Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry

I'm writing a short abstract for an article I've found useful in approaching organic chemistry: Joseph Mullins article, "Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry," from the Journal of Chemical Education. To find the article, log into the UNCG website, search for the Journal of Chemical Education, and then search for Full Text Options. This should lead you to the Journal of Chemical Education, where you'll be logged in under a UNCG proxy. Here is the citation for the article:

Mullins, J. J. (2008). Six pillars of organic chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 85(1), 83. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212035734?accountid=14604

Joseph Mullins' article "Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry" presents a useful way to approach Organic Chemistry. Mullins suggests that establishing a strong conceptual framework while learning organic chemistry assists students in understanding new material and integrating this material into their existing knowledge. Because the volume of information in organic chemistry can be overwhelming Mullins provides a framework based on six key principles. These six principles are: (1) Electronegativity, (2) Polar Covalent Bonding, (3) Steric Effects, (4) Inductive Effects, (5) Resonance, and (6) Aromaticity. These six principles are chosen for their wide scope and applicability, their ability to interpret information, and their ability to serve as the foundation for other principles or concepts. Mullins discusses each concept and its importance to a general understanding of organic chemistry. Mullins provides visual examples as well as references to biochemistry (presumably due to the importance of organic chemistry in biochemistry). Mullins concludes by discussing how these six principles can be adapted to into course lectures, and notes that discussing conceptual issues in organic chemistry is beneficial outside of organic chemistry courses.