L O C A L

Library for Organic Chemistry Active Learning

Created by Laurie Starkey, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Cal Poly Pomona
To contribute materials, please contact Laurie (and thank you!) lsstarkey@cpp.edu

Active-Learning Resources can also be found here: organicERs.org | MERLOT.org
see also: student motivation resources

Clicker Questions:

Bonding/Structure, Acid-Base, Nomenclature

Lewis Structures & Line Drawings
Resonance & Hybridization/3-D
Acid-Base
MO Theory
Physical Properties
Nomenclature
Sites of Unsaturation (DU)
Conformations of Alkanes & Cyclohexanes

Stereochem, Radicals,
Study of Reactions

Chirality & Optical Activity
R/S, E/Z Nomenclature
Stereochemical Relationships
Radical Reactions

Thermodynamics, Kinetics &
Reaction Coordinate Diagrams

Substitution & Elimination
Alkene/Alkyne Reactions

Substitution Reactions (Sn1/Sn2)
Elimination Reactions (E1/E2)
Substitution vs. Elimination
Dehydration of Alcohols
Alkene Additions and Oxidation
Alkyne Reactions
Synthesis Strategies (Klein Ch. 11)

Alcohols, Ethers
& Epoxides

Alcohol Reactions
Grignard & Hydride Reagents
Epoxide & Ether Reactions
Alkoxides & Thiols

Syntheses Involving Alcohols

Carbonyl Chemistry

Aldehydes & Ketones
Acetals & Protective Groups

Carb. Acids & Derivatives
Carb. Acid Rxns-Hydride/Grignard

Alpha-Carbon Chemistry

Enols & Enolates

Aldol, Claisen, Michael Rxns

Decarboxylation (Acetoacetate, Malonate Syntheses)

Conj. Systems, Aromaticity

Conjugated Dienes (Diels-Alder, 1,2/1,4-Addition)

Aromaticity & IUPAC
Aromatic Sub. & Diazonium Salts
Aromatic TM Synthesis

Additional Topics

Amine Reactions & Synthesis

Spectroscopy (NMR, IR)

About Clickers Classroom response systems (CRS, also known as "clickers") allow students to answer or vote on a question with a hand-held device, much like polling the audience on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire gameshow. Some clickers allow for alphanumeric entry, but most are geared toward multiple-choice questions. Infusing a lecture with clicker questions not only improves student engagement, but provides opportunities for real-time formative assessment. The instructor can help identify and lead a discussion on common misconceptions and mistakes, and students can get find out whether or not they truly understand the topic. "Think-Pair-Share" is a particularly engaging peer-instruction technique for using clicker questions, as pioneered by Eric Mazur and the ConcepTests he developed for his Harvard Physics courses. (Organic Chemistry ConcepTests collection by JCE/ChemEdX). Would you like to contribute clicker questions to LOCAL? Please contact Laurie Starkey

Activities and Worksheets: (see below table for BeyondLabz worksheets)

Bonding/Structure, Acid-Base, Nomenclature

Worksheets

Case Studies (NSF NCCSTS)

Resonance & Hybridizaion
website & case pdf

Stereochem, Radicals,
Study of Reactions

Worksheets

Case Studies (NSF NCCSTS)

Substitution & Elimination
Alkene/Alkyne Reactions

Interesting Alkenes

Worksheets

1st Semester Review

Alcohols, Ethers
Epoxides, Amines

Interesting Alcohols, Phenols and Amines

Worksheets

Ch. 1-13, 15, 22 Review Worksheet

 

Carbonyl Chemistry

Worksheets

Alpha-Carbon Chemistry

Worksheets

 


Conj. Systems, Aromaticity

Worksheets

Full Year Review (ACS Exam prep)

Additional Topics

Spectroscopy
- Handouts (IR, NMR tables, etc.)
- Worksheets: IR and Mass Spec
- NMR intro: videos and skeleton notes
- NMR worksheets: Part1 | Part2 | Part3
- 63 NMR practice problems & solutions

Organic Synthesis Worksheets
-
Nucleophile/Electrophile review
- ROH/RX synthesis by FGI review
- Amine & Protective groups lit.scheme

 

 

The Worksheets provided can be used for students working in groups. The case studies have been drawn from the NSF National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) website at the University of Buffalo. Would you like to contribute resources to LOCAL? Please contact Laurie Starkey

Laboratory Resources & Spectroscopy Problems

****COVID-19 & Remote Teaching Resources****

Webinar: "Teaching Online Organic Chemistry 'Labs' and Lectures: Moving Beyond Survival Mode" (blog article)

Flipped Classroom

Want to make a video? See "Video Creation Resources" at the following website. The goal of the LOCAL website is to build collection of videos and other resources that can be used to support a flipped classroom model (to learn more, visit flippedlearning.org or Vanderbilt Center for Teaching). When a class is "flipped," the traditional lecture material is accessed by the student outside of class, so face-to-face class time can be spent on more meaningful tasks: working problems and having discussions...putting theory into practice. (General Chemistry flipped classrooms: U of Maine)

Back to Chemistry Connected Resources

Last updated March 2023