The Suggestion Box - An Old Idea Brings the "Real World" Back to Freshmen Chemistry Students (and Professors)

One important goal of many college and high school chemistry instructors is to remove some of the stigma associated with chemistry. This objective is often addressed by incorporating "real world" and "environmental" components in the curriculum. While this practice can be effective if the examples connecting life and theory are provided by the instructor, the effects may be longer lasting if the students make the connections themselves. This paper describes a method of incorporating a suggestion box into freshmen chemistry lectures that has been successful in bringing the subject matter closer to the students’ "real life" experiences by inspiring them to look around and realize how chemistry affects their lives. At the same time the suggestion box has provided the instructor with fast lecture feedback and new curriculum ideas.