Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
3)
The
Polystyrene Story by Doug
Halsted
4)
Student Hand-out
Where are polymers?
5)
Activity
Learning about Polymers Student Worksheets
6)
Activity
Building Polymers Student Worksheets
7)
Introduction
to Plastics: History and Significance
of Polymers
a
Background
Information for Teachers
b
Background
Information for Students
8)
Plastics: Thermoplastics vs. Thermosets
a
Teacher
Information
b
Thermoplastics
versus Thermoset polymers Demonstration
Questions and Answers About Teaching
Polymer Chemistry
Q.
Why should I
teach a polymer chemistry unit?
A.
Students
should understand
·
the
chemistry of important products of the chemical industry,
·
the
chemistry of major products used every day, and
·
some
everyday practical applications of bonding, gas laws, polarity of molecules,
solubility (in water, in acids, in bases, and in organic solvents), and other
important physical and chemical concepts.
Q.
When should
I teach a polymer chemistry unit?
A. Anytime
after students have learned about single covalent bonds and double covalent
bonds.
·
It is
helpful if students have studied some organic chemistry including:
hydrocarbons, organic halides, organic acids, alcohols, esters, and
amines. These topics will increase
understanding of polymer chemistry, but these topics could be taught, as
needed, during the polymer unit.
·
Polymer
chemistry is an ideal application of reaction kinetics and catalysis. It might be helpful if students have already
studied these topics.
·
Decide how
many days are to be spent studying polymers, then schedule other topics so that
there will be enough time to complete the polymer unit.
Q.
How can I
find time to teach a polymer unit?
A.
Make
teaching more efficient.
·
To reduce
time handing out papers, install a literature organizer with an individual
numbered mailbox for each of your students.
Student label all papers with their mailbox numbers. You or student helpers can distribute graded
papers, tests, and new handout sheets to the student mailboxes before students
arrive.
·
Start class
when the bell rings. Write a problem on
the board as an anticipatory set. Take
attendance while the students work on the problem. Use a seating chart and assigned seats for efficient attendance
taking. On days when a film is shown,
introduce the film, start the film, and take attendance during the film.
·
Make
overhead projector transparencies of important pages from the textbook, data
tables, graphs, etc.
When working in the laboratory
·
Have
students work in pairs, make sure that chemicals are organized (in properly
labeled dropper bottles, squeeze bottles, or other dispensers) with enough
chemicals for every four to six students and one complete apparatus for every
two students.
·
All needed
materials should be in place before students arrive.
·
To keep all
of the necessary bottles where they are needed, each of the lab tables could
have its own set of color coded labels on bottles.
·
Make helping
to set up/clean up one laboratory experiment a required part of the course for
each student. Have students show up
before/after school to help and help in class during that one laboratory
experiment/Assign a grade according to their performance.
A.
Reduce
student test and quiz time.
·
Give fewer
tests. Give one test over two or more
chapters. Give open book. Open note
tests. It is not necessary for the
teacher to read the entire chapter of the chemistry text to the class before
the test is administered. Require
students to apply the most important concepts to new situations.
·
The use of
multiple choice tests makes it possible to provide students with feedback on
the day after the test was taken.
Scrambled multiple choice questions on make-up tests provide equal
opportunities for students who have excused absence on the day of the test.
B.
Decrease the time spent
teaching less practical topics.
·
Many high
school chemistry students will never take a college chemistry course. These students should learn chemistry that
helps them to understand the science and technology that is involved in their
everyday lives and makes them informed citizens.
·
Students who
enroll in a first year college chemistry course will often repeat topics
studied in a high school chemistry course.
·
Reduce the
number of assigned problems and examples for many chapters.
·
Teach
related topics back to back. The amide
bond in nylon can be related to the peptide bond in a combination of amino
acids to form a protein.
·
Each teacher
must continually consider changes in the course curriculum in order to better
meet the needs of todays students.
Polymer Chemistry
Upon completion of this module, the students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the pervasiveness of
polymers in the environment by listing at least 10 items around the classroom
which contain polymers.
2.
Define in
his/her own words the following terms:
|
monomer |
addition polymerization |
|
polymer |
condensation polymerization |
|
repeat unit |
functional group |
|
thermoplastic |
thermosetting plastic |
|
elastomer |
chain reaction |
|
initiation |
propagation |
|
termination |
free radical |
|
branched polymers |