Michelle B. More, Chemistry mmore@weber.edu Bradley W. Carroll, Physics bcarroll@weber.edu

1. Terra Firma: “Physics First” for Teaching Chemistry to Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers Michelle B. More, Chemistry mmore@weber.edu Bradley W. Carroll, Physics bcarroll@weber.edu Weber State University Ogden, UT

2. B-C-P • Today 99% of American high schools teach science in the fixed order of: Biology Chemistry Physics Sheppard, K.; Robbins, D. M J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82, 561-566.

3. Why Teach Physics First? • Students construct understanding. • Physics is the foundation for chemistry. Mason, D. S. J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79, 1393. Taber, K. CERP2001, 2, 43-51. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] Resnick, L. Science, 1983, 220, 477-478.

4. Why Teach Physics First? • Students construct understanding. • Physics is the foundation for chemistry. Mason, D. S. J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79, 1393. Taber, K. CERP2001, 2, 43-51. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] Resnick, L. Science, 1983, 220, 477-478. • Referring to related concepts does not often lead to real understanding. Tsaparlis, G. J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74, 922-926. Tsaparlis, G. Res. Sci. Educ.1997, 27, 271-287. Coll, R.; Taylor, N. CERP2002, 3, 175-174. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp]

5. Why Teach Physics First? • Students construct understanding. • Physics is the foundation for chemistry. Mason, D. S. J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79, 1393. Taber, K. CERP2001, 2, 43-51. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] Resnick, L. Science, 1983, 220, 477-478. • Referring to related concepts does not often lead to real understanding. Tsaparlis, G. J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74, 922-926. Tsaparlis, G. Res. Sci. Educ.1997, 27, 271-287. Coll, R.; Taylor, N. CERP2002, 3, 175-174. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] • New information needs to be linked to old information. How People Learn; Bransford, J., Cocking, R. Eds.; Academy Press: Washington DC, 1990. Ausubel, D.; Novak, J.; Hanesian, H. Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston: New York, 1978.

6. Why Teach Physics First? • Students construct understanding. • Physics is the foundation for chemistry. Mason, D. S. J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79, 1393. Taber, K. CERP2001, 2, 43-51. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] Resnick, L. Science, 1983, 220, 477-478. • Referring to related concepts does not often lead to real understanding. Tsaparlis, G. J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74, 922-926. Tsaparlis, G. Res. Sci. Educ.1997, 27, 271-287. Coll, R.; Taylor, N. CERP2002, 3, 175-174. [http://www.uoi.gr/cerp] • New information needs to be linked to old information. How People Learn; Bransford, J., Cocking, R. Eds.; Academy Press: Washington DC, 1990. Ausubel, D.; Novak, J.; Hanesian, H. Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston: New York, 1978. • Most students entering college have poorly developed formal reasoning skills. Bitner, B. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 1991, 28, 265-274. Chiapetta, E. Sci. Educ.1976, 60, 253-261.

7. Physics is the Foundational Science;Chemistry is the Central Science Physics: describes how particles, subatomic to stellar, interact without forming more complex structures. Chemistry: describes how particles, atomic and molecular, interact to form more complex structures (other molecules). Biology: describes how living complex structures (cells and beyond) function and reproduce.

8. No Gen Ed Science for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers We teach as we were taught. Lortie, D. Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study; The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, 1975.

9. The Rest of the Talk • Provide a brief overview of what we do in the class room.

10. Examples of Physics:More Than an Equation • Balls falling • Force equals mass times acceleration • Trucks and penny rolls

11. Galileo: All objects fall with the same acceleration.

12. Galileo: All objects fall with the same acceleration • Twice the force on twice the mass gives the same acceleration.

13. Examples of Physics: A Wool Sweater and Balloons • Electrical Charge/Electric Field • The rubbing of a wool sweater with a rubber balloon results in the transfer of electrons from the wool to the balloon. • Each charge object produces a electric field that is experienced by other charged objects. • Electrostatic (Electric) Force • Attraction of opposite charges (sweater and balloon) • Repulsion of like charges (two charged balloons) • Polarization of neutral matter • Attraction of charged balloon to neutral objects

14. Using the Building Blocks From PhysicsConstructing the Atom • Concrete Macroscopic to Abstract Submicroscopic • Atomic Structure • Positively and negatively charged subatomic particles

15. Using the Building Blocks From PhysicsConstructing the Atom’s Nucleus • Forces within the nucleus: Strong and Electric Velcro Balloons The strong force is dominant at short distances. Charged Balloons The electric force is dominant at larger distances.

16. Using the Building Blocks From PhysicsConstructing Compounds • Ionic compounds (salts) • Forming ions, gaining or losing electrons • Electrostatic attraction of positive and negative ions • Covalent compounds (molecules) • Sharing of electrons • Electrostatic attraction of positive nucleus and negative electrons from two atoms

17. Using the Building Blocks From PhysicsUnderstanding Strange Behavior • Bending water • Polar molecule, electrostatic attraction to a charged object • Pulling wood • Polarizable molecules and atoms, electrostatic attraction to a charged object • “Like dissolves like.” • Electrostatic attraction of similar molecules

18. Acknowledgements • We would like to acknowledge Spence Seager for co-creating this class. • Some figures were taken from Suchocki’s Conceptual Chemistry, 2nd Edition. • This talk was supported by a Hemingway Foundation Grant and Weber State University.