Interdisciplinary connections of the topic «high-molecular compounds» in the high school chemistry course



Interdisciplinary connections in school education are a concrete expression of the integration processes taking place in science and society today. These links play an important role in improving the practical and scientific-theoretical training of students, the essential feature of which is the mastery by students of the generalized nature of cognitive activity. From this point of view, studying the topic «High-molecular compounds» in the school course of chemistry with the establishment of interdisciplinary integration with other school subjects seems particularly necessary.

Keywords: intrasubject connections, polymer, monomer, polymerization reaction.

One of the main functions of chemistry as a fundamental discipline is to create theoretical basis for students to master special disciplines successfully. Formation of systematic thinking of students is characterized by the approach to the studied material object or phenomenon as a whole system consisting of many interconnected elements [1, 2].

The formation of system thinking is possible on the basis of systematic consideration of theoretical material and the use of interdisciplinary links between chemistry and other disciplines.

The main didactic function of interdisciplinary links is a consistent reflection in the content of natural science disciplines of objective interrelations operating in nature [2].

Chen S. believes that interdisciplinary links are the principle of learning, according to which the study of new program material is built taking into account the content of the subjects [3].

Jones C. argues that interdisciplinary links — a reflection in the academic knowledge of the unity of connections, interdependencies of phenomena of the objective world, that is a reflection in the learning process of one of the essential regularities of the surrounding reality [4].

In addition to these, you can often find the third definition: interdisciplinary links — mutual consistency of educational programs, textbooks and methods.

According to Stentoft D., the first two definitions reveal this or that functional feature of interdisciplinary links. As for the third definition, it can not be considered satisfactory, as it replaces the expression «connection», «interrelation» with synonyms «coherence», «contact» [5].

The use of interdisciplinary links is one of the most difficult methodological tasks for a teacher of chemistry, which requires, first of all, knowledge of the content of programs and textbooks for other subjects. Without the cooperation of a chemistry teacher with teachers of other subjects, the implementation of interdisciplinary links in teaching practice is impossible.

In realization of interdisciplinary connections the teacher of chemistry will be helped by the individual plan developed by him/her. The methodology of the teacher's creative work in such a plan should go through a number of stages, namely:

1. Study of the program on chemistry, its section «Interdisciplinary connections», pro-grams and textbooks on other subjects, additional scientific, popular science and methodical literature.
2. Lesson-by-lesson planning of interdisciplinary links, using course and thematic plans.
3. Development of means and methods of realization of interdisciplinary links at specific lessons (formulation of cognitive tasks, homework, selection of additional literature for students, preparation of necessary textbooks and visual aids for other subjects, development of methodical ways of their use).
4. Development of methods, preparation and realization of complex forms of education organization (generalizing lessons with interdisciplinary links, complex seminars, excursions, classes of the circle, elective courses on interdisciplinary topics, etc.).
5. Development of methods for monitoring and evaluating the results of interdisciplinary links in learning (questions, assignments to identify students' skills in establishing interdisciplinary links).

Planning interdisciplinary links allows the teacher to successfully implement their methodological, educational, developmental and educational functions; to provide all the variety of their types in the lessons, in students' homework.

To implement interdisciplinary links it is necessary to select the material, i.e. to determine those chemistry topics that are closely intertwined with the topics from the courses of other subjects.

The basis for the classification of interdisciplinary links can be based on different criteria. The most famous chronological criterion. A distinction is made between connections related to, preceding, and prospective in relation to the studied subject.

According to the information criterion, we distinguish factual, conceptual, and theoretical connections. An important role is also given to the specificity of connections between different subjects.

In the topic «High-molecular compounds» interdisciplinary connections are mainly of the preceding or accompanying character. The links with biology are factual and conceptual, with physics — theoretical and conceptual, with mathematics — theoretical, with geography — factual.

The complex approach to the selection of the teaching material for the realization of inter-subject links includes:

1) analysis of the educational material of the chemistry course in order to identify the issues that require interdisciplinary coverage;

2) analysis and selection of material from related disciplines, connections with which are realized in the educational process;

3) dosage (preference of one material to another, based on the priority goals of realization of interdisciplinary links) of interdisciplinary material and prognostication of the results of interdisciplinary synthesis.

