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Science educators looking to increase the
level of excitement and enthusiasm among their students should
look no further. "Science Online" is a rural high school
science teacher's instrument to make science education real
and exciting for his students, many of whom have difficulty
relating the study of chemistry to real world applications.
Seeking a way to get his students to "buy into" his course,
this teacher selects a different course theme each year based
on student interest. Each theme, such as automobiles, rivers,
skiing, or speleology (underworld and cave chemistry), becomes
a scientific and interdisciplinary inquiry based on experiences
students encounter in their daily lives.
Using a theme allows students to study science while they are doing science. . In
the past, students had to rely primarily on their textbook and their
teacher's expertise for information. Using the Internet, they may contact
professional scientists who actually conduct cave exploration. Taking
this idea further, their teacher decided to create a virtual textbook
with links to useful web sites. Online glossaries, photo collections,
training manuals, maps, and more provide students with a complete, virtual
textbook....
.This site has helped students to study chemistry in a way that he-and they-never
thought was possible.
I am proud to report that the number of students taking elective chemistry
has increased yearly, and many former students have continued with caving
as a life skill.
Check out Eric Hendrickson's lesson plan, Molecular
Polarity and his essay.
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