Introduction
All life, every organism, or any person moves, eats, reacts, and reproduces because of very small molecules or chemicals that move through the cell and the organism. Chemical reactions are the reason for every action by a living thing. Each of these processes can be explained, if not now, then later when our understanding becomes more complete. Gone are the days that we would say that we do not know why something happens, we might not completely understand the chemistry of every process of life, but we know there is a process to be discovered.
I still remember in the early 1980's when HIV started to appear and truly the general population did not know where it came from, how it was transmitted, or if you could get it from a handshake. The general population looked for extreme solutions, which fueled prejudice, isolation, and misunderstanding. Science understood that there had to be something there that was causing the disease, and followed systematic steps to identify the source, and to identify the molecules that would slow and stop it. It highlighted to me that certain chemical reactions need to be identified, demystified, and understood. If this could happen, life for everyone will be better, longer and safer.
When I heard about the seminar topic "How Drugs Work.", I joined most of my friends and colleagues with a raised eyebrow and smile thinking about recreational drugs. I began to explore the toxic effects of these substances and the negative repercussions for my students. I also began looking at other toxic substances surround my community, and found that there were common biological issues. The toxic substance needed a delivery system, a chemical process that would negatively affect the person, and a way for the body to heal itself and adjust to the chemical. But just as in the HIV story there also exists misinformation, mystery, and weird personal opinions on the substances. I feel that the best way to understand the chemical and societal issues is through a systematic and scientific process to identify and enlighten my students.
I will allow my students to evaluate the characteristics of four toxic substances: alcohol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), lead and mercury. We will look for their toxic effects on the cell, organs and human organism. They will focus on the chemical processes, but also the benefits, lasting health problems, and societal concerns for each of these toxins. In order to give each student a better understanding of the chemical processes, we will also conduct an extensive examination of how cells maintain an organism. We will examine the main components of an organism and how the toxins inhibit the organism's functions.
Our current science curriculum focuses on hands-on experiments, observable scientific inquiry, and significant support for non-fiction scientific readings. The curriculum is light on a systematic understanding of cellular functions and cellular interdependence, so my unit should provide additional support in understanding of concepts from our state standards. Additionally my unit will support out current curriculum by maintaining focus on experiments, non-fiction scientific reading, reinforcing concepts of trade-offs, concentration, chemical reactions and molecular chemistry.
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