Author Institution: Chemistry Department, Stivers High School, Dayton, Ohi

Strahler, Violet

The Ohio Journal of Science

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A BRIEF EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION OF AN IMPORTANTDEVICE IN HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHING1VIOLET STRAHLER2Chemistry Department, Stivers High School, Dayton, Ohio"The project method of teaching" is a dilapidated term. By whatever name,though, a rose is still a rose. And enticing high school students to make models,equipment, displays, or to do a bit of research that will interpret or illustrate ordemonstrate the topic of discussion, is considered by authorities today the mostsuccessful way of teaching high school science. The method not only makesscience more interesting and more easily understood; it lets the teacher reachthe exceptional students at both scholastic ends of the class as well as the majorityin the middle; it is a very effective way to detect scientifically talented youth.In order to encourage this method and to seek the talented, "science days" or"science fairs" have sprung up throughout the United States.Section J of the Ohio Academy of Science sponsors the Ohio Junior Academyof Science and stages annual district science days at six universities as well as anannual state science day which is held at the annual meeting of the Ohio Academyof Science.These science days are unique in that while the final state science day featuresthe best projects from the six districts and the most talented students are theparticipants, many district science-day projects are exhibited by the less endowedstudents, occasionally even a retarded student. He does not receive a superiorrating, but he gets the recognition and warm satisfaction characterizing thescience day atmosphere.Everyone receives a rating indicated by a certificate. Teachers find thatslow students are as proud of their '' good'' ratings as the best students are of their"superior" ratings. One retarded student told his teacher that he had shownhis certificate to everyone on his street and that his mother had telephoned severalrelatives about it!There are no large awards to be won in these fairs. Tuition scholarships tocertain universities of Ohio are given to about twenty seniors. A fifty-dollarprize is offered the school doing the best work. The most important award isthat obtained by every participant—the joy of associating and conversing withothers interested in one's own creative work and the self-confidence and self-respect gained by the experience.Highly favorable and enthusiastic remarks come from the students. Theyenjoy seeing what other students have done. They get new ideas. They learnscience. They become acquainted with the many ramifications of science throughone another. They like the college atmosphere where the fairs are held.It is quite surprising sometimes to see what these youngsters will dream up.It is startling to see how and to what extent an idea is developed by a ninth grader.It is interesting to find out what started a project idea.A member of the National Honor Society, David Dowds of Urbana, receiveda superior rating for the photomicrographic work shown in figure 1. About twoyears ago a series of photomicrographs in a magazine caught David's interest,photography being his hobby. Shown here is a number of tissue micrographshe made with his camera and microscope. He is anxious to do a series of moldsand a series of crystals next. Dave plans to major in biochemistry at Ohio StatePublished with the aid of a grant to The Ohio Journal of Science from the CharlesF. Kettering Foundation.2Membership chairman, Section J, and editor Junior Academy Newsletter.THE OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 54(2): 99, March, 1954.100 VIOLET STRAHLER Vol. LIVUniversity next year. He says that Science Day definitely inspires interest inscience in youth.With the help of an old carpet sweeper, slightly dissected, Edward White, ninthgrader at Jackson High School, melts iron in a cupola which he claims is one-halfinch smaller than "the world's smallest cupola" (fig. 2). It took only three monthsTABLE 1Numbers of participants in State Science Day, April, 1953, by districtsDistrictNorthwestNortheastEastCentralSouthwestSoutheastTotalsDistrictNorthwestNortheastEastCentralSouthwestSoutheastTotalSubjectBotanyChemistryGeologyMathPhysicsZoologyHome Ec.ConservationNumber of Number ofStudents824711513322246Percent of kindsTowns2017589766Number ofSchools252361614993TABLE 2of ratingsPercent ofSuperiorRatings; 44313037643841achieved by eachPercent ofExcellentRatings38484043205741TABLE 3Projects and ratings by subjectsNumber of Percent ofProjects2557103783822Total122651361811PercentSuperior48372033444550Number ofProjects664210512521215districtPercent ofGoodRatings1821302016518PercentExcellent3651306737375050Percent ofTotal Projects31195241110100PercentGood161250191850after his dad suggested the idea to get things smelting. He hopes to make aniron casting of the Boy Scout emblem this summer with his "superior" project.A profession in foundry work beckons Ed who relaxes with music—singing andband work. He anticipates going to college at Antioch. He is quite impressedwith the amount of science he learned at Science Day.No. 2 HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHING 101FIGURE 1FIGURE 2102 VIOLET STRAHLER Vol. LIVAlthough Richard Pavely is only a ninth grade general science student, he isalready well into the science of chemistry as shown by his "superior" rated project,fig. 3. He has rigged up a neat, compact display of his knowledge of electro-chemistry. His heart is set on some sort of engineering profession and he isgrateful to Science Day for enabling him to get a bird's-eye view of projects inmany different scientific fields. Dick, who sticks to the honor roll, is a studentat Purcell High School in Cincinnati.The labs in the Botany and Zoology building at Ohio State University werecramped quarters on Science Day, but that didn't prevent Jo Ann Brodbeck fromscanning the skies with the "superior" reflecting telescope she had spent 100hours making. It is shown in fig. 4. This Archbold High sophomore has reallyfallen for astronomy in a big way. Last year she made an umbrella planetarium,FIGURE 3this year the telescope, and next year—well, wait and see. She's quite versatiletoo. She has taken state honors with her flute, took the state scholarship testin English, is pledged to the National Honor Society, and hopes to become aschool teacher! Either Capital University or Wittenberg will be the lucky winnerin '55.This is merely a sampling of the splendid work displayed at the AcademyScience Day this past year. Tables 1,2, and 3 give a summary of this event. The246 participating students represent only a part of those who exhibited projectsin the district science days; and participants in the district science days representin most schools only a small part of those who actually made projects.Project making, I think, is the most important tool a science teacher has.A class period spent in discussing a student's project recently made is more inter-esting and instructive than anything I know. Projects may be assigned; theymay be suggested; they may be the student's own idea. Projects can be individualNo. 2 HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHING 103things for the introvert; they can be group undertakings for the social-minded.Projects can be simple or complex. The retarded child will enjoy making severalsimple projects. The superior student will think up something complex and willmake it more complex before he stops, if he ever does stop. Some get their dadsand even their mothers to help them. Students give each other ideas. Projectsbring out preseverance in students. They are enjoyed equally by girls and boys.FIGURE 4Many high school teachers feel that our science days present an essentialand unique opportunity in creating interest. It is not a contest; it is a very satis-fying experience for all children, not just the best. "The project method" as aterm is a cliche; as overt reality, it is unrivaled.

A Brief Evaluation and Discussion of an Important Device in High School Science Teaching

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A Brief Evaluation and Discussion of an Important Device in High School Science Teaching

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