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I have to say how impressed I was with the lesson our group put together.  My "co-conspirators" were so dedicated and productive that I really felt like "the slacker" in the group.  The lesson turned out to be very adaptable.  We structured it one way, but the same materials can be used to make 2 or 3 different types of comparisons.  By using one flavoring agent, we could compare the permeability of different types of barriers (plastic bags or wrapping materials) . . . or by using multiple flavoring agents, we could use one type of packaging to determine if one flavoring agent effuses faster than another.  Also, Tola found a way to modify the "scratch and sniff" portion of the exercise to make it more effective.

I think that this exercise can be used for a legitimate chemistry lab.  We might not be able to incorporate specific material from any given chapter in the curriculum into this lab (other than the scientific method and the difference between mistures and solutions), but taking the time to teach separation techniques and interpretation of data should go a long way in getting the students to understand the way science is actually done.

Preparation will take no more time than most of our regular labs . . . and, though the materials are not the normal ones stocked in storage, the cost is not  excessive and should be coverable within the normal department budget.

I look forward to seeing the other presentations so that I can get other labs to improve my current curriculum.