GreenChemistryandToxicology:“Relevance”intheChemistry

ClassroomByGraceLasker,PhD,MS,CHES,CN

DiscussionOverview

• Historyofscienceeducation.• Teachingtolearn:Whatmatters?• Whatissocialandenvironmentaljustice?• Conclusion

ABriefHistoryofScience…

• Sciencewasbornfrompositivism.– holdsobservationandmeasurementasthehighestauthorityofvalidknowledge

– andasafoundationaltoolforscientificinvestigation.

• Thisempiricalapproachoftenleadstotheideathatscienceisalwaysbetterthanormorevalidthanotherdisciplines.

OneDisciplinetoRuleThemAll

• Cobern(1994)wrote:– Evenwheninterdisciplinarysciencecurriculaareadopted,theyoftencontinuetoservetheinterestsofscience.

– Thesecurriculaacknowledgethatstudentshaveotherdisciplinaryinterestsbutdosoforthepurposeofmanipulatingthoseintereststomeetthetraditionalobjectivesofscienceeducation.

– Thus,theseotherdisciplinaryinterestsbecomepathstoscienceandthepathsareclearlysecondarytothedestination,whichisscience.

OldSchoolChemistry

• Curriculumgenerallyincludestraditionallaboratoryexercisesthatweredevelopeddecadesago

• Contentisbasedoffofbooksthathaven’tchangedtheir“theme”indecades,either!

• Conventionalteachingtechniquesarestaticandfailtoprovideinteractiveenvironments

HowDoWeFixThis?

• Weneedtore-envisionthecontextofchemistry,it’spurposeforexistence,it’sreasonforrequirement.

• Weneedtobringlifebacktochemistrythroughrelevancytolifeandliving.

• Wemustflipthemessage:Chemistrysupportsallotherthings,notthatallotherthingssupportChemistry!

StudentsAsLearners• Studentsneedtoknowwhy theyneedtolearnsomething.

• Theyapproachlearningasproblem-solving.• Theylearnbestwhenthetopicisofimmediatevalue.

• Theyneedtolearnexperientially.

“WhatIhear,Iforget;whatIsee,Iremember;

whatIdo,Iknow.”

WhatisActiveLearning?

• Themissionforhighereducationshouldbetobridgethegapbetweentheoryandpractice.

• Sullivan,W.M.,&Rosin,M.S.(2008).Anewagendaforhighereducation:Shapingalifeofthemindforpractice(Vol.14).JohnWiley&Sons.

• Whatisactivelearning?– Asdiverseasgroupproblem-solving,worksheetsortutorialscompletedduringclass,useofpersonalresponsesystemswithorwithoutpeerinstruction,andstudioorworkshopcoursedesigns.• Cooper,M.M.(2016).ItIsTimeToSayWhatWeMean.JournalofChemicalEducation,93(5),799-800.

WhatShouldActiveLearningActuallyBe?

• Restructuringtheclassroomtoincreaseinterdisciplinarycontentandimproverelevanceforstudents.

• Integratingpracticalandhands-onexperiencesintocurriculumtosubstantiallyincreasecriticalthinkinginstudents.

• Askyourstudents“why”notjust“how.”

“WhyDoWeNeedtoLearnChemistry?”

• Thedreadedstudentquestion.– Butouranswerisjustasdreadful:“It’sthebasisofeverything!”

• It’slikeaskingsomeonetoexplain“infinite.”– Toobig,toocumbersome,notrelevanttoeverydaylife.

• Youranswermustbemorerelevant!How?• CueSocialandEnvironmentalJustice…

SocialJustice

• Socialjusticeisapointofviewthatcontendsthateveryonedeservesequalityineconomic,political,andsocialrights,aswellasequalaccesstoimportanthumanrights.

• Itisamovementthatemphasizesequalityoftreatmentofallkinds,amongthemissuesofenvironmentandhealth,safety,socioeconomicissues,justice,etc.

EnvironmentalJustice

• EnvironmentalJusticeisthefairtreatmentandmeaningfulinvolvementof allpeoplewithrespecttothedevelopment,implementation,andenforcementofenvironmentallaws,regulations,andpolicies.

• Itencompassesareasnotjustrelatedtotheenvironmentandecologybutalsotocivilrights,indigenousrights,labor,food,climate,culture,civility,immigration,andeconomicstonamejustafew.

GreenChemistryandJustice

• Greenchemistryisthephilosophythatchemicalsshouldbedesignedtolimitharmbefore theyareproduced.

• Imaginethejusticepotentialwithaworldthathaslessharmfulchemicals:lessdisproportionateexposuretochildren,minorities,economicallydisadvantagedpopulations;lessclassdivisionforhealthadvantages;andmorerelevancyforstudentslearningchemistry.

TeachingExample#1

• LessonPlan:HeavyMetalsorIons– ShowthevideoLeadAstray(2015)abouthowleadincreasescrimeratesininnercityyouthsandhowinastudyofCincinnatichildren,thosewithabloodleadleveluptotenmicrograms/dLlostonaverageofsevenIQpoints.• Discussformsoflead,whereleadisfound,andhowleadinterfereswithcalciumionsinneurons.

• Thendiscusshowthisaffectspeopleunequally:arepeopleindepressedurbancentersviolentbychoiceorisittheleadintheirsub-standardhousing?

TeachingExample#2

• LessonPlan:Oxidation/Reduction– InvestigateLeadandFlint,MI.– WhynotimplementcorrosioncontroltreatmenttokeepthePb(IV)frombeingreducedtomoresolublePb(II)?

– EthicalandJusticeDebate:Citycouldn’taffordupgradetodocorrosioncontrol.Whynot?Statedidn’t“care”aboutFlintresidentsfor2yearssuffering?ButMIgovernor’srepstatedthey“weren’trequired”sodidn’tdoit.Whichone?Attheexpenseofwhom?

TeachingExample#3

• LessonPlan:Polarity– Framethediscussionaboutpolarityintermsofchemicalmovementintothebodythroughcellmembranes.• Cellmembranesaremadeofphospholipids,whichmakesthemlargelysolubletolipids.

• Manypesticidesarelipophilic(becausethechemicalhastogetinsidethebugorplant’scellstowork!Soitgetsintoours,too).

• Havestudentslookatvariousmolecularstructuresandpredictwhethertheywouldgetintoourbodies,thenhavethemfindoutiftheyaretoxicornot!(SDSAnalysis).

Conclusion

• ConversationsofsocialissuesareHARDbutREQUIREDtodevelopsocially-consciousindividuals.

• Creatingscientificrelevancyforstudentsempowersthemtobechangeagents!

• Freeradicalshaverevolutionizedchemistry–beafreeradical!