Stereospecific S[subscript N]2 conversion of configurationally pure acetobromoglucose (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl bromide) to the corresponding beta-D-glucopyranosyl azide is a useful exercise in the advanced organic undergraduate teaching laboratory. The procedure is safe and suitable for small-scale implementation, and firm…

Experimental and investigative work has been an integral element in the teaching of science in schools for many years. Although students have always been taught to work safely, there is now a more general requirement that they will be taught about health and safety and how it should be implemented. That is, they must understand something of the…

Providing a safe classroom and laboratory environment should be the first priority of any career-technical and technology/engineering education instructor. Doing so not only increases the opportunity for student learning, but it also keeps instructors "out of hot water" with respect to legal issues of liability. In today's litigious…

Two new semiquantitative green chemistry metrics, the green circle and the green matrix, have been developed for quick assessment of the greenness of a chemical reaction or process, even without performing the experiment from a protocol if enough detail is provided in it. The evaluation is based on the 12 principles of green chemistry. The…

This study examined the effects of integrating instructional materials in Facebook on students' awareness and practice of laboratory safety. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest two-group design was used in the study. The results indicate: 1.) The exposure to (Online Social Networking-Based Health Education) OSNBHE can improve students' awareness…

"Science is a process of discovering and exploring the natural world. Exploration occurs in the classroom, laboratory or in the field. As part of your science class, you will be doing many activities and investigations that will involve the use of various materials, equipment, and chemicals…" (NSTA, 2010). Safety is always of utmost…

In 1984, a teacher was successfully prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. The case centred around chemically prepared hydrogen that was dried by bubbling it through concentrated sulfuric(VI) acid and then passed over hot copper(II) oxide. The procedure was often carried out quantitatively to find the mass of copper in a sample of…

The development of syringes having free movement while remaining gas-tight enabled methods in chemistry to be changed. Successfully containing and measuring volumes of gas without the need to trap them using liquids made it possible to work with smaller quantities. The invention of the LuerLok syringe cap also allowed the gas to be stored for a…

This article provides an example of a teacher's learning, since the author only became aware of the microscale technique described very late in his professional career. The technique provides a convenient method of preparing and manipulating gases on a very small scale and a relatively safe means of demonstrating reactions that would be very…

Batteries commonly used in flashlights and other household devices produce hydrogen gas as a product of zinc electrode corrosion. The amount of gas produced is affected by the batteries' design and charge rate. Dangerous levels of hydrogen gas can be released if battery types are mixed, batteries are damaged, batteries are of different ages, or…

Skills needed to manage a laboratory are essential knowledge for all school-based, agriculture teachers who instruct agricultural mechanics curriculum (Saucier, Terry, & Schumacher, 2009). This research investigated the professional development needs of Texas agricultural education student teachers regarding agricultural mechanics laboratory…

The National Science Teachers Association's (NSTA) Science Safety Advisory Board recently launched the Safety in the Science Classroom portal. This portal serves as a gateway to safety resources for teachers, supervisors, and administrators. It also contains an evolving list of safety resources for elementary, middle, and high schools. The list…

Students coming into science labs need initial and ongoing training about safety standards and best practices. They also need to develop good attitudes about their work and the health and safety of their teachers and fellow students. The "School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide" is a resource for science teachers and school administrators to help…

Although hydrogen-oxygen balloon explosions are popular demonstrations, the acoustic impulse created poses a hearing damage risk if the peak level exceeds 140 dB at the listener's ear. The results of acoustical measurements of hydrogen-oxygen balloons of varying volume and oxygen content are described. It is shown that hydrogen balloons may be…

The history of learning biology through distance education is documented. A review of terminology and unique problems associated with biology instruction is presented. Using published research and their own teaching experience, the authors present recommendations and best practices for managing biology in distance-based formats. They offer ideas…