Presenting Scientific Ethics to Undergraduates I read with interest Gillette's letter in this Journal ( I ) describing how she presents the subject of seientific ethics in her freshman-level ehemistrv lab course. Some facultv who would like to teach this subiect mieht be reluctant to follow ~~~--~ her approach of substituting a writing assignment for a laboratory experiment. For three years in our majors' organic lab course, I have used a different approach, in which no lab time is missed and no additional paper has been assigned. As our basis, both Gillette and I use the excellent National Academy Press publication, On Beinga Scientist (2).From OBS I have taken 36 quotes and scrambled them on a handout. Each of my students is assigned one of the quotes to h a t e in the text and ibaut which to prepare a ane-minute presentation f& lab recitation class. I encourage the indusion of illustrative examples from the news and especially from personal experience. In class, the presentations are eiven in the text seouence to keen the material mherentlv . oreanized. .. The students each read a good part of OBS 10 find thelr quote. They give serious thought to what they will say in the brief txme they have been allotted. They a r r gmd listmers to their classmates. Attendance and parhripation are h i ~ h h c e defaulters are required to suhmit a short paper on their assigned top^ I will hc plrased to send an request (a) a copy of my handout for students, and tb) the unscrambled version for the elnss session. w r h pakw references to ORS. Please include a self-nddressed stamped envelnpe. ~
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Literature Cited 1. Gillette,M. L. J. Chem. E d w lWO.68.624. 2. Committeean the Conduct of Science.NatianalAeademyof Stieneea. National Academy Resa: Washington. DC.1989. This publation is out a f p f i t , but permission ta repmduee it for shldents is readily obtainable.
Marjorie Kandel State University of New York Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400
Volume 71 Number 5 May 1994
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