Chemistry 4201 Research Project

Chemistry 4201 Research Project

Chemistry 4201 Research Project

Dr. Sheppard, Fall 2014

This project is an in-depth investigation of an advanced organic chemistry topic of your choice. The project consists of an oral presentation, a written component, and an assignment.

Topic

Each student will research a unique topic for this assignment. Examples of some appropriate topics are:

  • The pharmaceutical (organic) treatment of a disease, condition, abnormality or disorder
  • The organic chemistry of pheromones
  • The design and development of a drug or class of drugs (e.g. development of local anesthetics from cocaine)
  • Chemiluminescence
  • The chemistry of cannabis
  • The total synthesis of a natural product
  • The relationship between stereochemistry and function of organic molecules
  • Chemistry in art
  • The symptoms and treatment of a disease/disorder caused by the lack or excess of organic chemicals in the body (e.g. metabolic disorders)
  • The synthesis, properties, and industrial applications of an organic compound/polymer or class of compounds/polymers
  • The environmental impact of organic waste
  • Organic chemistry applications in forensics
  • The chemistry of vision
  • Chemical Weapons
  • The organic chemistry of gasoline

You may choose one of the above topics or propose an additional topic. Your topic must be approved before you begin your research. You should not choose a topic you have researched for another course. A proposal (no more than one page) outlining the topic you plan to investigate is due onSeptember 9, 2014.Topics may be changed only if you submit another proposal and receive approval.

References/Sources

  • Most of your information should come from textbooks, research articles or scientific journals. You must reference at least two recent articles from the primary chemical literature. It may be necessary to make use of interlibrary loan or visit another university library to obtain many important literature references, so you need to plan accordingly.
  • Web sites should be cited (and used with caution).
  • You should consider using an interview as one of your sources. This allows you to explore other areas to get a complete picture of your topic. For example, you could interview someone in industry,speak witha doctor with an appropriate specialty, etc.

Presentation

Each student will give a 15-minute presentation on his or her research in class November 13-25, 2014. You must create a PowerPoint presentation, which will be submitted to Dr. Sheppard via email or flash drive no later than 9:00 am on the morning of your presentation. You will sign up for a presentation time on the sheet available on Dr. Sheppard’s office door. The presentation should cover as much of your research as possible in the time allowed. The goalis to educate the class about your topic. If you cannot adequately cover your research in a 15-minute presentation your topic may be too broad. Your presentation must include a list of references and describe your plan for your written component.

Presentations will be evaluated by the instructor and your classmates. Evaluations will assess both the delivery and content of the presentation.

Participation (demonstrated by attendance at your classmate’s presentations, paying attention, and asking thoughtful questions) will be part of the project grade.

Assignment:

You will choose the format of the written component of this project. Consider the appropriate focus and audience for your chosen topic when choosing your written component format. Examples of written components include (but are not limited to):

  • An informational pamphlet
  • A website
  • A poster
  • A display
  • A personal essay
  • A journal article
  • A laboratory experiment
  • A children’s book

Your written component will be graded on creativity, accuracy, content, and writing. The written components are due in class on December 4, 2014.

Assignment:

Each student will submit an assignment (to Dr. Sheppard).This assignment should be designed as if it were being given to the class to assess their understanding of the material covered in your presentation. The assignment may be of any format (multiple choice, short answer, reaction scheme, etc.). Be creative. You must provide complete answers with your assignment. Selected questions from each assignment may be used as part of the final exam. The assignments/answer keys are due in class on December 2, 2014.

Grade

This project is worth 100 points, and will be calculated as follows:

Presentation45 points

Participation 5 points s

Written Component 35 points

Assignment 15 points

100 points

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