In a single 2−3 h laboratory session, general chemistry students
build three-dimensional models of crystalline solids using kits
manufactured by the Institute for Chemical Education.
Students make observations for each lattice that they build
and record them through a series of guided questions supplied
by the instructor. This laboratory has a positive influence on
students’ understanding of solid-state materials, noted by
considerably favorable survey results that aimed to assess
student understanding as a direct result of building and
manipulating solid-state models.