The case study method has been widely used in professional schools of business, medicine and law. Recently it gains popularity in undergraduate colleges and universities. In stead of traditional teaching, students will be reading literatures on real cases and then come to the class with questions to discuss. The instructor will lead the discussion. The advantages of such teaching are to increase the critical thinking skills for students and stimulate their learning. In addition to the discussion in the classroom, students will be involved with the engaging hands-on laboratory activities that are directly related to their case study to further enhance their learning.<br/>A new course “chemistry and art” based on the case study method has been developed. This is an interdisciplinary course that aims for students to explore different chemical concepts and techniques through the lenses of art and art history. The topics covered may include the following: carbon dating of art/texts; paint and painting (pigments, dyes, and binders); stained glass; pottery and porcelains; and art conservation. Drawing from early artistic texts, we will take a historically informed approach in connect medieval stained glass techniques, early pigmentation sourcing, and Qin dynasty pottery work to modern chemical explanations. Unlike the large, traditional chemistry lecture classes, this new course, with fewer students, will be taught in an engaging, new style where lectures, discussions, lab activities, and writing are totally integrated in each class period and the chemistry principals and techniques behind art objects and art-making will be introduced to students through a series of case studies. Students will be required to write and present a research paper at the end of the semester. In addition, they will carry out several inquiry-based laboratory activities that are closely related to the topics discussed in class to further their understanding of the chemistry behind the art. For example, students will be asked to read the case study on the statue of liberty and then in the class, the topics such as the historical and culture significances and the urgent needs for the conservation due to the corrosion will be discussed. Hands-on activities associated with the corrosion and conservation of the statue of liberty have been developed and will also be implemented.<br/>

Teaching chemistry and art through engaging case studies and hands-on activities

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.