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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Basic Laboratory Skills Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:15:31 AM Author: "Fitzgerald, Edward C." <Edward.Fitzgerald**At_Symbol_Here**TRINCOLL.EDU>

Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Biology Specimen Disposal Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2014 10:12:09 -0500 Author: Janet Baum

I kind of feel that everybody is overestimating high school chemistry classes. Due to regulations, costs, knowledge, etc?, many of our high school kids aren?t doing much of anything in terms of formal training for labs. They are using copper sulfate, baking soda, vinegar, a few bases, and some muriatic acid for the majority of their experiments. And, with this, they have 1 2-place electronic balance, some bunsen burners that may or may not leak at the bottom, and simple test tubes and beakers. They have 43 minutes to do lab (and that includes getting them in the room, taking roll, any instructions you may have). Add to that the fact that many of the class standards do not include laboratory skills, and one can see why lab tends to fall away more often than not.

Now of course they are not all equipped this way, but a lot of them are, and so these kids may or may not have anything before coming to a University.

We treat our incoming students (beginning classes) as if they have never had a lab before. For those who have, the beginning is a refresher - while for those who haven?t, it?s a welcome response to their nerves. By the time they are seniors we do expect some serious things from them, but leading up to that is our job, and why we are here.

That?s probably not the answer you wanted, but in my opinion it is what is happening, at least in a few states (Indiana included - but many of our students coming here have very poor lab skills).

Don?t interpret this as bad, we can turn them around. I?d put our graduating seniors against any, but for those coming in to college, we?ve had to adapt to try to include rather than exclude.

Dave (can you tell it?s summer ;)

On Jun 3, 2014, at 10:03 AM, James Keating wrote:

> I would include lab safety: PPE, Fire Safety, hazardous gas generation , fume hood procedures, ventilation verification etc.
>
> Jim Keating
>
> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Wayne Wood
> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 7:03 AM
> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Basic Laboratory Skills
>
> Segregating/prepping the wastes upon completion of the experiment.
>
> Wayne Wood | Associate Director, University Safety (EHS), University Services ? Directeur Adjoint, Direction de la pre´vention (SSE), Services universitaires | McGill University | 3610 rue McTavish Street, 4th floor | Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1Y2 | Tel: (514) 398-2391
>
>
>
>
> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Dawn Fogleson
> Sent: Monday, June 02, 2014 6:17 PM
> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Basic Laboratory Skills
>
> The old saying: Always Add Acid. You can never stress that enough.
> Jon C.Fogleson, CHMM
>
>
> On Monday, June 2, 2014 4:03 PM, Frankie Wood-Black wrote:
>
>
> OK - I am working on a few different things all of which require a listing of basic laboratory skills for general chemistry - i.e. those things they should have learned in high school science. There is no definitive list out there - and in fact - I am not finding a good one at all.
>
> Here is my list:
>
> - measuring to the proper significant figures
> - Using a triple beam balance
> - Transferring liquids
> - mixing liquids and solids
> - Heating materials
> - smelling a liquid
> - Pipeting
> - titration
> - writing a laboratory report
> - using a bunsen burner
>
> What others should be on the list?
>
>
>
> --
> Frankie Wood-Black, Ph.D., REM, MBA
> Principal - Sophic Pursuits
> 6855 Lake Road
> Ponca City, OK 74604
> fwblack**At_Symbol_Here**cableone.net
> 580-761-3703

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