My Notes
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Students are asked to choose a type of reaction from a set list (included), determine appropriate starting materials and the resulting product and present the reaction as though they accomplished it in the laboratory setting (5 min oral presentation with a 1 page paper). I asked the students to perform both a rough draft presentation (to me) and final draft presentation (to all students in laboratory).
This was designed for an organic laboratory; however, it could be modified for an organometallic course using reactions such as Heck/Suzuki/etc. or formation of organometallic compounds although the spectra may be more difficult to find.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Instructions for Reaction Report | 21.49 KB |
Students will be able to:
Describe NMR and IR spectra in an effective and clear manner.
Create a presentation with a logical, linear flow.
Present a chemical reaction
Overhead projector
Laser pointer
I implemented this report in my second semester organic chemistry laboratory. I used it as part of the mid-term and final exam grades. Each student accomplished this assignment on an individual basis. Their oral rough draft was presented only to me with immediate feedback regarding how to improve the presentation. The final draft was presented to the entire laboratory. I evaluated each student according to the rubrics included. All students were required to evaluate the final presentations; however, these evaluations did not affect the presenters grade but were counted toward the evaluators participation score. Evaluation sheets are also included. I observed a variety of thoughtfulness on the part of the evaluators.
I had 14 students in the lab and reserved 15 minute blocks for each student's rough draft. This was somewhat time consuming on my part. I was able to complete the rough drafts on a friday afternoon.
Evaluation
Both the rough draft and final oral and written report were evaluated using the included rubrics. These reports were included into a mid-term and final exam grade for each laboratory student.
The students did well on both reports. The most common issue on the rough draft was a lack of organization and practice and a failure to describe the NMR and IR data in an effective and thorough manner.