December 2004

History of Science

A new EDC Web site brings scientific discoveries to life for high school students

Chemist Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz’s vivid dream of a whirling snake biting its own tail led him to one of the most important, but up-to-then elusive discoveries in organic chemistry—the structure of the benzene molecule, a component of petroleum.

When Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic table—a fundamental reference point for all of science—predicted the chemical and physical properties of not yet discovered elements, his colleagues scoffed at his audacity. His stature as a scientist was tested for five years before his predictions proved to be true.

J.J. Thomson, on a waiting list to become an engineering apprentice, had to abandon his career dream when his father unexpectedly died. Thomson went on to study mathematics and science and ultimately discovered the electron, the first evidence of particles smaller than an atom.

These stories of imagination, bravery, and serendipity are presented on an innovative Web site developed by EDC’s Center for Science Education (CSE). The Web site, “Using the History of Science in the Chemistry Classroom,” provides high school chemistry and physical science teachers with a resource for teaching scientific exploration and discovery through the stories of “fascinating people and their foibles.” The site, which features biographical profiles of 15 prominent, historical figures, allows students to learn that science is done by people who have normal, human struggles and triumphs. This realistic view makes the field more accessible and interesting, says Joe Flynn, EDC project director.

“The site offers insights into scientists’ down-to-earth experiences,” says Flynn. The short biographical profiles show that “scientists not only have the same personal and social concerns as other people, but that for better or for worse, the same desires may drive their scientific and personal lives.” Through these stories, students encounter perseverance and disappointment, self-confidence and pettiness, wide-ranging curiosity and focused absorption, humble circumstances and scandal, political exploitation and suppression, failed experiments and life-saving applications, creativity, and luck.

The approach taken in presenting the historical entries emphasizes the timeless and human qualities of science. Dates are not part of the biographical stories, although this information is only a click away. The profiles also align with educational content standards developed by the Mid-continent Research for Education (McREL). McREL’s standards were selected because they are a synthesis of not only the National Science Education Standards, but also the standards recommended by a number of other national reports and selected states.

Using a scene from an alchemist’s laboratory, the opening page of the “Using the History of Science in the Chemistry Classroom” Web site offers visitors a variety of navigation options, including clickable images (an alchemist, a skull, a door, and scientific tools) that go to the various sections of the site (Introduction and Rationale, Historical Entries, General Web Resources, and Standards with Aligned Historical Entries). The historical entries emphasize the human and the personal over the strictly scientific and factual details. Teachers use the site by finding the content standard they are teaching on a given day and then matching it to one or more of the historical entries. The entries enliven and deepen particular parts of the physical-science curriculum and contain ideas for the teachers about aspects of the scientists’ lives that might interest students. More extensive biographical and scientific resources are also included after each entry.

A screen shot from the “Using the History of Science in the Chemistry Classroom” homepage

CSE has long been involved in educational programs that tie learning to standards. For example, its K-12 Science Curriculum Dissemination Center, funded by the National Science Foundation, informs educators about science curricula and other learning materials that are based on national standards. Its other resources include a guide that examines the criteria necessary for incorporating technology in the classroom, Selecting Computer-Based High School Science Curricula.

The way in which the “Using the History of Science in the Chemistry Classroom” Web site combines content standards with nature-of-science standards makes it a unique contribution, says Flynn. The site is independent of any particular curriculum or text, making it usable by all educators. CSE plans to expand the site to support the other scientific disciplines, he added.

Resources

The History of Science Web site
http://cse.edc.org/products/historyscience/default.asp

Download a copy of Selecting Computer-Based High School Science Curricula (PDF file, Adobe required)
http://cse.edc.org/products/selectingcomputerbased/default.asp

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