Based in New York, Annette Sebuyira is a retired Guilderland High School chemistry teacher with over 30 years of experience. Annette is a Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher and is doing inspiring work to advance green chemistry education. Currently, she is involved in creating a green chemistry lab book for New York educators and is a co-facilitator of the New York State Master Teacher Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team.

In this Q&A, Annette shares more about the projects she’s working on, how she’s brought green chemistry into her classroom, and her hope for the future of green chemistry.

How have you brought green chemistry into your classroom?

I have adapted my labs to embrace the 12 Green Chemistry principles and modified most of my labs so we can use less hazardous materials. Two good examples are Equilibrium and Types of reactions. Equilibrium reactions are best taught and explained visibly (color change) or tangibly (temperature change).

The traditional chemistry labs rely a lot on the heavy metal (transition elements), which are famous for their colorful salt solutions but have hazardous effects on both health and the environment. However,the green chemistry based lab can achieve the same colorimetric effect through a combination of less hazardous household materials such as Butterfly Pea tea. The effect of temperature on equilibrium is easily obtained through a starch-Iodine complex. The vivid changes lend themselves to an inquiry lab, in which students are immersed in an engaging discovery process.

How have you seen students get excited about green chemistry?

Students come to my class with diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and misconceptions. Students who have had successes are excited to learn, while students who have had fewer successes come with a belief that they are not good at science. This second group can come to the class less curious or enthused about chemistry.

So when I start each year, the most important thing for me is to get to know each of my students as individuals. I want to be aware of the different stressors at home and in school. This helps me identify factors that may influence their ability to engage in the learning process. I owe it to every individual student that I equip them with the tools and knowledge that lead them to safer lab practices and prepare them to make sustainable decisions in their social responsibility and for the environment.

Since we use safer, green chemistry labs, all our labs can be discovery labs. For instance, I have students mix different household substances without revealing what the outcome should be. Then students work collaboratively to identify the chemistry reaction that is happening based on their observations. The materials used are safe, common household products, which allow reproductions and do-overs without the risk of harming students or the environment. (For example: combining water, indicator, rock salt, and baking soda in a sandwich baggie!)

I also lead students through exercises comparing traditional and green chemistry labs. We use a hazards chart and they compare the traditional textbook compound to the compounds used in the green chemistry labs. From this, students can successfully defend the choice of the chemicals used in class, just as they would in a real-life lab, based on the health and environmental impacts

It is gratifying to observe when my second-year chemistry students — who may have had me as a teacher in the 10th grade — are eager to educate new members who are now in the 12th grade class about the less hazardous and safe practices.

What projects are you currently working on? Why are they important for the field of green chemistry?

In my tenure with Beyond Benign, I have worked on a variety of green chemistry projects from curriculum development to leading professional development trainings. Currently, I am focused on advocating for and training educators in green chemistry in New York and building a regional community of practice here.

I am currently involved in a collaborative authoring of a lab book of green chemistry principles to be shared with New York State teachers. This book is for physical science teachers of all K-12 levels, and is a manual that is aligned with the NGSS and State (both New York and Colorado) Science Learning Standards. The aim is to guide and share green chemistry practices with educators, whether they are new to green chemistry or veterans. Each of the topics included is disseminated into three levels: elementary, middle school, and high school. The book also includes a phenomena-based unit, which is an in-depth, multi-lesson guide.

I am also currently serving as a co-facilitator of the NYS Master Teacher Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team, which aims to:

• Drive awareness and build interest in green chemistry education and clean-ups in high school classrooms;
• Introduce teachers to green chemistry concepts and replacement labs through green chemistry webinars lead by Beyond Benign Lead Teachers; and
• Train New York educators to implement green chemistry curriculum in their classroom.

This summer, I will be leading the online course, Advanced Green Chemistry: Connections to Our World, for all High School teachers in the US, which will provide an in-depth dive into the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, to practice green chemistry pedagogy and procedures in their classrooms. Students will review green chemistry technology analysis through the study of Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge winning projects, gain an understanding of how to incorporate toxicology into their curriculum, and delve into the application of green chemistry to student STEM activities and inquiry projects.

What are your hopes for the future of green chemistry education?

I am hoping that green chemistry education becomes the norm, so we do not have to use the word green, and all chemistry by itself is benign.

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week is coming up in April. What’s an activity you do with your students that might inspire other educators?

My students and I do a STEM immersion show for all the 5th graders in our district (approximately 250 students). All the activities use safe household products — a green chemistry celebration!

Are you a New York-Based K-12 educator? Check out our New York website to stay up-to-date on resources and learning opportunities!