An Undergraduate Laboratory Curriculum Based on ChemToy2

The power of observation is a human ability, but our work with ChemToy1 (J. Chem. Educ. 96, 1431-1437 [2019]) and ChemToy2 shows that undergraduates are quite weak in this important power. Thus, we have developed and promoted ChemToys to quantify power of observation and to improve this important ability. As well, we have developed an undergraduate laboratory curriculum to be conducted with ChemToy2. Students receive a ChemToy2 at the first laboratory and observe it over the next week to see all unique states and changes (41 possible). At the next session, students submit their ChemToy2 and observations for scoring and continue to develop their power of observation as they study Photochemistry. Over the ensuing weeks, they will investigate Nanochemistry, Green Chemistry, States of Matter, Discontinuity, Beer's Law, Light Scattering, and others. This curriculum is appropriate for General- or Analytical Chemistry; individual experiments might be used in a variety of laboratory settings.