2001 NORTHWEST REGIONAL MEETING  OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY JUNE 14-17, 2001 Hosted by Seattle University, Seattle, Washington

Teaching Chemical Information: Tips and Tricks:  9:00 am 12:00 noon, Pigott 101. A workshop aimed primarily at college teachers, which is intended to demonstrate how to facilitate teaching students to retrieve chemical information from databases and the internet.  This workshop is being coordinated by Patricia O’Neill, Science Librarian, Pacific Lutheran University, and is sponsored by the ACS Division of Chemical Information.

Prediction of physical, chemical, and biological properties with computer aided chemistry:  2:00-4:00 pm, Pigott 100.  The prediction of biological, chemical and physical properties such as reaction rates, UV-Visible & IR spectra, water solubility, vapor pressure, polymer properties, carcinogenicity, environmental fate, etc. will be illustrated with CAChe, an easy-to-use computer aided chemistry package for the experimental chemist that runs on a desktop PC. Prediction of reaction pathways, thermodynamics and kinetics will also be discussed as well as application to quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR & QSAR). Chemists use CAChe to improve their success rate in the laboratory and speed up research by prescreening candidates and testing their ideas, before investing valuable laboratory time. This presentation reviews the expanding scope of computer-aided chemistry. After the presentation, there will be a 10-minute review on the latest enhancements to CAChe, followed by a 15-minute software demonstration.  Presented by David A. Gallagher, C.Chem., CAChe Group, Fujitsu.

Enrich your Students with Indigenous/Cross-cultural Examples in Chemistry:  2:00 – 5:00 pm, Pigott 305, ticket required.  Explore ways to weave indigenous/cross-cultural/multicultural threads into your curriculum.  Focus your students’ attention on the chemical/scientific contributions of women and other underrepresented groups.  During this workshop several hands-on experiments and demonstrations will be performed.  Investigate the reaction between ultraviolet radiation and the ozone layer, using a simple dye bead, and learn of the work of Mario Molina.  The ancient Mexicans of Oaxaca developed evaporation techniques in order to separate/recover the valuable salt (NaCl) from the water.  What process was used?  Conditions? Energy source?  How can you chemical educators use this activity in your classrooms?  Enjoy learning about iron as a colorant in Native American baskets and in 17th century/modern Japanese pottery.  See if you can successfully obtain a dye from plant samples.  Maybe you can teach your students to do it in an upcoming experiment.  Then you can use the lab activity as the basis for a discussion of color, experimental conditions, lab technique.  You will leave this workshop with specific ideas and some ready-to-use resource materials.  Among the take-home items will be handouts with background information on a variety of chemical topics, classroom materials for the UV experiment, suggestions for classroom use of the resource materials, etc. These items will make your courses (high school, two-year college, four-year college/university) more inclusive and your students more successful in their study of chemistry and/or physical science.  This is a Project Inclusion workshop, partially funded by a National Science Foundation Course and Curriculum Development Grant, DUE: 9752624.  Presented by Janan M. Hayes, Merced College, Merced, CA 95348 and Patricia L. Perez, Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA 91789.

ACS Project SEED:  2:00-5:00 PM, Pigott 306. Presented by Celia Hernandez, American Chemical Society.

Tie Up Your Curriculum With Tie Dye: 9:40 am – 12:40 pm, Bannan 605.  Tie dye has been used through the ages by artists, but since there is a lot of chemistry associated with the Procion MX dyes, I have used tie dye to teach some organic chemistry for the past 12 years.  The dyes react chemically with the cellulose in the cotton of the shirts.  In order to get the best results, 100% cotton t-shirts or materials are used.  In this workshop, the teacher will learn to do tie dye with 5 classes a day with a 5 minute passing period.  A dye worksheet is included with background material on the chemistry of the process.  Exact directions will be given with information on where dyes can be purchased.  It is a "hands-on" activity, which your students of all levels will enjoy.  On their first day into chemistry, they will ask "When do we do tie dye?"  (Once you have established the tradition). Presented by Elnore Grow, high school teacher, emerita, and winner of the Teacher of the Year Award in 2000 from the Rocky Mountain ACS Region.

Local Resources for Middle School Science: 9:40 am – 12:40 pm, Pigott 305.   Presented by Fanaye Turner and Janet Blandford, MSSTI Project, UWEB

Lab Safety Institute One-day Workshop for Teachers:  9:40 am – 5:00 pm, Pigott 204, ticket required.  This workshop will touch on many topics of concern to chemistry or science teachers at the high school or college level.  Topics include: Eye and face protection, accidents, planning for emergencies, storing and handling chemicals, disposing of chemicals, biological and animal hazards, electrical safety issues, and safety program planning.  Presented by W. H. “Jack” Breazeale, Laboratory Safety Institute.  For more information see the web site http://www.labsafety.org.