Sucking Up Knowledge

DHS Chemistry teacher, Sean DeWeese, believes that students learn best when exposed to discrepant events that challenge the students’ understanding of how the world works. These experiments often result in a surprising turn of events that engage the students through live demonstrations. Some of the most startling presentations involve the use of a bell jar and vacuum pump. These devices can be used to create an environment inside the bell jar that is drastically different from normal conditions. With the help of a DEF Teacher Innovation Grant, Dr. Deweese was able to purchase a new vacuum pump, to replace the school’s previous pump that had become dated and inefficient. He is now able to conduct more experiments by removing the air from the bell jar which can create surprising effects, such as causing shaving cream and a balloon to expand or making water boil without raising the temperature. The whole science department will have access to the new vacuum pump to conduct experiments in both the physics and chemistry classes.