Chemistry

and Culture

Intended Audience

The Chemistry and Culture Workbook is designed for high school students that can be used to augment general chemistry curriculum or serve as a stand alone curriculum such as a summer program. Students learn standard operating chemistry lab techniques in a kitchen setting through incorporation of safe, green, chemistry instruction in everyday cooking and baking. These materials also integrate cultural exploration and relatability into each lesson plan to ensure the unity between chemistry and different cultural perspectives. The curriculum is intended for use in:

    • 100-level non-science at community college or university

    • Home-schooling

    • Low-resource schools - kitchen based

Features

Historically excluded students (underrepresented minorities, females, low income, disabled, etc.) pursuing college degrees are faced with unique challenges that often result in them leaving science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and health science fields. The goal of the Chemistry and Culture Workbook is to engage students from diverse backgrounds and encourage a sense of belonging within the STEM and health science fields.

  • Native American culture and stories are emphasized but instructors can modify to include examples from their student demographics – examples will be provided with the instructor manual

  • Curriculum includes the work from two Native American chemists – Dr. Naomi Lee who is Onodowaga (Seneca) and Dr. Joslynn Lee who is of Diné (Navajo), K’awaika (Laguna Pueblo) and Haak’u (Acoma Pueblo).

Contents

  • Lab Safety

  • Kitchen Safety

  • Waste Management

  • Periodic Table and Atomic Structure

  • Significant Figures, Reading Labels, Unit Conversions, and Measuring Volumes/Mass

  • Density Calculations

  • Stoichiometry: Pancakes vs. Crepes

  • Separations, Liquid Measurements, and Solution Preparation

  • Saturated Solutions and Recrystallization

  • Biochemistry: Proteins, Enzyme Lactase, and Acid/Base Chemistry

  • Supply list and slides available with an instructor copy

REActivites To Try

REActivities lab 3 Measuring.pdf

Significant Figures, Reading Labels, Unit Conversions, and Measuring Volumes/Mass

REActivities lab 7 Recrystallization.pdf

Saturated Solutions and Recrystallization

Chemistry and Culture REActivities Workbook

Interested in adopting the REActivities workbook for your Chemistry and Culture lab? Click below to see how you can access the workbook and even customize a lab manual through Lab Library from Xanedu.

Contact Information:

Dr. Naomi Lee

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Northern Arizona University

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

928-523-7379

Naomi.Lee@nau.edu

The authors acknowledge our ancestors and their contributions to chemistry.

The REActivities team is grateful for the generous support of the National Science Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute for their generous support with our design and development of these materials.