Re: photo chemistry in the classroom

Ryuji,

Once again, you've got interesting questions and a lot of answers.

This will be a regular 10th grade chemistry class. I've got five or six
sessions with them. I could do a silver gelatin, but it doesn't need to be.

The goal of the residency isn't set yet, so this is still an open question.

I'll have 25 students at a time, so doing a project that requires full
darkness is out of the question. I'd like to do something that they can
do in a darkened classroom with the regular ventilation. (masks,
glasses, gloves and aprons are a given.)

I really want them to get a chance to mix their own chemistry - to get a
sense of the magic of photography, and also an idea that there was
something before digital.

Ideally, it would be beautiful when it's finished.

Thanks also for the bibliography. I'll look up your references.

Barry

Ryuji Suzuki wrote:

>Can you define the goal (scope) of the course? Are those high school
>students at least familiar with regular darkroom process? Somehow I
>get an impression that you are aiming at processing of silver gelatin
>print material, but is that so?
>
>In that case, one subject of a lab session may be a Metol-ascorbate
>print developer (or Phenidone-ascorbate print developer, though
>weighing 0.2g/L may be an issue). I can supply well tested formulae
>that are simple to prepare.
>
>If you want to prepare sensitizer for a lab, I'd consider cyanotype or
>something not silver-gelatin.
>
>Though I don't know of any high school level textbook, these books may
>find useful when designing an introductory course:
>
>Mitchell, E. N. 1984. Photographic science. Wiley.
>
>Stroebel, L., Compton, J., Current, I. and Zakia,
>R. 1986. Photographic materials and processes. Boston: Focal Press.
>
>These books are out of print but there's plenty of supply in used
>market. An abbreviated version of the latter is still in print from
>Focal Press, with the word "Basic" in the title.
>
>Many older books that are written for darkroom amateurs may sound easy
>to understand for many photographers, but they are full of errors and
>misconceptions and I do not think it is a good idea to dig up the
>graveyard regardless of the level of students.
>
>I think teaching through lab experience requires a different approach
>from teaching by lecture. Also, the approach will be very different
>depending on whether you want to give a how-to workshop or to teach
>the principle of how things work. These may not be very clearly
>defined for your audience but relative weights of these should guide
>your direction. (and those two books have slightly different colors in
>this sense)
>
>--
>Ryuji Suzuki
>"Well, believing is all right, just don't let the wrong people know
>what it's all about." (Bob Dylan, Need a Woman, 1982)
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Wed Apr 6 21:14:21 2005