365: Chemistry for Life

365: Chemistry for Life, from the American Chemical Society. http://iyc2011.acs.org/
The American Chemical Society (ACS) created 365: Chemistry for Life as part of the 2011 International Year of Chemistry (IYC) for public outreach on the role of chemistry in everyday life. The site features an interactive calendar with topics of the day. Each entry provides a brief example of chemistry in a historical context with additional material for further reading, such as the history of women in chemistry or the science behind self-darkening eyeglasses. Content is excerpted from various ACS journals and other relevant Web sites and organizations. Daily topics that include environmental, energy, materials, and health issues alternate; a drop-down topic index allows site visitors to select a specific area of interest. Users may e-mail stories or share them via social networking tools. The monthly IYC Virtual Journal highlights the "many ways in which chemistry improves everyday life for people around the world." The site also encourages student chemistry organizations to engage in science-related events and share results. The Take Action! Section features Community Outreach Activities, Planning Resources and Ideas, and IYC Worldwide Events. The outreach section offers suggestions for helping teachers and students organize events that highlight science topics, including Water in the Environment, Alternative Energy, Materials, and Health. Links include teaching plans, puzzles, career profiles of chemists, online resources for K-12, and presentations for instruction and independent student discovery. Overall, a useful resource for raising an awareness of the importance of chemistry. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, general audiences, and primary and secondary school teachers and their students. -- M. C. Brown, University of California, Irvine  Reviewed in the July 2011 issue of ACRL's CHOICE.