Chemical Education Today

www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 83 No. 2 February 2006 • Journal of Chemical Education 199

Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2006: Dig It!

JCE Resources for Chemistry and Soils Wby Erica K. Jacobsen

This annotated bibliography collects the best that pastissues of JCE have to offer for use with the 2006 ChemistsCelebrate Earth Day theme, “Dig It!”. Each item has beencharacterized as an activity, calculation, demonstration, experi-ment, or informational; several fit more than one classifica-tion. The most recent articles are listed first. An indicationof the levels the article may serve are included. Articles thatappeared adaptable to other levels, but not designed explic-itly for those levels, are labeled “poss. h.s.” “poss. elem.”, and

so forth. Since all references are to Journal articles, they appearin abbreviated form, including only year, volume, page.

WSupplemental MaterialThe full text of all articles described in this resource

paper are available in this issue of JCE Online.

Erica K. Jacobsen is Associate Editor, Secondary School Chem-istry, Journal of Chemical Education; jacobsen@chem.wisc.edu.

Resources for Chemistry and Soils✰

A homemade filtration column made with activatedcharcoal, sand, and gravel filters out dirt, leaves,vinegar, rust, and cooking oil.

photos: J. J. Jacobsen and E. K. Jacobsen

Reducing the Use of Agrochemicals: A Simple Experi-ment. Vidal, M. M.; Filipe, O. M. S.; Cruz Costa, M. C. 2006,83, 245.

Experiment; coll./poss. h.s.Students prepare a controlled-release fertilizer using gelatin gels,and compare a controlled-release system to the water-soluble form.

The Extraction and Isolation of Saltpeter from NiteredSoil. A Curriculum Alignment Project for a First-YearHigh-School Chemistry Course. Criswell, B. 2006, 83, 241.

Experiment; h.s./coll.Students determine how to extract and isolate saltpeter from(artificially) nitered soil, in a long-term inquiry project.

Soil Testing: Dig In! Fanis, L. N.; Jacobsen, E. K. 2006, 83,240A–B.

Activity; h.s./coll./poss. elem.Students collect soil samples and characterize them by examiningtheir physical appearance, water-holding capacity, pH, and sedi-mentation.

An Interactive Environmental Science Course for Edu-cation Science Majors. Lunsford, S. K.; Slattery, W. 2006, 83,233.

Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem.Describes a course for education majors that uses environmentalfieldwork and includes collecting samples of rocks, soils, and fossils.

News from Online: Digging Up Earth DayResources. Caldwell, B. A. 2006, 83, 201.

Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem.Describes multiple Web sites that relate to soil chemistry.

Research Advances: Eating Clay?; Look to Soil for NewLeads in Arthritis Treatment; The Fate of Tetracyclines.King, A. G. 2006, 83, 186.

Informational; h.s./coll.Presents recent research related to geology and soil, such as howbacteria present in soil could be useful in arthritis treatment.

Sedimentation Time Measurements of Soil Particles byLight Scattering and Determination of Chromium,Lead, and Iron in Soil Samples via ICP. Todebush, P. M.;Geiger, F. M. 2005, 82, 1542.

Experiment; coll./poss. h.s.Students study soil samples using light scattering to determinecolloid sedimentation rates and measure the quantity of chro-mium, lead, and iron with an inductively coupled plasma spec-trometer.

Novel Strategies for the Removal of Toxic Metals fromSoils and Waters. Roundhill, D. M. 2004, 81, 275.

Informational; h.s./coll.Collection of information about toxic metals, including where theytend to occur, their toxicities, and remediation strategies.

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The inorganic components of soil—clay,silt, and sand—have separated into lay-ers (right) after a sedimentation test.

Chemical Education Today

200 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 83 No. 2 February 2006 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org

Chemists Celebrate Earth Day 2006: Dig It!

A poster from the AmericanGeological Institute and theSoil Science Society ofAmerica is pictured on thecover of JCE’s December2001 issue, reminding usthat “Soils Sustain Life”.

JCE’s June 1978 covershows teachers on a geo-logical field trip, in prepara-tion for teaching a new cur-riculum on the chemistry ofrocks and minerals.

A Simulation of the Interaction of Acid Rain with SoilMinerals. Schilling, A. L.; Hess, K. R.; Leber, P. A.; Yoder, C. H.2004, 81, 246.

