A TEACHER SPEAKS OUT

JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED 133

6. MACCURDY, R. D., BAGSHAW, T. L., "Are Science Fair Judgments Fair?"Science Education, Vol. 38, No. 3, April, 1954, pp. 224-231.

7. MACCURDY, R. D., LEACY, C. R., "The Science Fair Is Easy If You Let theStudents Do It," The Science Teacher, Vol. 31, No. 1, February, 1954.

8. NOLL, V. H., "The Teaching of Science in Elementary and SecondarySchools," Michigan State College Press, Lansing, 1950, pp. 25-37.

9. "Science Fairs National and Local," Science Clubs of America, Sponsors’Handbook, Science Service, December, 1951.

10. Seminar of Boston University, "Methods of Conducting a Science Fair,"Cambosco Scientific Co., Boston, April, 1952.

11. Students of John G. Read, "Science Fair�Here’s How," SCHOOL SCIENCEAND MATHEMATICS, December, 1952.

A TEACHER SPEAKS OUT

There’s an abundance of statistics and comments these days on the problemof educating students in the physical sciences. But we don’t believe any of themtell the story better than an unsolicited letter just received by the ManufacturingChemists’ Association from a college chemistry teacher. Writing on the eve ofthe White House Conference on Education, he puts down his heartfelt experienceboth as teacher and parent."We are all concerned," he says, "with the decreased enrollment in our

schools in chemistry, physics and mathematics on all levels. The result is tragic�an insufficient number of teachers, research personnel, engineers and technicians�on all levels. Why is it happening? I think I know some of the reasons.

"Students as a group do not want to study the difficult subjects. Too manyenroll in watered-down courses and memorization courses. In these courses an’A’ or ^B’ is almost guaranteed. Students have told me that they are crazy to takechemistry�too much study, too much laboratory and too much mathematicsand they are not sure of an ’A’ or ^B.’

"This institution has 1900 students�about 550 freshmen. The physics pro-fessor has 14 students, four of whom are freshmen. These are facts. Several yearsago we had sections of 36-40 in both inorganic chemistry and physics. When ap-plicants for the freshman class are interviewed and chemistry, physics or math-ematics are mentioned they shy away�as from a plague. They say in no un-certain terms that they want none of that! What has caused all this in the lastfew years?"The textbooks of inorganic chemistry are watered-down apologies or are so

formidable that they are frightening. There seem to be too few good, sound textsfor the average student who is interested and wants to do a good job. I havetexts on my desk of 875, 570, 730 and 650 pages. Much of the material in manyof these can only be assimilated by the brightest student. (One of my youngercolleagues has just told me that his freshman chemistry text had just over 1000pages. His students couldn’t use it and were scared of it.) Such texts are enoughto discourage and frighten the average student fresh from secondary school.These youngsters are nervous, immature, apprehensive and unsure of themselves.They must be brought along slowly and patiently and not have this high poweredmaterial hurled at them in concentrated chunks.

�Chemical News

Remote Control Crane for junior construction men operates from a box heldin one hand. A touch of one button causes the bucket to load, raise, unload andlower. A second button makes the toy crane go forward or backward. Poweredby two flashlight batteries, the crane and truck are made of plastic.