Toxins
Crossing chemisty, biology and everyday life science.
In what ways do toxins influence quality of life through biochemical interactions?
Goals
Daily Science
forms of exposure & measurements of dosage
Key Chemical Interaction
introduction to basic and specific chemical reactions of toxic compounds
Biological Interactions of unwanted chemicals
how biological systems get impacted
Description
The chemistry curriculum presented here follows the Massachusetts Common Core and has been modified to incorporate NGSS methodologies, providing an in-depth understanding of fundamental chemistry concepts. The supplementary material provided each week is specifically tailored for HS students who have completed coursework in biology. Through case studies, students will have the opportunity to delve into project-based learning and develop their problem-solving skills.
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*NOTE to instructors:
The topic of toxins can become quite intricate due to its various components such as chemical reactions, biological interactions, dosage calculations, long-term effects, and more. To aid students in their understanding, it is essential for teachers to provide them with a framework to build upon. You can refer to the introductory section of each lesson page, where the key points have already been summarized for your convenience.
Student population
For students who have basic chemistry foundations and preferably students that had biology. AP Chemistry students as an aid to understand integration between disciplines.
Final Summative Task
Students will be creating and presenting their own lessons and plans in class this week, which will involve investigating and presenting individual or partner case studies. These cases can come from various sources such as news, literature, or real-life examples. The focus is on finding evidence and connecting it with what has been learned in class. Students will be expected to present their cases in a clear and organized manner, including details such as the target molecule causing disruption, chemical reactions involved, detoxification processes, and the final outcome of the case with suggestions for improvement.
Integration with NGSS
This unit has been designed with a strong emphasis on crosscutting concepts, particularly patterns in different types of chemical reactions. To facilitate learning, we will showcase various models using case studies, and encourage students to construct explanations for why these reactions occur. Furthermore, mathematical skills will be developed as students investigate percent yield and calculate appropriate dosages.
The disciplinary core ideas that will be covered include chemical reactions and optimizing design solutions. Throughout the unit, students will become familiar with various chemical reaction types and improve their experimental practices.
Course Schedule
*disclaimer: The topics are changable based on the curriculum and versions of textbooks
Click on each for Lesson Plans
Elaboration of Outline
Tentative schedule. Instructors should adjust the schedule based on needs
In the first week, students are going to recap chemistry basics. Toxins will be introduced using cases and futher elaboration.
Here, students are going to learn about specific chemical reacitons in the biological systems and some pharmacology.
Overlapping- Structure and Properties of Matter
CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS
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Patterns
Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena. (HS-PS1-2),(HS-PS1-5)
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Energy and Matter
The total amount of energy and matter in closed systems is conserved. (HS-PS1-7)
Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)
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Stability and Change
Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES
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Developing and Using Models
Modeling in 9–12 builds on K–8 and progresses to using, synthesizing, and developing models to predict and show relationships among variables between systems and their components in the natural and designed worlds.
Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system. (HS-PS1-4)
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Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8 and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis, a range of linear and nonlinear functions including trigonometric functions, exponentials and logarithms, and computational tools for statistical analysis to analyze, represent, and model data. Simple computational simulations are created and used based on mathematical models of basic assumptions.
Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-PS1-7)
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Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to explanations and designs that are supported by multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.
Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of phenomena and solve design problems, taking into account possible unanticipated effects. (HS-PS1-5)
Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. (HS-PS1-2)
Refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. (HS-PS1-6)
DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS
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PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states. (HS-PS1-2) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by HS-PS1-1.)
A stable molecule has less energy than the same set of atoms separated; one must provide at least this energy in order to take the molecule apart. (HS-PS1-4)
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PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules, with consequent changes in the sum of all bond energies in the set of molecules that are matched by changes in kinetic energy. (HS-PS1-4),(HS-PS1-5)
In many situations, a dynamic and condition-dependent balance between a reaction and the reverse reaction determines the numbers of all types of molecules present. (HS-PS1-6)
The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2),(HS-PS1-7)
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ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. (secondary to HS-PS1-6)