Educating Junior High Students on the

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Educating Junior High Students on the Advantages of a Career in Chemistry

April Herrera

Purpose

To make junior high school students more interested in chemistry, with some at home experiments that will show them a little about what fun it is to be a chemist. Also to let them know a little about what a chemist does and how to get started on the career path to chemistry.

Chemistry

* Chemists usually work regular hours

* Work in an office or laboratory setting.

* Some research is conducted in a chemical plant or outdoors-while gathering samples.

* Chemists study the composition, structure, and properties of substances and their behavior under different conditions.

* Chemists work with potentially explosive or highly caustic chemicals.

* risks with working with the chemicals are minimal when proper safety procedures are followed.

* Chemists are grouped into four main specialties:

1. Organic Chemists- Work with carbon and its compounds most of which are derived from plants and animals.

2. Inorganic Chemists- work with compounds of non-carbon structure, including metals and minerals.

3. Physical Chemists_ study the relationship between the chemical and physical properties of substances.

4. Analytical Chemists- examine the content of substances and measure the amount of each component present.

*Organic chemists are responsible for developing commercial products, including drugs, plastic, and fertilizers.

* Inorganic chemists help in the electronics industry to build solid state electronic components.

* Physical chemists help develop new energy sources.

* Analytical chemists identify the presence of chemical pollutants in air, water, and soil.

* More then 60% of chemists work for manufacturers

* Second largest employer of chemists is academic institutions.

* A foundation in basic chemistry facts can assist one in the study of other scientific curricula..

* Salary for a chemist depends upon individual experience, education, chemical specialty, and the industry and size of firm in which they are employed.

* Careers are also found in federal, State and local governments.

Education

Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry (A.C.S Certified)

Required Chemistry Courses (53 credits)

General Chem. I Organic II

General chem. lab I

General Chem. II

Organic Lab II

Physical Chem. I

General Chem. Lab II

Chem.. Computation

Analytical Chem..

Analytical Lab

Inorganic I

Chemical Outreach

Chemical Outreach

Organic I

Organic lab I

Physical Chem

. lab

Physical chem. II

Chem. Literature

Spectrometric

Instrumental analysis instrumental Lab inorganic II inorganic lab I I

Biochemistry

English (9 credits)

English I

Technical Communication I

Technical Communication II

Math (12 credits)

Calculus I

Calculus II

Calculus III

Physics (7 Credits)

Physics I

Physic II

Physics II Lab

Physical Education (2 credits)

Physical Education

Physical Education

SOME AT HOME EXPERIMENTS THAT CAN BE

CONDUCTED

Humanities & Social Sciences (16 credits) Electives (23Cr.)

Hum (min6) SS(min6) (Science, SS ,Hum,etc.)

Advanced Chemistry Electives (6 cr.)

Toxicology Environmental Chem.

Organic III Polymers

** Students that are considering graduate school should take German, Differential

Equations, extra semester of physics and the lab.

Some Chemistry Related Jobs

Food Science Biotechnology Forensics

Genetics Oceanography Chemical Industry

Materials Chemistry Space Exploration Pharmaceutical Science

Medicine Environmental Chemistry Software

Science Design

Teaching Patent Law Environmental policy and

Decision Making

Experiment 1

Cabbage Indicator

Purpose: To make a solution that will indicate the presence of an acid or a base

Materials: tea strainer

1 tablespoon

2 glass quart jars with lids

1 quart of distilled water uncooked purple cabbage

Procedure:

* Fill one jar with cabbage leaves that have been torn into small pieces.

* Heat the distilled water to boiling, and fill the jar containing the pieces of cabbage with the hot water.

* Allow the jar to stand until the water cools to room temperature.

* Pour the cooled cabbage solution through a tea strainer into the second quart jar. Discard the cabbage leaves.

* Store the cabbage juice In a refrigerator until needed.

Experiment 2

Strong-Stronger

Purpose: To observe the color effect that different acid concentrations have on the cabbage testing solution.

Materials: cabbage indicator scissors filter paper cookie sheet teaspoon alum cream of tartar fruit Fresh

Procedure:

* Place 1/2 teaspoon of alum, cream of tartar, and Fruit Fresh on the cookie sheet. Space the powders about three in apart.

* Cut three strips, about 1/2 in by 3 in, from the filter paper.

* Dip the end of one of the filter strips in the cabbage solution. Lay the wet end over the mound of alum.

* Wet a second filter strip with cabbage juice and lay over the cream of tartar.

* The third filter strip is to be wet with the cabbage juice and placed over the Fruit Fresh.

* wait five minuteds.

Experiment 3

Turmeric Paper

Purpose: To Make a tester paper that will indicate the presence of a base.

Materials Zip-lock plastic bag teaspoon

1/3 cup alcohol

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder coffee filter cup cookie sheet quart bowl

Procedure

* fill a cup one-third full of alcohol.

* Stir 1/4 teaspoon powdered turmeric into the alcohol.

*Pour the solution into the quart bowl.

* Dip one coffee filter at a time in the turmeric solution.

*Place each wet filter on the cookie sheet and allow to dry

*Cut the dry papers into strips about 1/2 in by 3in.

*store strips on a zip-lock bag.

Experiment 4

Neutral

Purpose: To neutralize a basic solution.

Materials: turmeric paper (above procedure) household ammonia vinegar

2 eyedroppers

Procedure

* Dip one end of the turmeric paper into ammonia>

* Fill the eyedropper with vinegar.

* Drop vinegar on the end of the turmeric paper that is wet with the ammonia.

Experiment 5

The Green Blob

Purpose: To produce a green, jelly-like blob of material from mixing two liquids

Materials: vinegar steel wool household ammonia tablespoon

2 small baby food jars

Procedure

*Fill one-half of one jar with steel wool.

* Add enough vinegar to cover the steel wool.

* Write IRON ACETATE on the side of the glass.

*Allow the jar to stand undisturbed for five days.

* pour one tablespoon of household ammonia and stir.

Experiment 6

Crystal Ink

Purpose: To produce a message written with shiny crystals.

Materials: table salt

1 sheet black construction paper art brush teaspoon stove with an ovenProcedure

*Add 3 teaspoon of salt to 1/4 cup water.

* warm the oven to 150 degrees F.

* Use an art brush to write a message on the black paper. Stir the salt solution with the brush before making each letter. It is impotant that this is done in order to produce a clear message.

* Turn the oven off and place the paper in the oven on top of the wire racks.

* Allow the paper to heat for five minutes or until dried.

References

www.chem.ukans.edu/OLDUGrad/careers.htm/ www.chem.drake.edu/CHEMISTRY/Careerpage/careerpage.html

www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/CHEMIST.HTM

Vancleave, Janice. Chemistry For Every Kid. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York

1989.

1999-2000South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Undergraduate &

Graduate Catalog

Chem. 292, Chem Outreach

Fall 2000

Dr. David A. Boyles and Dr. M. Steven McDowell

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