At my school, chemistry is an elective science. My students are honors and AP level students, sophomores, juniors and seniors who have chosen to challenge themselves and expand their scientific knowledge. They will constantly ask when we are going to do another lab or if there is a lab that goes with a specific topic. My AP students in particular are very vocal about how much they enjoy the lab component of the course because it helps them really grasp the central concepts.
Last semester, in honors chemistry lab, a student asked his lab partner a question and the lab partner responded "Oh, I remember this from class!" as she quickly pulled out her notes and proceeded to answer the question.
A common practice in my classroom is that students will shout "lightbulb!" to alert me that they finally understand a concept they've been struggling with.
Last year, 13 of 127 students were AP level. This year, 20 of my former honors students have signed up for AP Chemistry and 11 more have listed it as their alternate choice. They are eager for this new challenge and we are slowly growing AP Chem at our school.
My Project
A spectrophotometer is a powerful tool used in most chemistry related fields including: water quality analysis, food analysis, chemical compound research, drug discovery and design, medical analysis, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry and biomedical research.
Knowing how to read and analyze spectrophotometer data will set students who choose to pursue a career in a chemistry related field strides ahead of their classmates.
Students who do not choose to pursue a chemistry related field will still benefit from the hands on experimentation that ties into several units in the classroom.
By giving my students the ability to work with a spectrophotometer over the course of several lab investigations we can ensure that they are up to date with lab techniques that they can apply in their college experiences and, potentially, in their careers.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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