For the formation of systemic thinking it is important not only to show interdisciplinary links to the student by a teacher or textbook, but also their independent search for various thought operations, including the formation of action as an external speech. The data from methodological studies show that at the initial stages of chemistry students' training, independent search for interdisciplinary connections and their application to solving specific chemistry problems is extremely difficult and ineffective. Perhaps this is caused by the unaccustomedness of the interdisciplinary approach for students. It is necessary to accustom schoolchildren to such a systematic approach since elementary school.

The subject of high-molecular compounds is one of the most saturated interdisciplinary links in the school chemistry course. Basically, these are links with the school biology course. This is due to the fact that the main active substances of a living organism (proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates) are of macromolecular nature. The authors of school textbooks constantly apply the connection with biology when compiling textbooks, tasks and exercises. The interdisciplinary relationship with biology also predetermines the order in which the topics in a school chemistry course are studied. General biology, including the chemical bases of biological processes, is studied by students in grades 10 and 11. Therefore, it is expedient to inform students about biological macromolecules at the end of 11th grade when the general properties of high-molecular compounds (at chemistry lessons) and their role in biological processes (at biology lessons) have already been studied.

Meanwhile, in addition to biology, there are many other subjects at school. We have made a table (Table 1) which shows school subjects and their relationship to the topic «High-molecular compounds».

Table 1

Interdisciplinary connections of the topic «High-molecular compounds»

Subject	Relation to the topic «High-molecular compounds»
Biology	Biological compounds as the chemical basis of life.
Physics	Notion of mechanical properties of bodies, stress and deformation, plasticity and elasticity
Mathematics	Calculation of average polymer parameters (degree of polymerization, molecular weight), statistical distribution of macromolecules by the number of links
History	Technological revolution caused by the widespread use of polymers.
Geography	Relation between the production of polymeric materials and the hydrocarbon sources
Art	Use of polymers in technical kinds of art
Physical culture education	The use of equipment made of polymeric materials. Some sports games cannot function without elastic bodies (soccer, basketball, volleyball). Chemical nature of muscle contraction.
Drawing lessons	An eraser as an example of elastomer usage

The study of high-molecular compounds is most closely connected with the subjects of the natural sciences cycle, such as mathematics, physics and biology. It is also closely linked to labor education. For example, in the course of economic geography you can pay attention to the location of polymeric materials production and sources of raw materials for them oil and gas.

Without polymers art history lessons cannot do without them: the invention of films is indispensable for the invention of cinema. Physical education lessons would not be as fun without the use of equipment made of polymer materials.

Due to the fact that the breakage of a growing chain during a polymerization reaction is a random process, the distribution of macromolecules by length (by the number of links) can be described within the framework of the mathematical theory of probability. The concept of average value is widely used in the characterization of polymers. Since when studying the behavior of a macromolecule it is necessary to simultaneously consider a large number of interrelated atoms, the science of polymers is one of the most mathematical fields of chemistry. Such a «twist» can attract the attention of young mathematics buffs to polymers.

The peculiarities of the mechanical properties of polymers cannot be understood without knowledge of such concepts as strain and stress. Physical concepts such as «plasticity» and «elasticity» usually have to be introduced by a chemistry teacher.

There are many other examples of interdisciplinary connections to this topic.

There are three reasons for studying high-molecular-mass compounds in a school chemistry course. Their presence points to the material science, biology and chemistry aspects of this topic.

Thus, the topic «High-molecular-weight compounds» has an enormous potential of interdisciplinary connections, which it would be wrong not to use.

References:

1. Bruce A., Lyall C., Tait J., Williams R. Interdisciplinary integration in Europe: The case of the Fifth Framework programme. // Futures, 2014. V. 36(4), P.457–470.
2. Beisenbaeva A. Organization of the educational process on the basis of interdisciplinary communication: study guide for university students. // Journal of Environmental and Science Education Almaty, 2015, P. 85–97.
3. Chen S., Hsu I C., Wu C. M. Evaluation of undergraduate curriculum reform for interdisciplinary learning. // Teaching in Higher Education, 2009, V. 14(2), P. 161–173.
4. Jones C. Interdisciplinary Approach—Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies. // ESSAI 2009, Available online: http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/26 (accessed on 22 October 2019).
5. Stentoft D. From saying to doing interdisciplinary learning: Is problem-based learning the answer // Act. Learn. High. Educ. 2017, V. 18, P. 51–61.