Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
then chemistry class would not be an abstract complex of formulae; in particular
references to everyday life are good for the back-ground and they benefit those who
won't choose a profession in the chemical industry” [
2
].
The Society of German Chemists (GDCh) explains their point of view this way:
“The mission of chemical education is to make the central significance of chemical
knowledge comprehensible and tangible. The connection between chemistry and
the living area of the learners has to be established and used in order to dispose them
to handle the environment in a responsible way. It is important to enable learners to
incorporate their chemistry knowledge into their life.” [
3
].
The great significance of establishing or using references to everyday life is well
known by most teachers, textbook authors, or guideline experts - only the amount
of everyday life chemistry in the curriculum and the importance of systematic
chemistry seem rather controversial. Today chemical education is much influenced
by the movement of “chemistry in context” (see later in this chapter) and one
generally starts with everyday life examples before the systematics of chemistry is
taught. These discussions and how to teach these contexts from everyday life will
be presented in this chapter.
8.1 Learner: Curiosity and Interest
Young adolescents have an intrinsic interest in learning something about them-
selves as well as objects and procedures from their immediate living environment.
Chemistry lessons are able to tie in with wise questions from everyday life to this
curiosity and deal with it age-appropriately - questions referring to this problem
will be raised and discussed.
1.
In which areas do learners have everyday life experience?
In the first instance,
they certainly are experiences of the childhood home, from the kitchen, the
bathroom, the garage, or the garden. Pfeifer, Hausler, and Lutz [
4
] combine
further areas in a diagram (see Fig.
8.1
) from which possible experiences of
everyday life can be derived.
2.
How do specific surroundings of the learners affect their images?
On the one
hand, if there is a large industrial complex, and many mothers and fathers work
there, certain images of this industrial plant are developed. If students live in the
countryside, they have a different attitude to questions about agriculture,
fertilizers, or pesticides than those living in the city.
3.
What kind of chemical phenomena do students experience every day?
They often
experience the destruction concept when they observe burning paper, wood, or
coal, when they talk about ink eraser or fuel consumption by cars (see Chap. 1).
They also get much information about environmental problems regarding food,
water, air, and soil and develop corresponding attitudes against “chemistry.”
The big importance of chemistry in our lives and also the problems with
our environment should be differentiated and discussed. Daily newspapers,
magazines,
television, and radio publish a partial view of substances and
