Science is an integral part of any school curriculum; aside from the requirement to recall specific definitions, formulae and equations, it promotes and develops the key skills of questioning, observing, recording, analysing and evaluating, all without subjectivity or bias.
Many students, past and present, have studied hard and obtained good grades without perhaps appreciating the relevance of what it is that they are learning. One does not have to look far to identify current issues that are linked in some way to science: covid vaccines, autonomous vehicles, renewable sources of energy, materials and recycling to name but a few. There is huge need now, perhaps arguably more than ever, to ensure that students are conscious of the relevance of concepts that are taught at school in addressing current global challenges.
Today’s students have fast access, through the internet and various social media platforms, along with traditional news broadcasting outlets, to a huge array of news stories (both real and fake) and it is easy to think of oneself as being an expert in an issue, without fully appreciating the broader picture or background information.
Students are used to hearing about carbon emissions and carbon footprints in the media, yet the formula of carbon dioxide is not always presented correctly as CO2, for example it may appear as CO2 or CO2. Nitrous oxide, N2O, is another greenhouse gas, and the formula would mean something altogether different if an O (letter) and 0 (number) are interchanged. Students are taught a significant amount about the correct way of representing chemicals – not least so that they do not lost a mark in their external examinations!
The world is facing a set of environmental challenges not encountered by previous generations. In 2015, President Obama referenced one of America’s governors as saying:
‘…we are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation to do something about it.’
In Year 8, students learn about the chemistry behind climate change. They have been taught about the ‘natural greenhouse effect’ and the ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’. In fact, without any greenhouse gases at all, the Earth’s temperature would be well below 0 °C and humans would be very unlikely to survive. In Year 12, the A-level chemists take the idea further and learn that some covalent bonds (covalent bonding is met in Year 9) absorb infra-red radiation at a specific resonance frequency and this cause the atoms to vibrate faster.
Whilst not directly linked to global warming, a number of students are concerned (rightly in my view!) about our use of materials and the issues surrounding waste and recycling. Year 8 students are introduced to a family of materials called ‘polymers’ and their use in the plastics industry. They have discussed recycling, not just in terms of chemistry, but also in terms of economics and human behaviour. Polymers are revisited throughout the chemistry curriculum, notably in Year 11 where students cover addition and condensation polymers, and at A-level where students look even further at biodegradability, encounter mechanical and feedstock recycling, along with the related issue of carbon neutrality.
The reduction of the hole in the ozone layer is an example of what can be achieved when there is scientific knowledge and political will and cooperation to understand an issue and identify what
needs to be changed to reverse or fix a problem. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was agreed which caused countries to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Students meet halogenated organic chemicals in Year 11, and A-level chemists learn about the mechanism through which CFCs destroy the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol is a wonderful example of science and politics working hand in hand and should enable us to see what can be done when the will is there.
A solid chemistry education provides students with the skills of identifying and understanding issues and working methodically to come to a solution.
By Mrs K Taylor, Teacher of Chemistry, Charities Co-ordinator, Portsmouth High School, GDST
