Alcohols | Ethers | Ketones and Aldehydes | Carboxylic acids | Esters | Ester lab | Amines | Amides | Reactions of organic chemicals | Organic chemicals in our lives
Esters
Hook:
Show several ketones and aldehydes, and their ester counterparts and see what the students come up with for the differences between the aldehydes/ketones and the esters.
Pedagogy:
Talk about solubility and melting/boiling points
The main focus of this lesson should be more on the formation of esters and nomenclature of them.
For nomenclature, make sure to note that esters are not like ethers in naming. Esters can have the shorter carbon chain be the main body and the longer one the alkyl group. Also, to help students avoid mixing up esters and ethers you can remind them that ester sounds like Esther, a girl's name, and esters are more complex than ethers, and girls are generally seen as more complex than guys. While you should make sure to include the "seen as" part, so as not to perpetuate gender stereotypes, it is a helpful way for them to remember which is which.
For the formation of esters, a brief overview would be a good idea, as the next lesson is a lab with its focus on making esters. Explain to the students how water is lost when a carboxylic acid and an alcohol react, and give several examples. A good practice question would be having students identify which parts of an ester are from an alcohol and which parts are from the carboxylic acid.
Consolidation:
Assign the students homework of reading the lab procedure for the next day. This way the students will be prepared for the lab and also go over how esters are formed.
Show several ketones and aldehydes, and their ester counterparts and see what the students come up with for the differences between the aldehydes/ketones and the esters.
Pedagogy:
Talk about solubility and melting/boiling points
The main focus of this lesson should be more on the formation of esters and nomenclature of them.
For nomenclature, make sure to note that esters are not like ethers in naming. Esters can have the shorter carbon chain be the main body and the longer one the alkyl group. Also, to help students avoid mixing up esters and ethers you can remind them that ester sounds like Esther, a girl's name, and esters are more complex than ethers, and girls are generally seen as more complex than guys. While you should make sure to include the "seen as" part, so as not to perpetuate gender stereotypes, it is a helpful way for them to remember which is which.
For the formation of esters, a brief overview would be a good idea, as the next lesson is a lab with its focus on making esters. Explain to the students how water is lost when a carboxylic acid and an alcohol react, and give several examples. A good practice question would be having students identify which parts of an ester are from an alcohol and which parts are from the carboxylic acid.
Consolidation:
Assign the students homework of reading the lab procedure for the next day. This way the students will be prepared for the lab and also go over how esters are formed.