Report On “Integrating Materials Science into the Chemistry Curriculum”

Working on the premise that materials science is justifiably an appropriate place to begin teaching chemistry, George Lisensky and Dean Campbell demonstrated in their workshop a series of introductory chemistry laboratory experiments with solid-state chemistry as the focus. For the bulk of the workshop, participants broke up into various size groups, simulating a chemistry laboratory session. A rational ordering of demonstrations in solid-state chemical paradigms to be covered in a typical laboratory section, from unit cells to band theory, was presented. At each stage, the materials used for the laboratory demonstrations were clearly defined, shown to be budget friendly, very safe, and robust enough for student use. All experiments impressed workshop participants that solid-state laboratories are feasible and accessible teaching tools with just as much ability to stimulate students as other fields of chemistry. All the while, a very effective methodology for teaching chemistry through solid-state concepts was demonstrated.