Curriculum Overview

 

Subject: Science

Course: Chemistry in the Community – Water & Atmosphere (230)

Grade Level: 11-12

                                                                                                                       

Concepts

Topics/Units

Content/Skills

Essential Activities/Agreements

 

Students will:

·         learn about chemical reactions that occur around us everyday

·         develop problem-solving techniques, laboratory skills, and critical thinking skills

·         learn about proportionality and strengthen their math skills

·         make informed decisions about scientific and technological issues

·         recognize and understand the importance of chemistry to their daily lives

 

 

Unit 1 - Water: Exploring Solutions

(35 days)

 

·         The Quality of our Water

·         Water and its Contaminants

·         Investigating the Cause of a Fish Kill

·         Water Purification

 

 

Unit 2 – Air: Chemistry in the Atmosphere

(25 days)

 

·         Gases in the Atmosphere

·         Radiation and Climate

·         Acids in the Atmosphere

·         Air Pollution: Sources, Effects, and Solutions

Students Will:

 

·         Use laboratory equipment safely and efficiently

·         Make and interpret observations

·         Analyze data and draw conclusions

·         Construct and interpret graphs and tables.

·         Use unit analysis (dimensional analysis) to solve problems.

·         Express answers to problems in scientific notation

·         Analyze water use patterns

·         Test water for contamination

·         Purify a water sample.

·         Evaluate and make decisions regarding water purification methods

·         Explore and model the behavior of gases

·         Predict trends by graphing carbon dioxide data

·         Practice multi-step problem solving using the gas laws

·         Critically Analyze data that supports the concept of Global Warming

·         Develop possible solutions for global warming

·         Compare and contrast ground-level ozone and stratospheric ozone

·         Investigate the major sources of air pollution

·         Develop solutions for acid rain

 

Common Laboratory Experiments:

 

·         Purification of Foul Water

·         Distillation of a Mixture

·         Water Testing

·         Solubility of a Salt

·         Solubility of a Gas

·         Polarity (like dissolves like)

·         pH of Common Household Products

·         Municipal Water Treatment

·         Water Softening

·         Investigating the Properties of Gases

·         Charles’s Law: (Temperature and Volume of a Gas)

·         Carbon Dioxide Levels

·         Simulating Acid Rain

·         Acid/Base Titration

 

Other Activities:

 

·         Water Pollution Research Project (including class presentations)

·         Final exam is 50% written work and 50% lab practical

 

 

Revised 8/08