Winstead Angela J, McCarthy Pumtiwitt C, Rice Daria S, Nyambura Grace W
Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, United States.
J Chem Educ. 2022 Jan 11;99(1):402-408. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00494. Epub 2022 Jan 3.
The COVID-19 pandemic redefined how chemistry laboratories were taught. It also introduced a racial health disparity for Black and Brown people. The General Chemistry I laboratory curriculum at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD, was redesigned to meet student needs during this challenging time. While surrounded by civil unrest and uncertainty, we wanted to reach our underrepresented students in a way that they felt seen and heard. "The Mystery of Mr. Johnson" series was designed to reinforce the role chemistry can serve in advancing equity in their community. This interconnected series of three experiments (Solutions, Titration, Spectroscopy) developed chemistry laboratory skills which were applied to diabetes, a COVID-19 comorbidity, and health disparity highly prevalent in Baltimore. "The Mystery of Mr. Johnson" series provided opportunities for students to gain exposure to the role of chemistry in addressing a health disparity that impacts their community. The culminating project was a public service announcement to communicate lifestyle changes and the prevalence of diabetes in the black community.
新冠疫情重新定义了化学实验室的教学方式。它还揭示了黑人和棕色人种在健康方面的种族差异。马里兰州巴尔的摩市一所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）的《普通化学I》实验室课程进行了重新设计，以满足这一充满挑战时期学生的需求。在被内乱和不确定性包围的情况下，我们希望以一种让代表性不足的学生感到被关注和倾听的方式与他们取得联系。“约翰逊先生的谜团”系列旨在强化化学在促进他们社区公平方面所能发挥的作用。这个由三个相互关联的实验（溶液、滴定、光谱学）组成的系列培养了化学实验室技能，这些技能被应用于糖尿病（一种新冠并发症）以及巴尔的摩极为普遍的健康差异问题。“约翰逊先生的谜团”系列为学生提供了机会，让他们了解化学在解决影响其社区的健康差异方面所起的作用。最终项目是一个公益广告，用于宣传生活方式的改变以及糖尿病在黑人社区的流行情况。
