Episode 33: Teaching Separation Science in High School | Chemistry Teacher Dr. Vanderveen

In this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, David interviews his former high school chemistry teacher, Dr. Kristen Vanderveen from The Bromfield School, about teaching separation science at the high school level.Dr. Vanderveen shares her approach to introducing chromatography, filtration, and gravimetric analysis to both first-year chemistry students and AP Chemistry students. She discusses the hands-on experiments that work best in a high school setting, including paper chromatography with food dyes, TLC separations, and the challenges of balancing lab time with curriculum requirements.Topics discussed:- Separation methods taught in high school chemistry (filtration, paper chromatography, TLC)- Gravimetric analysis and precipitation experiments for AP Chemistry- Student engagement strategies and memorable lab activities- Balancing theoretical concepts with hands-on experimentation- Common student misconceptions about separation techniques- Preparing students for college-level chemistry coursesFollow Dr. Vanderveen's chemistry education content:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drvchemistryAbout the Guest:Dr. Kristen Vanderveen is a chemistry teacher at The Bromfield School with over 20 years of experience teaching high school chemistry, including AP Chemistry. Her background includes working as a protein chemist before transitioning to education.About Concentrating on Chromatography:This podcast series explores chromatography and analytical chemistry through conversations with scientists, educators, and industry professionals.#Chromatography #ChemistryEducation #SeparationScience #HighSchoolChemistry #APChemistry #STEMEducation #AnalyticalChemistry #ScienceTeaching