Community Service as a Component of a General Chemistry Course for Science Majors Lynn E. Maelia, Ph.D. Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, New York

Service Learning “Service learning involves students in activities that serve the community (service) but also connects those activities to learning goals for a course (learning)” Wiegand, D.; Strait, M. J. Chem. Educ., 2000, 77,

Service Learning in Chemistry Environmental testing Stream testing Water quality testing Lead testing Societal issues K-12 support Tutoring Classroom visits Mentoring Other Science literacy

Chemical Principles I Chemical Demonstration Project

 Choose a demo  Write a pre-lab report  Prepare demonstration  Create poster  Present demo to 6 th grade students

Chemical Demonstration The classroom demonstration must:  be non-explosive  be non-toxic  be able to be performed in 5-10 minutes  demonstrate an identifiable chemical concept

Sources  Shakhashiri, B. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry; University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1992, Vols  Summerlin, L.R.; Ealy, J.B. Chemical Demonstrations: A Sourcebook for Teachers; American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., 1985, Vol. 1.  Summerlin, L.R.; Borgford, C.L.; Ealy, J.B. Chemical Demonstrations: A Sourcebook for Teachers; American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., 1987, Vol. 2.

Demonstration Pre-Lab  An explanation of the concept being demonstrated, the chemistry involved and all chemical equations associated with the demonstration  A description of all safety hazards associated with the demonstration  A description of equipment, chemical, and space requirements

Demonstration Pre-Lab  A presentation script  A table of physical constants such as boiling point, melting point, density, etc.  Toxicity information for all chemicals involved  References

Student response  Rated on a 5-point scale  1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=very good, 5 = excellent  N=24 42% excellent 75% very good/excellent 96% good/very good/excellent

“What were the best aspects of the demonstration project?”  “Being able to expand your horizon”  “I enjoyed this project. I learned a lot and I had fun explaining it to the students.”  “I enjoyed doing the research and presenting for the kids.”  “Learn something not in class, investigate it in depth.”  “Helped in becoming more creative”  “Something different than the labs assigned in class.”

“What were the worst aspects of the demonstration project?”  “Not able to have explosions.”  “Doing the demonstrations. I hate talking in front of people.”  “Not enough room in the lab for everyone’s demonstration.”  “The fact that mine didn’t work.”  “Trying to find an appropriate experiment that captured the kids’ attention.”  The time that went into preparing it.”

Chemical Principles II Community Service

Community Service  Three (3) hours  5% of grade  Required, not optional  Must include reflection on the role of science  Service must be documented

Service Learning Work Log Student Name:__________________________________ Chemical Principles II - Spring 06 DateTime Started Time Finished Total Hours Activities and Accomplishments Authorized Signature

Community Service Projects  Helped students prepare their science expo projects  Judged Science Fairs  Tutored students  Assisted teachers with a variety of classroom activities (K-16)  Ran hands-on science activities for young children

Community Service Projects  Tested soil and planted gardens  Helped with stream testing and the annual creek clean-up at the Quassaick Creek

Student response  Rated on a 5-point scale  1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=very good, 5 = excellent  N=24 29% excellent 63% very good/excellent 96% good/very good/excellent

What were the best aspects of the community service project? “Easy grade” “Going out into the real world and using science to show others” “Discovering something you actually may enjoy” “Helping the community” “Helping others have a better understanding of how science is involved in many things we do each day.” “Got us to experience people that we wouldn’t meet.” “I liked sharing my knowledge of science with younger students.”

What were the worst aspects of the community service project? “Finding time to do it” “Creating a lesson for each class” “Not a lot of free time to do it” “Picking out when and where to do it” Scheduling it “NONE!”

Pros and Cons Student interest Grade boost Helping the community  Finding opportunities

Bishop Dunn Memorial School Part of curriculum Student enthusiasm Teacher support

Service Learning Websites Experiential Programs in Chemistry (EPIC) Directory of Experience Opportunities: Contact EPIC: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse: The National Society for Experiential Education: Campus Compact:

Acknowledgements Bishop Dunn Memorial School Bernadette Kleister, BDMS Emily Monahan, Horizons on Hudson Elementary School Saint Joseph’s Elementary School Division of Natural Science, MSMC