chemi~try for kid/ edited by LINDA WOODWARD

The University of Southwestern Louisiana Lafayetle. LA 70504

A Unique Elementary School-University Interactive ducat ion Program

Marilyn D. Duerst University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI 54022

The declining quality of science education in schools in both Europe and-America has been the subject of much discussion in recent years. Scientific literacy among the gen- eral American populace is a t an all-time low (1-4). ~ e m o - graphic data indicate that the number of persons pursuing scientific careers is declinine (1. 2. 4-6). and nroiections , . . . . ~, . . indicate a serious shortage of college and university science teachers. as well as a shortfall of oualified industrial ~cien- tists (2,5-7). Indeed, our nation seems to he falling behind in technoloeical develooment on the world scene (5).

criticism has been-anned primarily at the high school level courses and curriculum. Yet, the quality of elementary and junior high level science education-may be a t least as crucial if these alarming trends are to be reversed.

Improvement in science teaching a t those levels must be- gin with better qualified teachers, not only those who have been better educated in science itself but also those whose attitude toward scientific studies and experimentation is one of enthusiasm rather than apprehension. Indeed, declin- ing levels of high school science enrollments may naturally improve through the nurturing of the natural scientific curi- osity of children by enthusiastic elementary school teachers.

On the national level a number of organizations are at- tempting to play an active role in the improvement of ele- mentary school science education, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science ("Project

Linda Woodward received her BS degree in chemistry hom the Univer- sity of California at Davis and her MS degree in chemistry from the Univer- sity 01 Washington in Seame. She has been teaching college chemistry for 17 years.

Wwdward's teaching assignment at the University of Southwestern Louisiana includes a chemistry l a b oratory wurse forelementaryeduce tion majors. She has also piesented 1 more than 50 hendson workshops for in-service pre-high school tee&- em, prenls. and children. She Is cur- rently involved in the development of elementary sclence activities through the institute for Chemical Edu- cation and Operation Chemistry.

Woodward is active in the Louisiana Science Teachers Association and in DivChed commitleas and is the US. correspondent for Ch.3 meda, the iovrnal of the Chemical Education Division of the Royal AustralIan Chemical Institute.

2061") and the National Science Teachers' Association (Re- vised Science Curriculum) (4). The American Medical Asso- ciation recently held a conference entitled: "Strategies for Change: National Initiative for Science and Technology Education" (4). Several years ago the Optical Society of America beean a series of "Educators' Davs" that nrovide - teachers with optics kim readily usable in the classroom (41. The Education Division of the Ameriran Institute for I'hvs- ics is vigorously pursuing new initiatives in education, in- cluding "Operation Physics," providing retraining for ele- mentary school teachers. In May of 1989 "A Plan for Action" was released b.y the Tr ian~le Coalit,jon for Science and Tech- nology ducat ion, a consortium of 80 major organizations from business and industry, lahor, srienre and engineering, and education, including the American Chemical Society IR) xu,.

In an attempt to meet needs on a regional level and to involve our future teachers more actively in science, a new course snecificallv eeared to elementarv education maiors . .. was introduced into thechemistry curriculum at the Univer- sitv of Wisconsin-River Falls durine the 19861987 academ- ic ;ear. Combining the material &ally presented in our one-term chemistry course for nonmajors with a weekly lab- oratory experience, the course offers unique features and opportunities for those future teachers.

College Students and 10-Year-Olds a s Laboratory Partners An important facet of our course is that small groups of

elementary school children have become eager participants in experiments with college-age laboratory partners.

During the spring quarter of 1987, two groups of second- and third-graders a t all ability levels were the first to be invited to participate in an experiment on electrochemical cells with the college-age students.

Since the idea was initiated, the involvement of young children has expanded so that currently two groups of six to

Message from the New Editor

As W e new feature editor for "Chemistry for Klds". I am looking forward to hearing from Jouml of Chemical Edocation readen who are involved in pre-high school science. Are you making creative use of your chemistry background to develop activities that others could UW? DO you have nontraditional or othemlse novel approaches lo chemistry activities, safety, andla pedagogical concerns? Have you found unique ways of working wilh young shdmts, teachers endlor school districts7 Have vou develooed a new ore-hlah schwl activlhr or . - an unusual twlst to a famlllar one? If theanswer to any of these is yes. I hope you will shere your experiences with us.

Volume 67 Number 12 December 1990 1031