VOL. 6, No. 9 PosTEns IN HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY 1535

POSTERS IN HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY

CHARLES H. STONE, ENGLISH HIOH SCHOOL, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

One of the first problems of the teacher is to arouse in his students an interest in the subject taught. It is up-hill business trying to instruct a class which is not interested. For a number of years at our school we have experimented with various methods designed to awaken interest, stir enthusiasm, and stimulate students to more than their usual activity in the laboratory. These methods have proved more or less successful. This year we have directed the attention of the students to the preparation of chemical posters and with gratifying results.

The poster idea is by no means original with us. Other teachers have used it with success. The results of such use have been described in the pages of THIS JOURNAL and we here acknowledge our obligations to Miss Bell, Ridgwood, N. J., and to Miss Jacobs, Germantown, Pa., for ideas suggested by their admirable articles.'

The posters we are now developing differ somewhat from those described in the articles by the teachers mentioned above in that the pupil is expected to prepare his own illustrative material in the laboratory rather than to make up his exhibit from pictures and clippings. Our method of proce- dure is as follows; a picture is chosen and mounted in the center of a sheet of cardboard 12 X 18 inches. Such pictures may be found in the ad- vertising pages of the various magazines anb. may also be obtained from dealers and manufacturers. All direct advertisihg may be removed if desired. Colored pictures should be chosen if possible in order to add brightness and attractiveness to the whole poster. Around this central pic- tnre are then arranged small test tubes containing samples of the different materials prepared by the pupil in the laboratory. Such preparations may consist of different colored salts, pigments, simple dyes, and other similar material. A brief description of a few of these posters may be of interest.

Poster No. 1 was prepared by a student whose father is a physician. The pupil's interest being along medical lines, it was suggested that the preparation of a few of the simpler chemicals used in medicine would be appropriate and interesting, and the idea was acted upon. Around a large central picture of Pasteur are arranged 3-inch tubes containing; zinc sulfate (emetic), boric acid (eye wash), acetanilide (febrifuge), Epsom salts (cathartic), calomel (anthelmintic), iodoform (surgical dressing), sodium bicarbonate (anti-acid), and other specimens. All of these were prepared by the student. At one side of the exhibit the student bas

'Fannie I,. Bell, THIS JOURNAL, 5,'157-67 (Feb.. 1928). Adeline H. Jacobs, Ibid., 2 , 7 9 2 4 (Sept., 1925). See al?o Hattie D. F. Haub, Ibid., 4, 1241-59 (Oct., 1927). J. E. Mahannah, Ibid., 5, 1112-6 (Sept., 1928). Ralph E. Dunbar. Ibid., 5, 531-5 (May, 1928).

attached a little book in which he has written on separate pages a brief account of how each of his preparations was made. Such work of course requires some time and energy but the student is well rewarded for the effort and takes pride in his accomplishment.

It was very amusing when, upon sumestion, the student doubtfully . . tasted a IittIe of one of his ~roducts from the

processes of manufac- ture and provide the student with an oppor- t u n i t y t o apply his growing knowledge of chemistry and wha t

POSTER NO. 1 m a n i ~ u l a t i v e skill

'

- '

: :

!

Demonstrating the stimulation of enthusiasm through he may possess to a natural interests. The chemicals here shown were pre- new and interesting pared by the son of a physician.

project.

endof a cautious finger and burst out with: "Gee! It tastes just like the Epsom salts my father has at the office!"

The father was doubtless rather skep- tical as to the quality of his son's products, and justly so. No pre- tense is made that the

The materials for Poster No. 2 were prepared by a student who chose "Paint" as his theme. The central picture shows a colored advertisement of a well-known paint and color house, from which all advertising has been removed. Around this are arranged tubes containing various pigments and some electrolytic white lead, all prepared by the student.

POSTER No. 3 Two students who had experienced the satisfaction of making matches that work

assembled this record of their achievement.

POSTER NO. 4

A joint exhibit of various chemical materials.

The white lead was prepared according to the method described by Max Engelhart in the December 1927 issue of THIS JOURNAL. Above the central picture the student bas attached a small square of cardboard painted with paint prepared from linseed oil and his own white lead and color The whole is a pleasing piece of work and reflects credit upon

t h e s tuden t who picked up a good bit of information about paint while doing the work.

Poster No. 3 waspre- pared by two students who chose as their theme "Matches." The central picture shows Benjamin Franklin sitting with his back to the fire- place where the flames of the wood fire are dancing. Below are shown three shor t verses se t t ing f o r t h that Benjamin had to use flint and steel to s t a r t his fire since matches were then un- known, and concluding with the triumphant assertion that "The common match that you can scratch is quite a marvelous in- vention." Above the picture the producers

Exhibit of colored salts, the preparations of a group of Of t he poster have students. mounted a little hook

describmg how they made their matches and the accompanying strikmg surface. Around the center are arranged tubes containing the different materials used in match manufacture and there are also shown a number of the matches made by the pupils. These matches will readily' light when drawn across the scratching surface provided. What youngster (or oldster for

that matter) would not like to undertake a piece of work of this sort? A dozen or more boys united efforts in the production of Poster No. 4.

The central colored design was taken from an advertisement of an automo- bile manufacturing company and carries the line of type below the design "produced with the aid of all the science, all the arts and all the craftsman- ship." Around this are arranged samples of: a dye, with wool yam dyed with the color; a drug; a medicine; six colored salts; three pigments; rubber and the latex from which it is made; and metallic copper produced by the reduction of copper oxide obtained from Malachite ore. This poster carries beside each tube the name of the boy who prepared the particular sample. This poster is one of the most attractive and inter- esting ones we have. I t is unfortunate, however, that the photographs do not reproduce the colors of the poster, since much of its attractiveness is due to color.

Poster No. 5 was also a joint effort. The central picture was a full-page illustration in rotogravure in a leading magazine. It shows a chemist at work in his laboratory. The general title of this poster is "Salts" and around the central illustration are arranged a dozen or more of small tubes showing various colored salts prepared by different students. The name of each producer appears beside the tube showing his product. This makes a very interesting poster and it is quite effective. The boys take pride in having a sample of their work put up for exhibition in this inter- esting way.

It should be said that the preparation of these osters is only incidental. P Boys must keep the regular work of the laboratory up to date before they can undertake work on posters or other illustrative material. This acts as a sort of spur to boys who othennise might tend to lag behind the others. The posters simply provide an opportunity for interested and ambitious students to do something more than the mere requirement. We believe that the benefit derived from the increased interest and activity is well worth all the time and trouble it costs.

The posters described above were all done by boys. Equally interesting ones could be prepared by girls on such subjects as; Dyes and Dyeing. Soap and Cleaning Agents, Removal of Spots and Stains from Textiles, Preparation of Kitchen Chemicals, etc.

Teachers who seek a new avenue of appeal may find in the chemical poster one answer to their problem of how to awaken interest and stimu- late activity in the chemistry class.