In Herbert Kendall’s chemistry classes, assignments occasionally take a turn from the basic book lessons. When the chance arises, Kendall provides his students with lab experiments.
In late October, students experimented with baking soda and vinegar to observe endothermic reactions producing gas. Students then used a balloon to capture the gas to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass.
“The students typically enjoy these types of experiments because they are hands-on, so the students tend to get more involved with the class,” Kendall said. “The students learn more when they get involved with the experiment.”
Kendall tries to provide as many activities as possible during a unit or chapter, he says. Depending on what material the class is studying, Kendall varies the experiments.
“We do about two experiments a month; that’s usually how I end a unit or chapter,” Kendall said. “Next the students will mix solutions and observe what happens when you combine the mixture.”
Senior Jenna Yee appreciates Kendall’s interactive experiments and enjoys his hands-on approach to teaching, she said.
“Mr. Kendall does experiments, and we learn a lot from them because they are hands-on,” Yee said. “I learned that baking soda and vinegar form carbon dioxide gas.”
Like Yee, junior Austin Rurik says that witnessing chemical reactions firsthand helps him to gain new understanding of the subject.
“I think learning about endothermic reactions is really interesting,” Rurik said. “We did a lot of really fun things with the baking soda and vinegar.”
For more photos of chemistry classes, check out Visors and balloons and Chemistry doppelgangers.
