Classroom and school environment
This unit is specifically written for 10th grade academic or conceptual chemistry classes at an urban public high school. I currently teach at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh Public Schools where my students are 35% African American, 7 % Multi-racial, 57 % Caucasian, and 2 % Other. There also happens to be 79% of students who receive a free or reduced lunch. As with most city schools, students struggle to pass standardized tests (Keystone Exams): in the 2012-2013 school year 32.9% of students scored basic or below basic in reading, 46.9% scored basic or below basic in math, and a staggering 75.9% scored basic or below basic in Biology. Needless to say city school students are not always interested in the content presented to them, especially when it comes to science. Students are often forced to take academic chemistry even though many choose professions that do not pertain to the science field. In order to help close the Achievement Gap teachers do everything in our power to ensure that all students learn. Specifically in chemistry we are always trying to get students to think at the particle level; but, the world we live in is macroscopic and doesn't acknowledge the particle nature of matter.
It has always been incredibly difficult to convince students why they should be interested in chemistry because they do not see how it is pertinent to them. In order to spark student interest we need to step back and show students the information is relevant. For example, how do tiny particles interact with each other in order for our bodies to elicit an allergic reaction for an asthma attack? There are multiple ways to think of particles. In the biological realm we think of all microbes as tiny particles; however, in chemistry we need to acknowledge that all microbes are made of the tiny particles we call atoms. This is part of why this is such an important concept, our world is based on the interactions of particles which are too small to be seen by the naked eye. It is incredibly difficult for high school students and even adults to wrap their heads around such an abstract concept. By using examples of how chemistry is important to our health we may get more students interested in making a difference and actually continuing their education in the sciences.
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