Experiment; coll./poss. h.s.Students simulate the effect of soil minerals on acid rain by pass-ing a sulfuric acid solution through columns containing variousminerals. The resulting solutions are titrated and analyzed.

Water Filtration. Jacobsen, E. K. 2004, 81, 224A–B.Activity; all levels

Students construct a water filtration column with gravel, sand, andactivated charcoal and use it to filter water that contains dirt,leaves, vinegar, rust, and cooking oil.

Arsenic in Drinking Water—A Global EnvironmentalProblem. Wang, J. S.; Wai, C. M. 2004, 81, 207.

Informational; h.s./coll.Discusses the contamination of groundwater with arsenic, whichcan enter groundwater systems from weathering and leaching ofarsenic minerals in rocks and soil.

Humic Acids: Marvelous Products of Soil Chemistry.Davies, G.; Ghabbour, E. A. 2001, 78, 1609.

Informational; h.s./coll.Provides extensive background information on humic acids, a keycomponent of soil.

Measuring Soil Phosphates Using Ion-ExchangeResins: A Final Project for Freshman Chemistry. Storer,D. A.; Sarquis, A. M. 2000, 77, 748.

Experiment; coll./poss. h.s.Students investigate why there is a phosphorus deficiency in soilwhen lime and phosphate fertilizers are applied simultaneously.

Chemical Analysis of Soils. An Environmental Chem-istry Laboratory for Undergraduate Science Majors.Willey, J. D.; Avery, G. B. Jr.; Manock, J. J.; Skrabal, S. A. 1999,76, 1693.

Experiment; coll./poss. h.s.Students obtain a representative sample from a bulk soil sampleand perform various tests on the sample.

Our Microscopic Universe. An Interdisciplinary CourseExamining Natural Phenomena Using Geology, Phys-ics, and Chemistry. Jansen, S. A. 1997, 74, 1411.

Informational/Activity; h.s./coll.Describes a course for elementary education majors that integratesgeology, physics, and chemistry. Describes field trips, such as to alimestone quarry, and each trip’s relation to science concepts.

Test Tube Geology: A Slowly Developing Redox Sys-tem for Class Study. Cortez, J. A.; Powell, D.; Mellon, E.1988, 65, 350.

Demonstration/Experiment; h.s./coll./poss. elem.A layered mixture using readily available materials is prepared ina small test tube. Students observe and discuss the changes theysee in the system over a period of several days.

Soil pH as a First Experiment in Quantitative Analy-sis. VanDoren, J. B. 1987, 64, 447.

Experiment; h.s./coll.Students bring in soil samples, determine how to obtain a repre-sentative sample, and measure the pH of soil slurries.

Hard Rock. Feinstein, H. I. 1981, 58, 435.Calculation; h.s./coll.

Problem from “Brain Tingler” feature. Uses densities of quartzand zircon in a rock for calculations by mass and volume.

Soil Analysis for High School Chemistry Students.Eisenmann, M. A. 1980, 57, 897.

Experiment; h.s./coll.Students test soil samples for polyatomic ions, pH, nitrates, andiron. Includes pre- and post-lab questions. Subject of letter tothe editor: Soiled Chemistry. Crouse, W. C. 1984, 61,268.

The Chemistry of Rocks and Minerals. A New Inter-disciplinary Curriculum for Secondary Schools. Pezaro,P.; Mazor, E.; Samuel, D.; Ben-Zvi, N. 1978, 55, 383.

Activity/Informational; h.s./coll./poss. elem.Describes a course for high school students that combines chem-istry and geology. Describes activities used in the course, such asidentification of samples and qualitative analysis of ground min-erals.

Analysis of the Earth’s Surface. A Course in Analyti-cal Chemistry. Fulkrod, J. E. 1976, 53, 513.

Experiment/Informational; coll./poss. h.s.Describes a course in soil sampling and analysis. Lists commonexperiments (with references to experimental methods) coveredin soil analysis, and other related topics that could be discussedin class.

Geology as a Part of the College General ChemistryCourse. Streng, E. F. 1955, 32, 611.

Informational; h.s./coll.Presents ways to integrate geology concepts into topics alreadyused in chemistry courses, and reasons why this integration isdesirable.

Edmund Ruffin, Soil Chemist of the Old South. Ihde, A.J. 1952, 29, 407.

Informational; h.s./coll.Describes the life and work of soil scientist Edmund Ruffin, alongwith the scientific significance of his work.