VIPEr

Science Skills, Practices, and Resources

Subdiscipline:

Learning Goals:

Faculty will

understand the "backward design" concept
learn to write learning outcomes and assessments using the verbs ("activities") and "products" provided
learn how a rubric can be used to discriminate students' levels of achievement

Implementation Notes:

These slides are a quick and dirty summary of a longer hands-on faculty development workshop I do. They provide an introduction to the Understanding by Design process, help in writing learning goals, suggestions for developing assessments of student learning, and helpful hints for preparing a VIPEr learning object.

Time Required:

15 minutes to read the slides; a lifetime to practice the skill :)

Evaluation

Evaluation Methods:

I hope that faculty will use these slides to aid their writing of learning goals and assessments for the VIPEr site.

9 Oct 2019

2019 Nobel Prize - Li-ion battery LOs

Submitted by Barbara Reisner, James Madison University

Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the Nobel Prize - John B. Goodenough, M. Stan Whittingham and Akira Yoshino. It's a well deserved honor!

There are several LOs on VIPEr that talk about lithium ion batteries and related systems. The 2019 Nobel is a great opportunity to include something about these batteries in your class.

I hope to see more LOs in the coming weeks so we can bring this chemistry into our classrooms!

Subdiscipline:

Bioinorganic Chemistry

Electrochemistry

Solid State and Materials Chemistry

Spectroscopy and Structural Methods

Topics Covered:

Acid-base chemistry

Bonding models: Extended systems

Electron transfer

Extended structure

Solids & solid state chemistry

Physical properties

Synthesis and reactivity

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Course Level:

8 Oct 2019

1FLO: Post-Synthetic Modifications for Tunneling Electrical Connection to the Interior of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Submitted by daniel kissel, Lewis University

Evaluation Methods:

assessment of students will be preformed by grading their answers to the questions in the activity.

Description:

This is a 1 Figure lit discussion (1FLO) based on a Figure from a 2015 JACS article on synthesizing conductive MOFs. This LO introduces students to Metal-Organic Frameworks and focuses on characterization techniques and spectroscopy.

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Solid State and Materials Chemistry

Topics Covered:

Coordination chemistry

Electron transfer

Electronic spectroscopy

Materials chemistry

Nanoscience

Course Level:

Second year

Learning Goals:

As a result of completing this activity, students will be able to...

define what metal-organic Frameworks and Post-synthetic Modifications are
understand MOF terminology and notation
discover how mass transport and electron mobility effect conductivity
calculate energies of electronic transitions in electron volts
make connections betweeen diagrams and material sturctures
compare optical and microscopy techniques
discover the concept of photocurrect and how it could be used in different applications

Subdiscipline:

Nanochemistry

Related activities:

Energy Nuggets: MOF’s for CO<sub>2</sub> Sequestration

Implementation Notes:

Students should be able to complete the activity without any prior knowledge of MOFs, although some introduction to MOFs and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy would be nice.

Web Resources:

Tunneling Electrical Connection to the Interior of Metal-Organic Frameworks

29 Jul 2019

Introduction to Drago's ECW Acid-Base Model

Submitted by Colleen Partigianoni, Ferris State University

Description:

This LO was created to introduce Drago’s ECW model, which is an important contribution to the discussion of Lewis acid-base interactions. Unlike the qualitative Pearson’s HSAB model (Hard Soft Acid-Base model,) the quantitative ECW model can be used to correlate and predict the enthalpies of adduct formation and to obtain enthalpy changes for displacement or exchange reactions involving many Lewis acids and bases. Unlike all other acid-base models, graphical displays of the ECW model clearly show that there is no one order of acid or base strengths, and illustrate that two parameters are needed for each acid and base to provide an order of acid or base strength. The ECW model can also provide a measure of steric strain energy or pi bonding stabilization energy accompanying adduct formation, which is not possible with any other acid-base model.

This set of slides is intended to provide a basic introduction to the model and several examples of predicting energy changes using the model. It also illustrates how to construct and interpret a graphical display of the model.

It should be noted that this LO is not in the PowerPoint format, but instead is a more extensive set of notes for instructors who are not familiar with the ECW model. It could be condensed and rewritten in the more standard PowerPoint format.

There is also an ECW problem set LO that can used to supplement this LO.

Prerequisites:

Molecular Structure and Bonding

Subdiscipline:

Main Group Chemistry

Topics Covered:

Acid-base chemistry

Intermolecular interactions

Course Level:

Corequisites:

Learning Goals:

After viewing the slides, students, when provided with appropriate data, should be able to:

Calculate sigma bond strength in Lewis acid-base adducts using Drago’s ECW model.

Show how to deal with any constant energy contribution (W) to the reaction of a particular acid (or base) that is independent of the base (or acid) when an adduct is formed.

Garner information regarding steric effects and pi bond stabilization energy in Lewis acid-base adducts using the ECW model.

Show using a graphic display of ECW that two parameters for each acid and each base are needed in acid-base models to determine relative strengths of donors and acceptors.

