Computer Software and ACS Materials For Chemistry

Brandon, Larry L.                    Thornwood High School
                                     17100 South Park Ave.
                                     South Holland, IL 60473
                                     1-708-339-7800

Objectives

     Computer software can provide an acceptable alternative to doing experiments and 
demonstrations involving dangerous and/or expensive materials.  Computers can also 
provide some effective classroom management tools -- such as record keeping, test 
making, keeping easily changed worksheets and laboratory instructions on disk for use 
from year to year. 

Materials

     At least one computer is needed -- preferably an Apple // or IBM or compatible -
- in the classroom.  It helps to have a computer of the same kind at home, or at 
least readily available at times the teacher is not in the classroom. 

Recommended Strategies

     There is a growing recognition that teachers are likely to have only one 
computer available in the classroom.  To that end, it is a great help to have a large 
screen monitor available so that the entire class can see the screen. 

     It is absolutely necessary that the teacher be completely familiar with whatever 
program is being used in the classroom.  This will require a pretty fair amount of 
the teacher's time to become familiar enough with the program being demonstrated. 

     The monitor screen should be large enough to be easily seen by the entire class.  
It is to be hoped that the programmer made things large enough so that the screen is 
filled with the object to be seen.  These will normally be done in what programmers 
call "graphics" if it is a simulation of a lab activity.  The programs demonstrated 
were wave simulations on a disk called "The One Computer Classroom" published as a 
part of JCE: Software by Project Seraphim. 

     The old address of Seraphim at Eastern Michigan University is no longer valid.  
The new address is: Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 
University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706.  This is also the address of the Division of 
Education, American Chemical Society. 

     WonderScience is a quarterly publication of the Education Division of ACS and 
contains activities for elementary school children to do together with a responsible 
adult.  For further information, contact:  Ann Benbow, Education Division, ACS, 1155 
Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.  There is also available a set of three 
WonderScience posters at $3 each or $8 for the set.  The 17" X 22" posters have 
content and activities on the topics of color, polymers, and acid/base indicators. 

     ChemMatters is a publication for high school students, available from the same 
address as WonderScience, although the person's name to write to is David Olney.