Athens Drive High School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. David Ollis, NC State University
Sponsor: NSF Science and Technology Center at NC State
Making Chemistry Relevant to High School Students
Capitalizing on the chemistry students encounter in everyday life, Kenan Fellow Lisa Hibler is partnering with the NSF Science and Technology Center at North Carolina State University to make current issues real for her science students. Her lessons will cover a wide range of topics. Some think alternative energy is key to the United State’s energy policy for the future. Ms. Hibler believes an informed public will help shape this decision. Therefore, as an integral part of their chemistry course, her students will study various alternative energy options: solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, plug-in hybrid vehicles, a house that heats and cools itself, biofuels and ethanol production. In the area of human health, students will calculate the energy required, expended and balanced in biological processes. They will determine the calories derived from food and balance that with calories used during physical activity. They will also investigate the potential of nanotechnology in everyday applications.