Web Resources:

The ECW Model, J. Chem. Ed. 1996

The ECW Model, Wikipedia

Evaluation

Evaluation Methods:

This LO has not been used yet and evaluation information will be posted at a later date.

25 Jul 2019

1FLO: One Figure Learning Objects

Submitted by Chip Nataro, Lafayette College

Course Level:

First year

Second year

Upper Division

Subdiscipline:

Coordination Chemistry

Electrochemistry

f-block Chemistry

Molecular Structure and Bonding

Organometallic Chemistry

Spectroscopy and Structural Methods

Topics Covered:

Acid-base chemistry

Bonding models: Discrete molecules

Catalysis

Chemical literature

Coordination chemistry

Electron transfer

Electronic spectroscopy

Electronic structure

f-block chemistry

Group theory & applications

Kinetics

Molecular structure

Organometallic chemistry

Symmetry

Synthesis and reactivity

Corequisites:

First Semester Inorganic Chemistry / Foundation Course in Inorganic Chemistry

Prerequisites:

First Semester Inorganic Chemistry / Foundation Course in Inorganic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

9 Jul 2019

Constructing a Class Acid-Base Titration Curve

Submitted by Katherine Nicole Crowder, University of Mary Washington

Evaluation Methods:

Students were allowed to keep working until they had correct pH values, so they were graded on participation. Worksheets were collected at the end in order to construct the titration curve.

This could be collected and graded for correctness.

Evaluation Results:

Students were evaluated on similar questions on the subsequent exam. Most students (12 out of 15) scored 11-13 points on a 13 point question where they had to solve for the pH in the four regions of a strong acid titration curve. 8 out of 15 recieved full credit on a question where they had to calculate the pH in the buffer region of a weak acid titration curve.

Description:

In this in-class activity, each student calculates the inital pH, equivalence volume, and pH at the equivalence point for both a strong acid-strong base and a weak acid-strong base titration.

In addition, each student is assigned a unique volume before the equivalence point and a unique volume after the equivalence point for each titration curve.

The data from the class is then assembled in Excel to construct the two titration curves.

This forces each student to do the calculations for each of the four regions of both types of titration curves. This activity could be used to introduce titration curves or to reinforce previously covered lecture material/problem-solving. It could also be switched to do a strong base-strong acid or a weak base-strong acid titration curve.

The constructed titration curves can be used for further discussions of the differences between a strong acid and a weak acid in terms of initial pH, the rapid-rise portion of the curve, and the pH at the equivalence point.

Learning Goals:

A student should be able to

determine the pH of a strong acid solution
determine the pH of a weak acid solution using Ka
use stoichiometry to calculate equivalence volumes for acid-base titrations
employ limiting reagent calculations to determine acid or base concentrations for different regions of a titration curve and determine pH
determine the pH of a weak base solution using Ka, Kb

Subdiscipline:

Introductory Chemistry

Equipment needs:

notecards with assigned volumes

computer for entering volume and pH data

Course Level:

Corequisites:

Prerequisites:

Topics Covered:

Implementation Notes:

This could be done as an in-class activity (I used a 3 hr lab period - most students took less than 2 hrs) or as a take-home assignment. Students were allowed to use their notes and textbooks. I did not strictly forbid them from working together, but I did tell them that I wanted them to be sure that they could do all of the calculations themselves.

I had an Excel spreadsheet of the correct pH values for each volume (attached). Students were allowed to come check their work with me and continue working if their answers were incorrect. I was also able to help them if they got stuck.

Attached are the student worksheets, the class titration curves, and the Excel file I used to calculate the correct pH values. I chose volumes and molarities that would give me an appropriate number of volumes before the equivalence point. Volumes and molarities should be adjusted as needed for the size of your class.

I used whole number volumes, but I think it would be better to have smaller volume increments near the rapid-rise portions of the curves so it doesn't look like the data "jumps" as much.

Time Required:

1-2 hr

27 Jun 2019

Porphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks

Submitted by Amanda Bowman, Colorado College

Evaluation Methods:

Students completed this activity in small groups, then turned in individual worksheets. Student learning and performance were assessed through 1) in-class group discussion after they had worked on the activity in small groups, and 2) grading the individual worksheets. Participation was most important in the small-group portion.

Evaluation Results:

In general, students really enjoyed this exercise and felt that it was helpful for visualizing metal-organic frameworks (particularly the extended 3D structure). They also generally felt that it was helpful in visualizing the bonding sites of metal vertices, particularly for thinking about how that influences potential reactivity. We used Mercury as a visualization software for this discussion, and the majority of students felt very comfortable using Mercury and looking at cifs on their own after this activity.

The biggest challenge for students seemed to be in relating the 3D structure in the cif to the images and chemicals formulas in the article. They also tended to need some hints about question 5 – to think about what information Mössbauer can provide about oxidation state of the metal, or that you can tell whether or not there are two distinct iron environments. In our class, we do brief units on X-ray crystallography including how to use and interpret cifs, and Mössbauer spectroscopy before this literature discussion. If those topics are not already addressed in a particular class it might be helpful to add them in or directly address those topics for the students as an introduction to the literature discussion.

