Experimenting with Danger- CSB safety Video

Submitted by Sheila Smith / University of Michigan- Dearborn on Thu, 03/02/2017 - 12:19
Description

This 2011 video by the Chemical Safety Board is a very serious and moving motivation for adopting safe practices in the chemical laboratory.  It focuses on two recent and very real safety issues in University labs (UCLA, 2008 and TTU, 2010 ), both of which have shaken the educational research community to result in positive change. 

I have shared a "SafeShare" link so that you will not have to listen to ads, and if you choose to play the link in your classroom, you will not see all the Youtube ads on the screen.  

Iron Catalysts for Lactide Polymerization

Submitted by Anthony L. Fernandez / Merrimack College on Fri, 01/27/2017 - 21:11
Description

This set of questions is intended to guide students through an excellent article by Jeff Byers and co-workers that describes the us

calistry calculators

Submitted by Adam Johnson / Harvey Mudd College on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 18:17
Description

I just stumbled on this site while refreshing myself on the use of Slater's rules for calculating Zeff for electrons. There are a variety of calculators on there including some for visualizing lattice planes and diffraction, equilibrium, pH and pKa, equation balancing, Born-Landé, radioactive decay, wavelengths, electronegativities, Curie Law, solution preparation crystal field stabilization energy, and more.

I checked and it calculated Zeff correctly but I can't vouch for the accuracy of any of the other calculators. 

Understanding the Mechanism of Grubbs-Catalyzed Olefin Metathesis

Submitted by Richard Lord / Grand Valley State University on Wed, 12/28/2016 - 10:42
Description

A literature discussion has been developed for two courses: (i) a more basic set of questions appropriate for a sophomore level course or, possibly, a one semester upper level course that does not spend much time on organometallics, and (ii) an in-depth, in- and out-of-class set of assignments appropriate for an organometallics unit or course. Both sets of questions explore the mechanism of olefin metathesis in first- and second-generation Grubbs catalysts using a variety of spectroscopic kinetic techniques that were presented in the paper Sanford, M. S.; Love, J. A.; Grubbs, R. H. J.

Safety is job one

Submitted by Alice / Villanova University on Fri, 09/16/2016 - 13:12
Description

This five slides about came to be from a discussion that happened after Marta Guron and Jared Paul gave a talk at the Philly ACS in Fall 2016. This is a modified version of a presentation given to all chemistry students regarding the proper handling and disposal of chemicals. Certain details will need to be modified to fit your individual institutions. The particular focus of the slides is for students to learn to turn to SDS sheets before using chemicals and to be able to read the labels on chemicals and understand the associated safety concerns.

Developing a rubric for a learning object

Submitted by Joanne Stewart / Hope College on Fri, 07/08/2016 - 15:46
Description

A rubric articulates the expectations for an assignment and enables faculty to assess student work in a rapid and consistent manner.

This Five-Slides About was developed for the TUES 2016 workshop Organometallica at University of Michigan. It was presented in conjunction with Chip Nataro's modeling of the development of a literature discussion learning object (Ligand effects in titration calorimetry from the Angelici lab).

Introduction to Atom Economy and the Hydroamination Reaction

Submitted by Eugene Chong / University of Michigan on Fri, 07/01/2016 - 02:04
Description

This 5 slides about introduces the term "atom economy" as a means for undergraduates to start thinking about the efficiency of synthetic reactions. While this term may not be the best measure of the overall process of a reaction (as it ignores other factors such as solvents and materials used in purification), it provides a nice introduction to a concept on green chemistry. An example of an atom economic reaction, hydroamination, is briefly highlighted as it is an important ongoing research area. Notes for the instructor are included in the slides.

Chemical Information Available on the Web

Submitted by Matthew Riehl / Minnesota State University, Mankato on Thu, 06/30/2016 - 22:21
Description

This exercise introduces students to many chemical resources found on the internet.  Rather than being geared for upper-division chemistry majors, much of the material introduced is appropriate for freshmen and sophomore level students (although more advanced students will also benefit from the exercise).  The “web guide” contains links to many search engines and resources with brief descriptions of each while the “web report” has a number of exercises that asks students to search for chemical information.  The assignment is self-guided; students are encouraged to choose topic of interest t

Zones of Catalysis: Only the Metal? A literature Discussion of Outer-Sphere Hydroboration

Submitted by Santiago Toledo / St. Edward's University on Thu, 06/30/2016 - 14:51
Description

This literature activity is designed to introduce students to the concept of outer-sphere hydroboration catalytic reactions. It can be used after hydrogenation and hydroboration reactions have been introduced in class (typically covered in organic chemistry). Additionally, this activity allows students to apply their understanding of redox chemistry, acid base chemistry, and physical techniques to characterize products and elucidate reactions mechanisms.

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