EDIM 508 u02a1 Organic Chemistry...It can be meaningful.

Select a specific topic you teach, or will teach, and search Discovery Education streaming for a video segment about that topic. Think about your goals for presenting content about the topic you selected as well as the different ways you can use digital media to present content in a variety of forms and from different angles. Post a blog entry that presents your specific goals for teaching the topic and describe at least five different ways you can use that video segment in your classroom.


Having just finished the school year on Saturday, I am still in teacher mode and have been spending some time working on ideas for my courses next year and think this task to explore Discovery Education Streaming is a good opportunity. I will be teaching a second year of the two year International Baccalaureate (IB) course and am looking forward to teaching the same group of students again in the . After reading Chapter 2 in Gardner’s book, I am thinking of changing my focus of how I teach the topic of organic chemistry to these students. While I was in university, I enjoyed organic chemistry so much that I did it twice!! The focus of my chemistry professor was for me to memorize countless reaction mechanisms and to develop the ability to recite a variety of catalysts and reaction conditions. Although the IB organic chemistry syllabus does require some memorization of specific reactions and their conditions, the main focus is on the application of knowledge and applying understanding to new and novel situations. As Gardner explains these attributes are evidence of the development of a disciplined mind.

The use of media available at Discovery Education Streaming provides a teacher with some of the tools necessary to develop greater insight in our students. I have chosen to examine a video segment that examines addition reaction in organic chemistry - Standard Deviants School Organic Chemistry: Addition Reactions. In the past, this typically has been a difficult topic to teach in my IB chemistry class. After reflection, I think this has been the case as I have taught this topic in a very abstract and non-linear fashion, I have concentrated on the facts and not on the connections that this area of chemistry has with other areas that my students have already learned. This isolated approach allowed the student who memorized to be successful. However the students who craved relationship and connections, the synthesizing mind, was not provided with a successful opportunity to learn the principles of organic additions reactions.

The arrangement of this twenty-five minute video segment allows for students to construct connections with several different topics that we have studied in the past and opens up the opportunity to develop a greater level of understanding in this topic. This video contains twelve individual segments which correspond to six main IB topics out of only eleven topics. More than half of the topics that a student studies in IB chemistry are covered in this video segment.

Video Segment/Corresponding IB Topic
Organic Chemical Reactions/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Covalent Bonds/Topic 4 and 14 – Bonding
Heterolytic and Homolytic Cleavage/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry and Option E – Environmental Chemistry
Anions, Cations and Polar Reactions/Topic 4 and 14 – Bonding
Organic Reactions, Nucleophiles and Electrophiles/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Lewis Acids, Bases and Review/Topic 8 and 18 – Acids and Bases
Reaction Energy Diagrams/Topic 5 and 15 – Energetics
Endothermic versus Exothermic/Topic 6 and 16 – Kinetics
Transition, Time and Energy/Topic 6 and 16 – Kinetics
Different Types of Organic Chemical Reactions/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Introduction: The Alkenes/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Naming Alkenes/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry

I have several goals for teaching this topic – firstly, I want students to master the required subject matter by knowing the mechanics of organic chemistry addition reactions; secondly, I want students to be able to make the connections to other topics in chemistry; thirdly, I want students to position themselves to think like a scientist; and lastly I want students to enjoy the process of learning about the world they live in.

Ways to use the video segment in my classroom:
1. As an introduction to the topic of organic chemistry addition reactions. The segment provides a great list of definitions and reactions that will be a benefit to students about to study this topic.
2. As a review of the topic of organic chemistry addition reactions. The segment provides a comprehensive review of several key ideas related to this topic.
3. As a review at the end of the two year course before sitting for the international examination. Since the segment makes clear connections with so many other topics, this is a great way for students to review a variety of topics.
4. As a means for students to develop specific addition reaction examples. Since the video segment focuses on the mechanics of addition reactions, there are no examples of real-life addition reactions provided. By having this background knowledge of the subject matter, students will then be to research this type of reaction and be able to explain the everyday occurrence of this type of reaction. This should make their understanding more relevant and should make them take note of the world around them.
5. As a means for students to journal about how scientists are certain about this type of abstract chemical reaction. How can scientists be certain of their claims? Why would this type of reaction be important to the person on the street? Where would we be without this type of reaction? What would have been some limitations early chemistry would have been faced with?
6. As a means for students to discuss why learning such as this is important?
7. As an example for a class project on creating a science video for junior high science students. One of the best ways to demonstrate sound mastery of subject matter is to teach the material to someone else. By having students create videos that are fashioned after this video format, which will be used in junior high for the same reasons this video is useful for my students.