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ChemKits: A Teacher-Training and Instrument-Sharing Project

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Mike Mitchell

Vice President and Academic Dean, Bethany College, Lindsborg, KS 67456

Carolyn Herman

formerly at Department of Chemistry, Southwestern College, Winfield, KS 67156-2499

David Shubert

Department of Chemistry, Newman University, Wichita, KS 67231

J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76 (10), p 1409

DOI: 10.1021/ed076p1409

Publication Date (Web): October 1, 1999

Abstract

Project ChemKits, a Kansas high school teacher-training and instrument-sharing project, has completed its third and final year of teacher training. ChemKits use graphing calculators and probes as data collection and processing devices for high school chemistry classes. The equipment is small, rugged, inexpensive, and easily transported by mail between participating high schools. Teachers attended four-week workshops on instrument use at a selected group of four colleges. They modified favorite experiments from the literature for ChemKit use in their own classroom. Each high school has the ChemKits about three weeks per year. Eight student stations (about three students each) are provided. The colleges operated the workshops and now provide administrative services such as repair and replacement of equipment, organization of the sharing of ChemKits, and advice on instrument use. Nearly 100 high school teachers have participated at ChemKits workshops. Initial external funding from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation purchased the ChemKits equipment. The National Science Foundation funded the workshops. Project ChemKits is expected to continue its sharing operation for several years without additional outside funding, since participating high schools pay a small fee toward repair and replacement of damaged equipment.