Service based learning is a great way to gain a greater understanding of chemistry while having fun. You can choose from several options in order to fulfill this course requirement.

1. Become a peer leader for CHEM 2092, Fridays 3:30-4:30.
2. Tutor a CHEM 2090 (Biochemistry for Nurses) student one hour a week for 9 weeks.
3. Work in a group (3-4 students) to develop a science (Biochemistry related) activity to do with elementary students.  You pick and organize the activity, we pay for the supplies.  You may use a previously published activity or you may generate your own activity. Dr. Stone has many resources.
4. Select a topic, write a 4-5 page paper and  give a 15 minute presentation of your paper to the class. The topic must be approved by Dr. Stone.

After you have completed your service based learning activity, you will need to complete a written report. Please include the following:

1. What activity did you select and why did you select it?
2. Fully describe what you did.
3. How did this activity enhance your understanding of chemistry?
4. What advice do you have for future students that might select this activity?

Literature summaries For each of three writing assignments, select a paper that is published in one of the journals selected for this course (See list.)  Your article must have methods, data and results sections.  It is best to avoid papers with humans or extensive animal studies.  Those papers usually involve a myriad of statistical methods that we will not be able to comprehend. 

First, write a brief summary of your article.  What is significant about these results?  Why is this paper interesting?  What disease is related to these results?  Who did the work?  Where are they located?  This assignment is worth 10 points and it is due September 30th.  

Then, for the first (30 points, due October 31) and final drafts (60 points, due November 28) of your literature analysis, include the following in your written report: 

1. Briefly explain the rationale and significance of the work in this paper. Why is this paper interesting?  What does this paper contribute to the understanding of the topic? Your audience is your classmates, you will need to define terms and explain concepts that have not been covered in General, Organic or this first semester of Biochemistry.  You will have to consult other books and journal articles to do this well.
2. Briefly describe the techniques that were used.  What experiments were done?  Leave out the details (no volumes, temperatures or reaction times.)
3.  Analyze the data and the results.  What do the results of the experiments mean?  Draw some conclusions from your analysis.
4.  Compare your analysis of the results with the authors' conclusions.  Also, search the literature for similar studies and compare those results with the results in your paper.
5. Be sure to cite all of your sources in a well documented bibliography that includes all authors, titles, pages and dates of publication.

These reports must be generated using a word processing computer program. No handwritten text, tables or graphics will be accepted. Please use double spacing and select a font that has 10-12 characters per inch. Both MacIntosh and IBM machines are available for your use in the computer labs in the Library building. If you are in need of assistance, it is your responsibility to schedule a computer lesson with me.