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BureauOfBureaucrats t1_jeb2tz9 wrote

I learned a lot in high school chemistry, but the ammonia+bleach thing was covered exactly 0 times.

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Stewkirk51 t1_jebeedk wrote

I remember learning about it in 7th grade. It wasn't in chemistry class, it was because we all read A Child Called It. It was a memoir from someone who experienced horrific child abuse. One of the things his mom did was mix ammonia and bleach and make him clean the bathroom, breathing in the toxic fumes.

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Jintess t1_jebfmmm wrote

Your 7th grade class was reading A Child Called It?

Wow

(When I was in 7th it was either Johnny Tremain or A Separate Peace)

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Stewkirk51 t1_jed1x8d wrote

Trying to make kids appreciate their lives more? Learning empathy? I do remember that 9/11 happened at the beginning of my 7th grade year. I don't know if that affected the curriculum at all. Take it up with my English teacher I suppose.

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RVA804guys t1_jebg85u wrote

Same here! Also… my chemistry course was 100% text book based and we never once touched any lab equipment. (Varina High 2006ish)

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BureauOfBureaucrats t1_jebk584 wrote

I was lucky. My teacher loved using fire in class and was well known in my tiny rural school for having the coolest demonstrations.

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RVA804guys t1_jebmjo6 wrote

That’s awesome!!! I had looked forward to chemistry (and biology, etc) since elementary school and boy was I severely disappointed for all four years 🤣

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Rec4LMS t1_jecghj6 wrote

At John Rolfe Middle school in the 80’s, we had a cool science teacher that did a lot of science experiments. She explained the proper way to mix alkaline and acid. We also got to break fruit that had been frozen in liquid nitrogen.

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RVA804guys t1_jee81wq wrote

That’s awesome! My freshman year I had Ms. Shirey for Biology and that was the best class I’ve ever had.

She was interested, knowledgeable, engaging, and reasonable; something I craved as a kid and still look for today in mentors.

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