Chemistry Studio

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Chemistry Studio
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Joy WalkerM.S. Chemistry Urbana
ChampaignTruman College since 1982
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Wheres the chemistry?
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Seven Principles of Good Practice
By Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson

• Good practice in undergraduate education
• encourages contact between students and faculty
• develops reciprocity and cooperation among
  students
• encourages active learning
• gives prompt feedback
• emphasizes time on task
• communicates high expectations
• and respects diverse talents and ways of
  learning.

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What has changed in education in the last 50
years?
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July 1945 Some Observations On the Teaching
of Chemistry By Charles H. Stone
Dependence upon the textFailure to use
demonstrationsLack of resourcefulnessFailure
to follow up the subject Failure to enunciate a
general principle Failure to use practical
tangibles in place of textbook intangibles Too
much telling The inane question
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A Vision of Students Today
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So now we ask, how is the studio classroom
different?
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We make things.
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Smoke Bombs
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Molecular Models
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Density Column
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Synthesis of iodine
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chocolate mousse
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pH paper from cabbage juice
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We work in groups.
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Specific heat of an unknown metal
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double and single replacement reactions in well
plates
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non-newtonian fluids
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Precision versus accuracy
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We cut and paste.
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We keep detailed laboratory notebooks.
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We use computers.
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Data acquisition from a temperature probe
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Real time preparation of sample for GCMS
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Guest speaker Dr. Abrams introduces GCMS to
General Chemistry students
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We use our website.
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In order to spend so much time with activities,
demonstrations, projects and laboratories it is
essential to off load some of the rote learning
this is where programmed drills become important.
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Students must be motivated to work very, very
hard in the class and outside of it. While this
creates an intense and, in many cases, very
successful learning experience some students
cannot keep up. This is especially true of
students who enter the class without the proper
preparation or with too many competing
activities job, family, other classes.
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Assessment plays a key role in identifying
students at risk for failure. Student
ambassadors, when they are available, provide
peer tutoring and encouragement to those who fall
behind.
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We explore the chemicals around us.
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List of Demonstrations and ActivitiesJune
3rd KNEX activity describing accuratelyJune
4th Testing old paint chips for leadJune
8th Test for electrolytes using a light
bulb Production of carbon dioxide using
downward displacement of water Removal of
carbon dioxide using sodium hydroxide June
9th Reaction of Hydrochloric acid with limestone
(calcium carbonate) June 10th Production of
Hydrogen from sulfuric acid and zinc Detonation
of hydrogen Production of acetylene gas from
calcium carbide and water Combustion of
acetylene in air June 11th Reaction of nitric
acid with copper pennies Reaction of
hydrochloric acid with copper/zinc pennies June
15th Boiling at reduced pressure June
16th Cold pack ammonium nitrate and
water Cold pack ammonium nitrate and barium
hydroxide octahydrate Hot pack hand warmers -
oxidation of iron June 18th Crystallization of
sodium thiosulfate
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June 23rd Flame test with a variety of salt
solutions June 25th Ultraviolet light
detection, filtering (using fluorescent
beads) Sherlock Holmes Case copper plated
iron, synthesis of verdigris June 29th Rayleigh
Scattering (Tyndall Effect) in milky water June
30th Sparklers Balloons for VSEPR
Theory models July 2nd "Blood" demo Synthesis
of the blood-red colored complex
pentaaqua(thiocyanato-N)iron(III),
Fe(NCS)(H2O)52July 6th Eggs and osmotic
pressure July 7th Synthesis of Prussian
Blue July 8th Non-Newtonian fluids oobleck
(cornstarch)July 9th Science Advisor Bones
Episode July 13th Immiscible liquids water and
petroleum distillates Breaking down polystyrene
foam in acetone July 20th Analysis of
DranoJuly 21st Reaction of ammonium hydroxide
and hydrochloric acid
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We work on projects.
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We celebrate birthdays.
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We share our enthusiasm with others
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Poinsettia
as pH indicator.
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We study chemical bonds and make human bonds.
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Truman College Chemistry 121 with Professor
Walker Spring 2009
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We learn and we have fun.
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• What I liked about the class I liked all the
  demos we did, which put our experiences into
  context. I especially liked the stories -- The
  Black Bucket, etc. -- because they made you
  interested in chemistry outside the class. I also
  like how we switched around from topic to topic
  because nothing went stale in your mind for
  example, how we would go right from a thermochem
  worksheet to a gas laws worksheet and back. It
  makes you think more about problem solving than
  just memorizing rules for equations.
• chemistry student

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As concerns our summer chem 201 class, I must
say  you did teach it well and i do enjoy your
methodology. The fact that you dont just teach
chemistry but you demonstrate how chemistry
affects our daily lives makes the chem 201 class
interesting. I wish you continue with that same
method but above all was your very nice and
understanding nature. You were ready to help all
student no matter how deficient they were in
chemistry. To that, I say Kudos. I hope we meet
again as I continue to take classes in
chemistry. chemistry student
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I think it was very helpful, we were able to
research topics at the very moment that we were
unsure of something, rather than saving it for
later and forgetting about it. I honestly had a
great experience and learned a lot more from the
way the course was taught and also learned a lot
from the class demos. It was a bit challenging
due to the shortened amount of time we had
because of summer and with a full-time
job. chemistry student
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What I liked most about this course was that
class was lively and often interesting with demos
/ labs and lots of class participation. I was
kept interested, which is a great feat for a
summer 4 hour chem class. Everything was
awesome, the studio classroom (lab) is the best
classroom Ive ever been in, hands down. The
online integration was great, the technology /
material aspects of the course were flawless. I
havent taken any other classes since high
school, but I will say this was the hardest class
I have taken yet. I am a finance / marketing
major, and this was completely out of my element,
and above my skill / knowledge level. However,
Im pretty sure I passed, which I would say is
quite impressive on both our parts. chemistry
student
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I was very impressed with the variety of
technological media used in the course and the
instructors competence in using it (which is not
always the case in my experience). Very
contemporary education. The class ranks in the
top 5 science courses I have taken in my
collegiate career. The instructor had high
expectations and standards for her students which
promoted higher performance of the
class. chemistry student