people. Great companions for first year college students, even third year sometimes!

http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Chemistry/dp/0060936770/
http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Physics-Larry-Gonick/dp/0062731009/
http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Statistics-Larry-Gonick/dp/0062731025/


The various history ones are pretty fun too.

[Borek]

Ammonium hydroxide discussion moved to the separate thread:

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=27416.0