Sonya Doucette

Threading Climate Justice, an Equity Ethic, and Systems Thinking Through a General Chemistry Course part of Curriculum for the Bioregion:Activities
Using a series of case studies incorporated into lectures, activities, and laboratory sessions, I thread climate justice throughout the first quarter of General Chemistry. Case studies highlight social justice issues exacerbated by the climate crisis, which humanizes abstract chemistry content and engages students with an equity ethic. For some case studies, students use systems thinking to identify the compositions and phases of matter present in real-world environments and contexts.

Salmon, Pacific Northwest Tribes, and the Discovery of 6PPD in Organic Chemistry part of Curriculum for the Bioregion:Activities
The activity begins with a case study about the importance of salmon to Pacific Northwest Tribes (USA) and how they are affected by water pollution. Students learn how high resolution mass spectrometry, fractionation techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance, and some radical chemistry are used to understand the oxidation of tire materials to 6-PPD quinone, which is a chemical that kills salmon. Students also learn how affected communities are addressing the challenges they face and how governments, industry, and the scientific community are responding, as well as ways that individuals can support strategies that address the 6-PPD issue.

Systems Thinking and Civic Engagement for Climate Justice in General Chemistry: CO2 and PM 2.5 Pollution from Coal Combustion part of Curriculum for the Bioregion:Activities
Students apply chemistry to a climate justice case study using a systems thinking perspective in class and discuss the connections between chemistry and climate justice in a conversation with a community outside of the classroom for civic engagement. The instructor offers formative feedback during class time and in response to discussion posts. Feedback is meant to build understanding and application of concepts important to learning chemistry within a systems thinking context and using civic engagement to communicate how chemistry relates to climate justice.