What’s in That Medicine: An Inquiry-Based Activity to Introduce Medicinally Active Natural Products and Metals

Abstract

Common over-the-counter medicines can be an exciting entry point for introducing students to the interesting chemistries that they encounter in their daily lives. In this inquiry-based activity, students are tasked with using a list of given supplies and information about four medications (Aspirin, Tums, Pepto-Bismol, and Tylenol) to design three experiments that will enable them to identify which mystery substance is which medication. This activity introduces students to several chemical concepts, including acid–base reactions, redox reactions, and chelation. Overall, comparing results of pre- and post-activity assessments, students learned about and became more confident in their knowledge of how natural products and metals can be used in medicine and were able to correctly identify their unknown medications. Additionally, a procedure-based activity for extracting bismuth from Pepto-Bismol is included.

Molecules in Medicine: A Week-Long Multidisciplinary Summer Camp for High School Students

“…Examples include curricula connecting chemistry to sustainability, environmental health, nutrition, and forensics . In the field of medicinal chemistry, a variety of outreach activities and laboratory experiments related to pharmaceuticals and drug discovery have been shared with the chemistry community. − These activities vary widely in scope and time commitment, and include in-class projects and experiments, inquiry-based exercises, summer courses, workshops, and public engagement efforts . Herein, we present a unique combination of exciting drug discovery and development related activities that can be utilized as a week-long summer camp or smaller outreach modules to engage high school students in multidisciplinary experiments at the intersection of science and medicine.…”