My lab students had to make videos demonstrating proper use of an analytical balance. Most of the videos simply follow the minimum requirements, but this one is a gem!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUxYJ-W7vA&feature

I had never seen a silent movie video of an analytical balance before!


This one is simply great. It's very well put-together and could be used in a classroom setting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrm5sLPhBvY


This type of assignment is tedious to grade, but all the students learn proper use of the equipment. I definitely recommend this to a teacher who is willing to spend double the time grading.

Great general chemistry book!

There are thousands of bad chemistry books out there. Usually, what makes a chemistry book bad is lack of clarity, lack of fully detailed examples, irrelevant fluff pages, and advanced sections on topics that a general chemistry professor would never cover (unless they're insane, of course).

In any case, my absolute favorite general chemistry book, which avoids all these faults, is Chemistry by Whitten, Davis, Peck, and Stanley.
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Kenneth-W-Whitten/dp/0495111309/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1315153752&sr=8-18
ISBN: 978-0495111306  

This book is from 2006, yes. That makes it "old" as far as textbook editions. But inside you will find:
-incredibly clear explanations on all topics
-a clean layout that is easy to follow
-a dozen or more practice problems in each chapter, worked out and explained step by step
-dozens of problems at the end of each chapter, almost all of them directly related to what you've learned. There's always the odd problem here and there.


These authors are not dry, they are not convoluted, and they make a genuine effort to present these topics in a simple way. You simply have to read carefully and I guarantee you, if you can do the problems in this book, you will pass your general chemistry class, no problem.

There's a solutions manual that comes with the book, too, though I never needed it.

So, if you're stuck in gen chem and need a boost, I'd take a look at this textbook. It might help! 

Model kits!

For the beginning organic chemistry student, a model kit can help explain concepts like enantiomers, stereoisomers, and chirality of compounds.

They make these 3D concepts easy to see. But with so many model kits out there, what's a good one to get?

The answer really is "whichever one you like," so long as the pieces are decently sturdy and are relatively easy to put together.
I've had professors use balloons to demonstrate molecular orbital shapes, so as long as you're creative, anything will work.

If you're good with 3D visualization, understand enantiomers quickly, and aren't required to have one for class, don't spend the money.

But if you're like me and you need a kit to get those concepts through your head, I recommend the Darling Models Molecular Visions flexible molecular model kit.
http://www.darlingmodels.com/Individual-Orders-Molecular-Model-Kits/KIT-1-ISBN-978-09648837-1-0-Plastic-Box-Organic-Inorg/prod_2.html

For $22 this kit has everything. Organic, inorganic, double and triple bonds, and a nifty little manual to explain it all. It doesn't look fancy though. It's probably one of the ugliest model kits I've seen.

 

Methane

 Enantiomers

Ethylene

These pieces pivot really well and are decently easy to put together. If you're dorky like me, you might spend a couple hours making enormous molecules and figuring out the stereochemistry of them.
(Actually, that's not a bad thing to do. Organic chemistry is all about practice, practice, and more practice!)

Introduction.

I suppose an introduction is in order.

I LOVE CHEMISTRY!!

I'll use this blog to post awesome stuff about chemistry. Reactions I like, things to watch out for in chemistry classes, textbooks that are amazing (as well as textbooks that suck), etc.
I'm sure a thousand blogs have done it before, but whatevs, this could be fun! :D

I recently got my B.S. in Chemistry and I'm working on a PhD, so hopefully I'll have the time to put some interesting stuff up here. :)