Description:

This literature discussion explores the physical structures, electronic structures, and spectroscopic characterization of several porphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks through discussion of “Iron and Porphyrin Metal−Organic Frameworks: Insight into Structural Diversity, Stability, and Porosity,” Fateeva et al. Cryst. Growth Des. 2015, 15, 1819-1826, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1021/cg501855k. The activity gives students experience visualizing and interpreting MOF structures, and gives students exposure to some of the methods used to characterize MOFs.

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Topics Covered:

Chemical literature

Coordination chemistry

Diffraction

Electronic structure

Extended structure

Solids & solid state chemistry

Course Level:

Upper Division

Learning Goals:

Students will be able to:

Interpret and describe the bonding and structural characteristics of MOFs
Apply knowledge of ligand field strength to electronic structure of MOFs
Analyze X-ray crystallographic data to gain information about structural characteristics of MOFs
Interpret Mössbauer spectra to gain information about electronic structure of MOFs

Subdiscipline:

Coordination Chemistry

Solid State and Materials Chemistry

Spectroscopy and Structural Methods

Related activities:

Energy Nuggets: MOF’s for CO<sub>2</sub> Sequestration

Implementation Notes:

This literature discussion was designed for use in an advanced (upper-level) inorganic chemistry course, but could be used in a foundational inorganic course if students have already been introduced to d-splitting diagrams and are given some coverage of Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. When covering MOFs in class, students frequently expressed that visualizing and understanding the bonding sites and extended 3D structures was very challenging. So, this literature discussion was developed specifically to address that. Students completed this activity in small groups. It is very helpful to advise students ahead of time to bring laptops (or instructor should have some available) and to have the cifs from the paper downloaded and ready to go. We used Mercury as a visualization software for this activity. This activity can easily be completed in one class period. It is also helpful if students have been provided with the article ahead of time and encouraged to look it over – otherwise the most time-consuming part of this activity was allowing time for students to examine the MOF structure images in the paper before being able to discuss and answer the questions with their groups.

Note on visualization of MOFs using Mercury: To answer the discussion questions, we used the ‘stick’ or the ‘ball and stick’ style. We also used the default packing scheme (0.4x0.4x0.4) and the 1x1x1 packing scheme. The packing scheme can be changed by selecting Packing/Slicing… in the Calculate menu. I also had students view the 3x3x3 packing scheme – while this is not necessary to answer the discussion questions, it was interesting for students to be able to visualize the extended structure of the MOFs.

Web Resources:

Iron and Porphyrin Metal−Organic Frameworks: Insight into Structural Diversity, Stability, and Porosity. Fateeva et al

9 Jun 2019

Inorganic Chemistry

Submitted by Caroline Saouma, University of Utah

9 Jun 2019

An improved method for drawing the bonding MO for dihydrogen

Submitted by Adam R. Johnson, Harvey Mudd College

Evaluation Methods:

When I do this correctly, the students don't accidentally see something which may make immature students giggle.

Evaluation Results:

I have had multiple colleagues tell me that this technique worked for them and saved them from repeating an embarassing classroom event.

Description:

Most of us have probably been there. Discussing homonuclear diatomic MO diagrams and on the first day you want to put up the sigma bonding molecular orbital for H₂. If you teach it like me, you emphasize the LCAO-MO approach, so you draw a hydrogen atom with its 1s orbital interacting with a hydrogen atom with its 1s orbital...and then you notice giggling from the less mature audience members. My technique will help to prevent this from happening. The technique is in the "faculty only" files section.

Learning Goals:

The instructor will draw the bonding MO of dihydrogen without accidentally causing laughter in the class or self embarassment.

Corequisites:

Bonding models: Discrete molecules

Equipment needs:

chalkboard or whiteboard

ability to adjust quickly just in case

Course Level:

Prerequisites:

Topics Covered:

Communication skills

Molecular structure

Professional skills development

Visualization

Subdiscipline:

Molecular Structure and Bonding

Science Skills, Practices, and Resources

Implementation Notes:

I have come close to accidentally drawing the incorrect version of this diagram and I am able to stop myself quickly as illustrated in the instructions.

Time Required:

a minute to learn, a lifetime to master.

9 Jun 2019

Chem 165 2018

Submitted by Adam R. Johnson, Harvey Mudd College

This is a collection of LOs that I used to teach a junior-senior seminar course on organometallics during Fall 2018 at Harvey Mudd College. There were a total of 9 students in the course. The Junior student (there was only one this year) was taking 2nd semester organic concurrently and had not takein inorganic (as is typical).

Subdiscipline:

Organometallic Chemistry

Topics Covered:

Bonding models: Discrete molecules

Catalysis

Chemical literature

Communication skills

Organometallic chemistry