The oversized periodic table—that familiar tabular arrangement of chemical elements ordered by atomic numbers and electronic configurations— hangs high in Room 201 of Hayden for all students to see. And therein lies the challenge. “This atomic world, that periodic table is totally abstract—you can’t see atoms,” chemistry teacher Jim Loughrie said. “So what we have to do is teach students to think abstractly about concrete things. We have to show them how this periodic table has real applications in the physical world to solve problems.” The power duo of Mr. Loughrie, a deeply experienced high school science teacher with a penchant for classroom creativity, and Dr. Alli Akagi, a newly minted Caltech Ph.D. with exacting expectations and a passion for all-girls education, have been at the forefront of student engagement in what we are calling “The Year of Chemistry.” A peek inside Mr. Loughrie’s class shows the dynamics at work for first-time chem students. “Chemistry,” he told his students, “is like an adventure story—you think you know the plot, but be prepared for the unexpected. Think of the periodic table as your vocabulary words and equations as your sentences,” he explained. >>
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POSTSCRIPTS 2018
