The Piedmont Highlander

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The Piedmont Highlander

The Piedmont Highlander

Readmont transports students to Mars

Readmont+transports+students+to+Mars

Imagine being stranded on Mars. Limited food. Limited water. Limited oxygen. A barren desert of a planet. Your crew has left you and you must now use science to survive on a new planet.

This year, as part of the chemistry curriculum, both honors chemistry and regular chemistry students will explore some of the science behind this year’s Readmont novel, The Martian, by Andy Weir.

Readmont is Piedmont’s version of the “One City, One Book” project, which strives to unite a community.

“[The intent is to] bring people together over a common thing,” librarian Susan Stutzman said.

The Martian follows the fictional story of astronaut Mark Watney as he tries to survive after being stranded on Mars.

“I thought it was really interesting, really funny, high engagement level,” Stutzman said.

In the past, Readmont novels like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba, and The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley have focused on social issues prominent in  the United States and abroad.

“In the past we’ve chosen books that have tried to expand our horizons,” Stutzman said. “Books that are set in different countries, or are about different diversity issues. But this year, we really went a different direction.”

JordanMarcusReadingBecause the book is deeply rooted in accurate science, the Honors Chemistry and Chemistry classes have decided to incorporate ideas from the book into their curriculums.

“When I first read it last year, I saw that this would be perfect for reading chemistry,” chemistry teacher Tom Huffaker said. “It’s really fascinating how much research went into it.”

Chemistry students have been reading the book as well as doing worksheets that correspond to what happens in the novel. It is this diversion that Huffaker said he believes to be more engaging that the regular curriculum.

“It [learning from the novel] is not sitting around reading a textbook, it’s doing something they’re interested in,” Huffaker said.

Chemistry student sophomore Anders Bjork has enjoyed the incorporation of the book into his science class.

“It’s generally just to get a good background for actually using chemistry and being able to see real world applications,” Bjork said.

Bjork also liked how the two subjects were taught combined.

“Life isn’t about science, it isn’t about reading,” Bjork said. “It’s about science and reading. It’s about everything mixed together. It [the novel] is a great way to blend the two things together.”

Huffaker stressed the importance of realizing the connection between chemistry and the real world as well.

“It’s important for them to see the connection, and while they’re not going to get stranded on Mars, they now can appreciate what can be done if you understand chemistry, get an appreciation for how powerful it is, how relevant it is to living,” Huffaker said.

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