Letter Writing as a Service-Learning Project: An Alternative to the Traditional Laboratory Report

Abstract

Letter writing as an alternative to a traditional laboratory report was introduced for a general chemistry laboratory project in which students measure lead content in urban soils. Furthermore, this letter-writing activity was conducted within the framework of a service-learning project insomuch as the students’ letters were written to the homeowner who provided the samples. The benefits of a letter-writing activity in lieu of a traditional laboratory report are discussed, as well as the benefits of implementing this type of assignment as a service-learning project. A follow-up survey indicated that 94% of the students who completed the letter-writing assignment felt it caused them to “think about the chemistry involved in a different [and we believe deeper] way” compared to writing a traditional laboratory report.