Benign by design: Integrating green chemistry into the home school curriculum

CHED 1599

Kathryn E. Parent, k_parent@acs.org and Mary M. Kirchhoff, m_kirchhoff@acs.org. Green Chemistry Institute, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Integration of green chemistry into the home school curriculum offers safe access to investigative learning opportunities traditionally restricted to more highly equipped laboratory environments. In partnership with the ACS Education Division, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute actively promotes green chemistry education. This presentation will provide an overview of educational resources available through the American Chemical Society, with particular emphasis on programs and resources relevant to teaching chemistry in the home school situation. ACS community outreach programs (National Chemistry Week and Chemists Celebrate Earth Day) provide convenient platforms for connecting with the chemical community on a regional basis. High school materials emphasize hands-on activities that illustrate the key concepts of green chemistry. Online web resources such as Greener Educational Materials for Chemists (GEMs; http://greenchem.uoregon.edu/gems.html)and the Green Chemistry Resource Exchange (www.www.greenchemex.org) provide access to green chemistry information to users at home and abroad. The presenter will also draw on her experiences as a formerly home-schooled student.