Do you feel like your chemistry classroom could use a good, strong cup of
coffee? Could you use some stimulating conversation (over coffee) with both
veteran and rookie teachers? If so, join us for a workshop where you’ll
be energized for another year of teaching.
Like good coffee, chemistry is "hot,"
and much of today’s hottest research is being done in biochemistry, environmental
chemistry, nanoscience, and materials chemistry — all fields at the interface
of two or more physical sciences. This course will integrate examples from
these “hot” areas into discussions of the core concepts of chemistry
in the advanced chemistry curriculum. Part of each day will be spent in the
laboratory conducting, developing, and sharing experiments using standard,
inexpensive equipment. Participants should bring their favorite lecture demonstrations
and experiments to share. Finally, some time is spent learning about selected
advances in chemistry and chemical instrumentation, using Lawrence’s
facilities and equipment.
The course is taught by coffee-lovers Karen Nordell Pearson and Bruce Smith.
Karen is an inorganic chemist with an interest in materials chemistry and nanoscience
who is in her seventh year at Lawrence. She teaches introductory chemistry
(majors and non-majors courses), inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry,
and nanoscience courses and has mentored more than 15 undergraduates on research
projects. She was awarded Lawrence’s Young
Teacher Award in 2004. Bruce
is a veteran chemistry teacher at Appleton North High School who was awarded
the 2004 Ron Gibbs Award for a long and
distinguished career in science education.
Instructors: Karen Nordell Pearson, associate professor of chemistry, Lawrence University, and Bruce Smith, chemistry teacher, Appleton North High School