Chemmatters

Have you heard about  Writing Across the Curriculum?  This is one of those trends that comes in vogue in education regularly.  Teachers are often encouraged to get students to write.  I agree!  One technique I have used is to start with an engaging article, such as Tattoos.  No, I’m not promoting tattoos.  However, the topic of tattoos usually generates a lively discussion.  Should you get a tattoo?  Why do people get tattoos?  Are there any risks?  One of my cousins is a tattoo artist.  I talked to him at length at a family reunion about the risks.  Did you know tattoos are addictive?  I didn’t know that before I spoke with Mark.  He also explained many of the reasons people get tattoos.  At the time I spoke to my cousin, I was teaching in a public school.  Many, many, many students there wanted tattoos—often for the reasons mentioned in the article.  This Chemmatters Issue has another article about tattoos and the recipe for ink.  

Here’s how I tackled the writing assignment with tattoos.  First we read an article from ACS about tattoos.  Next, we listed the pros and cons of tattoos.  The kids examined the question, Should you get a tattoo?, in an essay.  They wrote volumes!  Lastly, we did several art labs: Playtime Paint, Make Ink (Try to write with the ink.), Stain Glass Glue, and Colorful Lather Printing.

If you want to avoid the controversy surrounding tattoos, pick a top such as Art, instead.  Here is a Chemmatters article, ‘Authentic or Not?’.