A novel laboratory curriculum is presented, developed around some common tasks of a laboratory researcher in chemistry: purification, synthesis, and measurement. The capstone of the sequence is an integrated laboratory, leading to a more independent research experience. Students who have completed this laboratory curriculum appear to perform comparably to previous students who completed a more traditional curriculum, based on their handling of American Chemical Society Exam questions and career placement. Introduction of the new curriculum has coincided with increased numbers of majors as well as increased participation in research, but attributing causation is complicated by the coincidental introduction of a new scholarship program.