Project Overview

Tenth grade students at High Tech High in San Diego, CA created this book, “Chemistry and Conflict.” It is the final product from a cross-disciplinary project combining chemistry and history.

To create this book, pairs of students worked together to research the relationship between a chemical element or compound to both a historical and contemporary conflict. An example from the book is iron; it’s relationship to the industrial revolution and later, to ship breaking. This project started with extensive research, leading to the writing of a research paper. Each paper includes the discovery of the chemical element or compound, the chemical properties, the historical conflict, contemporary conflict and a proposed solution to the contemporary conflict. Students also made copper etchings illustrations to accompany their writing.

Prior to the publication of this book, students went through a critique process. A student-run editorial board approved each research paper, prior to the teachers reading and providing feedback.

This book is available for purchase through blurb.com.