Chem Students Swing On Vines in Laboratory

Chemistry 10, "Foundations of Chemistry," is "the hardest, nastiest, dullest course you'll take at Harvard," according to this year's Confidential Guide. And now, thanks to an innovative new manual, the labs are a jungle.

The manual, "Chemistry Safari," was written by Paul Ma '92 and is intended to improve the way students learn in chemistry labs. It is written in the form of a jungle guide in which an explorer, Jafari, leads the student through the complexities of chemical research.

"The jungle is like chemistry; it's full of surprises. I wanted to take the students out of the kitchen and recipe-style labs and show them how a young scientist thinks," Ma said.

Baird Professor of Science Dudley R. Herschbach enthusiastically praised Ma's new philosophy in lab work. The creation and discovery of new compounds is more important to the study of chemistry than the detailed measuring and reporting of most college labs, he said.

"Synthesis is much more at the heart of chemistry," Herschbach said. "Things happen, beautiful things, colors change and come floating down."

Herschbach said although he and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Philip A. Ainfinrud, helped to edit Ma's work, the idea for the manual came entirely from Ma.

"Paul is the spark plug. He carried the ball. He was a teaching fellow for two years and head teaching fellow last year so he saw several years of a steadily changing lab," Herschbach said. "He still wasn't satisfied. He knew what didn't work and he cut that all out and gave a new kind of experience to students."

Herschbach added that Ma's manual provides "amore holistic rating scheme." The process, headded, is "more mature. Students receive 100percent if the performance of the experiment andwriteup is at an acceptable level. If it is notacceptable, they get a request for revision."

Working amidst African tribal masks and drumsas well as the more conventional beakers and testtubes, some students said the labs were enhancedby the Safari influences.

Michael C. Su '96 said the format "makes itclearer and more interesting than a normalcookbook-style lab."

"Some of the animal business gets a bit corny,but it's got to be one of the best ways I've seento present a lab," said Jeremy M. Vanerwele '96.

His lab partner, Jon E. Kossw agreed, "I thinkit's a bit childish in its presentation, but intheory, I think it's going to teach us better labtechnique.

Herschbach added that Ma's manual provides "amore holistic rating scheme." The process, headded, is "more mature. Students receive 100percent if the performance of the experiment andwriteup is at an acceptable level. If it is notacceptable, they get a request for revision."

Working amidst African tribal masks and drumsas well as the more conventional beakers and testtubes, some students said the labs were enhancedby the Safari influences.

Michael C. Su '96 said the format "makes itclearer and more interesting than a normalcookbook-style lab."

"Some of the animal business gets a bit corny,but it's got to be one of the best ways I've seento present a lab," said Jeremy M. Vanerwele '96.

His lab partner, Jon E. Kossw agreed, "I thinkit's a bit childish in its presentation, but intheory, I think it's going to teach us better labtechnique.