Teaching Chemistry with teaching aids: Jacob’s ladder

SUMMARY

This article explores an innovative approach to teaching organic chemistry concepts using Jacob’s ladder. The authors developed teaching aids to help students understand the complexities of benzene derivatives, including structural formulas, IUPAC naming conventions, and the effects of substituents on benzene rings.

Jacob’s ladder was adapted to demonstrate dualities such as full structural versus line-angle formulas, preferred versus systematic IUPAC names, and the roles of ortho-, para-, and meta-directors. The teaching aids were used in lectures for advanced placement high school students and non-chemistry majors, enhancing their comprehension and engagement.

Jacob’s ladders are constructed with materials like printed benzene structures, cardboard, strings, and fasteners. These aids illustrated concepts such as the space-filling and ball-and-stick models of benzene, the relationship between structural and line-angle formulas, and the directing effects of substituents during electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions.

Quiz results and student feedback indicated that Jacob’s ladder-based aids were effective in improving understanding and retention of the material. The article

highlights the importance of creative and hands-on teaching tools in making complex chemistry topics more accessible and enjoyable for students. The

authors advocate for the continued development of innovative educational aids to inspire and engage learners in the study of chemistry.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING CHEMISTRY

Enhanced Student Engagement:

The use of Jacob's ladder as a teaching aid makes learning more interactive and enjoyable. This method capitalizes on the visual and kinesthetic learning styles, helping students to better understand and retain complex chemical concepts. The physical manipulation of the teaching aid provides a tangible way for students to visualize the transformations and dualities of benzene derivatives, making abstract concepts more concrete.

Improved Comprehension of Complex Concepts:

The teaching aids effectively break down the dualities of benzene derivatives into simpler, more understandable components. By using a familiar and engaging tool, students are able to grasp the distinctions between full structural and line-angle formulas, as well as between different naming conventions. This method also helps in understanding the directing effects of various substituents in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, which are typically challenging topics in organic chemistry.

Applicability to Various Educational Levels:

The Jacob’s ladder-based teaching aids can be adapted for different educational levels, from high school advanced placement students to non-

chemistry majors in college. This flexibility allows educators to tailor the complexity of the lecture to the background knowledge of their students, ensuring that the teaching aids are accessible and effective for a wide range of learners.

BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING OTHER SUBJECTS

Cross-Disciplinary Applications

The principles behind the Jacob's ladder-based teaching aids can be applied to other subjects that involve complex dualities or transformations. For example, in mathematics, similar tools could be used to illustrate the duality in geometry or algebraic transformations. In physics, they could help visualize wave-particle duality or other dualistic concepts.

Promotes Active Learning

The success of the Jacob’s ladder-based approach underscores the importance of active learning strategies in education. By engaging students in hands-on activities, educators can foster deeper understanding and retention of material. This approach encourages students to actively participate in the learning process, rather than passively receiving information, which is beneficial across all fields of study.

Development of Innovative Teaching Materials

The positive outcomes from using Jacob’s ladder-based teaching aids highlight the value of developing and utilizing innovative, non-traditional teaching materials. Educators are encouraged to think creatively and explore unconventional methods to enhance learning. This can lead to the development of a variety of new teaching aids that make learning more dynamic and effective.

In conclusion, the use of Jacob’s ladder-based teaching aids for illustrating the dualities of benzene derivatives not only enhances the teaching and understanding of organic chemistry but also serves as a model for innovative

educational practices across disciplines. By making learning more interactive and engaging, these teaching aids help students grasp complex concepts more effectively, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes.

Article Title: Design of Jacob’s ladder-based teaching aids for illustrating the dualities of benzene derivatives

Authors: Ryo Horikoshi and Hiroki Nakajima

Journal: Chemistry Teacher International                  Publication Year: 2024