|
Chemistry in
Print |
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This is
an Individual Project |
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You will read a book
containing a chemistry component, write a
book report and construct a three
dimensional art project illustrating a
chemical concept fundamental to the thesis
of the book. You may choose a book from the
suggested reading list or select any book
with an element of chemistry. Your typed
book report must be in a folder with a
decorated cover. The art work on the cover
should be inspired by the book. To explain
your three dimensional art work, you will
included a 3 X 5 index card describing the
chemical concept the model depicts and the
significance of the concept to the premise
of the book. |
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Book Report Format |
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Introduction |
| Here you want to provide basic information
about the book, and a sense of what your
report will be about. You should include: |
| Title (underlined)/Author |
| Publication Information: Publisher, year,
number of pages |
| Genre |
| A brief (1-2 sentences) introduction to the
book and the report/review. |
|
Body |
|
There are two main
sections for this part. The first is an
explanation of what the book is about. The
second is your opinions about the book and
how successful it is. There are some
differences between reports on fiction or
other imaginative writing and reports on
non-fiction books. But for both, a good
place to start is to explain the author's
purpose and/or the main themes of the book. |
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Part 1:
An Explanation of What the Book is About;
For Fiction or Other Creative Writing: |
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Provide brief
descriptions of the setting, the point of
view (who tells the story), the protagonist,
and other major characters. If there is a
distinct mood or tone, discuss that as well. |
|
Give a concise plot
summary. Along with the sequence of major
events, you may want to discuss the book's
climax and resolution, and/or literary
devices such as foreshadowing. But, if you
are writing a review, be careful not to give
away important plot details or the ending. |
|
Part 1:
An Explanation of What the Book is About;
For Non-Fiction: |
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Provide a general
overview of the author's topic, main points,
and argument. What is the thesis? What are
the important conclusions? |
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Don't try to summarize
each chapter or every angle. Choose the ones
that are most significant and interesting to
you. |
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Part 2:
Analysis and Evaluation |
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In this section you
analyze or critique the book. You can write
about your own opinions; just be sure that
you explain and support them with examples.
Some questions you might want to consider: |
| Did the author achieve his or her purpose?
|
| Is the writing effective, powerful,
difficult, or beautiful? |
| What are the strengths and weaknesses of the
book? |
| For non-fiction, what are the author's
qualifications to write about the subject?
Do you agree with the author's arguments and
conclusions? |
| What is your overall response to the book?
Did you find it interesting, moving, or
dull? |
| Would you recommend it to others? Why or why
not? |
|
Conclusion |
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Briefly conclude by
pulling your thoughts together. You may want
to say what impression the book left you
with, or emphasize what you want your reader
to know about it. |
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Chemistry
Suggested Reading List |
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(Shared by
members of AP Central’s AP list serve) |
| Atom: Journey across the Subatomic Cosmos, by Isaac Asimov
1992 |
| Hacking matter: Levitating Chairs, Quantum Mirages, and the
Infinite Weirdness of Programmable Atoms, by Will McCarthy
2004 |
| World Records in Chemistry, by Seeger, Faust and Siemeling
1999 |
| The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry by Gonick and Criddle 2005 |
| Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, by David Klein 2003 |
| Degrees Kelvin: A Tale of Genius, Invention and Tragedy, by
David Lindley 2004 |
| Botzmann's Atom: The Great Debate that Launched a Revolution
in Physics, by David Lindley 2004 |
| Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, by Oliver
Sacks 2002 |
| A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson 2003 |
| Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth and
Beyond, by Lawrence Krauss 2001 |
| Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces that Shape the Universe,
by Martin Rees 1999 |
| Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Le
Couteur and Burreson 2003 |
| Transforming Matter: A History of Chemistry from Alchemy to
the Buckyball, by Trevor Levere 2001 |
| Last Sorcerers: The Path from Alchemy to the Periodic Table
by Richard Morris 2003 |
| Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry by Pattison
Muir 1997 |
| The Periodic Kingdom: A Journey into the Land of the
Chemical Elements by PW Atkins 1995 |
| The 13th Element: The Sordid Tale of Murder, Fire and
Phosphorus by John Emsley 2002 |
| Oxygen, the Molecule the Changed the World by Nick Lane 2004 |
| The Genie in the Bottle: 64 All New Commentaries on the
Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Joe Schwarcz 2001 |
| Molecules at an Exhibition: Portraits of Intriguing
Materials in Everyday Life, by John Emsley 1999 |
| That's the way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All New Commentaries
on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life, by Joe
Schwarcz 2002 |
| Street Smart Chemistry: Emergency Response Guide featuring
Weapons of Mass Destruction by Lindley and Appleton 2003 |
| Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way it
Comes Apart by Mark Eberhart 2003 |
| Stuff: The Materials the World is Made Of, by Ivan Amato
1997 |
| What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained, by
Robert Wolke 2002 |
| What's Cooking in Chemistry? : How Leading Chemists Succeed
in the Kitchen, by Bell, Feuerstein, Gunter and others 2003 |
| Visions of the Future: Chemistry and Life Science, by
Michael Thompson 2001 |
| Thieves, Deceivers, and Killers: Tales of Chemistry in
Nature, by William Agosta 2002 |
| Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint
Time of Death by Jessica Sachs 2002 |
| What the Corpse Revealed, by Hugh Miller 2000 |
| Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History,
Chemistry, Use and Abuse, by Paul Gahlinger 2003 |
| Crucibles the Story of Chemistry, Jaffe |
| Thomas A. Edison, Chemist, Vanderbiltt |
| Molecular Origami, Hanson |
|
The Big Bang, a History of Explosives,
Brown |
| A Chemical History Tour (Lavishly illustrated), Greenberg, |
| Ideas in Chemistry, Knight, |
| Invitation to Chemistry, Garard |
| From Alchemy to Chemistry Parrington & Read are in Dover
reprints |
|
A short History of Chemistry,
Parrington |
