## - / - ## CORE COURSE PROFICIENCIES: Chemistry SCIENCE INTRODUCTION We are a curious species--always wondering, forever exploring, constantly striving to understand our world. Even from birth, our curiosity is piqued. Children observe their environment and ask questions about it. Each question yields a conquest or defeat, yet each inspires another search, another new inquiry. Therefore, the enthusiasm of the young must not be stifled. It must be nurtured and shaped such that their natural interest in the world around them and the development of their reasoning and problem- solving skills is promoted. We hope that by understanding nature, students will acquire a sense of belonging in the universe -- a sense of roots -- and that by understanding how we modify nature and the consequences of those modifications, they will gain a sense of the options people have for controlling technology and the future. We further hope that students, by developing an understanding of a scientific truth as a verifiable truth (but not an immutable one, as new facts or understanding may supersede it) and by learning what the process of verification entails, will acquire one of the most powerful tools that a human being can possess to survive and thrive in the universe. We also hope that students will view the sciences as interrelated activities that in turn influence and are influenced by all other human activities. If we are to make significant headway in helping our students sustain their natural curiosity and grasp this broader perspective of the sciences and themselves in the world, our efforts should reflect these considerations. As advocated in Project 2061: Science for All Americans (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989): To ensure the scientific literacy of all students, curricula must be changed to reduce the sheer amount of material covered; to weaken or eliminate rigid subject-matter boundaries; to pay more attention to the connections among [the] science[s]...; to present the scientific endeavor as a social enterprise that strongly influences--and is influenced by--human thought and action; and to foster scientific ways of thinking. The effective teaching of science...and technology (or any other body of knowledge and skills) must be based on learning practices that derive from systematic research and from well-tested craft experience. Moreover, teaching related to scientific literacy needs to be consistent with the spirit and character of scientific inquiry and with scientific values. This suggests such approaches as starting with questions about phenomena rather than with answers to be learned; engaging students actively in the use of hypotheses, the collection and use of evidence, and the design of investigations and processes; and placing a premium on students' curiosity and creativity. Just as important as the curriculum content (if not more so) is the context in which it is taught. Thus, it is particularly fruitful and appropriate to stress the relevance of the sciences to everyday human experience, the other sciences, the arts, and the humanities. That relevance can best be addressed by using an integrated pedagogical approach, examining phenomena from several perspectives simultaneously, rather than from the compartmentalized perspectives traditionally adopted by different disciplines. Nevertheless, the distinctions among the perspectives should not be obliterated because there are basic concepts intrinsic to specific sciences, such as chemistry, that need to be understood by all high school graduates (for example, how the properties of atoms and molecules contribute to reality as a whole). In conclusion, the task for the educational community now is to ensure that all of our young people become literate in science and technology. The job will not be achieved easily or quickly. We believe, however, that core course proficiencies can help clarify the goals of secondary science education and in a way contribute significantly to move science education into the future. Science is a dynamic human endeavor. Students should be aware that an understanding of science has evolved over the course of history and will continue to develop. Educators must ensure that understanding includes the development of critical thinking skills, hands-on laboratory experience, career awareness, and safe science education practices. In addition, computers, calculators, and other technology should be used in the science classroom where applicable and available. THINKING SKILLS FOR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION The development of critical thinking skills for all students at all levels in the science curriculum is inherent in each course proficiency list. Students gain the necessary knowledge and understandings of specific scientific information, terminology, and generalizations and develop the skills of observing, organizing, comparing and contrasting, inquiring, studying, and judging ideas and phenomena. Students interpret observations, graphs, data, and information and comprehend the meaning of this information. Students apply scientific information and principles to specific problems and employ experimental procedures to find solutions to problems and the answers to questions. Students distinguish facts from hypotheses, theories, and models, and analyze relationships and generalize principles of science. Students synthesize information, relationships, and the major concepts of science and technology. Students evaluate and make decisions based on sound scientific information. LIST OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS FOR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION Making direct observations Hypothesizing Gathering data Compiling and recording data Calculating Interpreting data Controlling variables Inferring Organizing information Predicting Evaluating information LABORATORY AND CAREER EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE INSTRUCTION The laboratory experience is an integral part of the science education of each student and includes inquiry-based, process-based, and experience-based learnings. Students should use metric units in measurements and record these experiences in a written form that conveys their purpose and results. Such hands-on experiences help students to develop the skills that will allow them to function successfully in an increasingly complex world. An infusion of career information and career awareness is included in each science curriculum to aid students in making decisions for their future study. SCIENCE EDUCATION AND SAFETY FOR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION The acquisition of an attitude of working and living safely is an underlying goal of the school curriculum. Each science laboratory program is a component of this safety curriculum. Students will demonstrate a knowledge of safety rules related to specific science proficiencies. The use of safety equipment such as goggles, aprons, and fire extinguishers, the care and handling of chemicals, the reading and following of safety instructions, the proper handling of electrical devices, and the appropriate disposal of used materials are examples of safety in science. Students will apply these in-class safety rules and attitudes not only in the laboratory, but also in their everyday lives. Special Note: The order of the proficiencies in each subject area is not intended to indicate the order of their importance nor the sequence in which they should be taught. CHEMISTRY CORE PROFICIENCIES OVERVIEW The core proficiencies for chemistry are described in this section, followed by a matrix of "relevant items" for some of these concepts. The matrix is not intended as a list of topics that will necessarily be included in a curriculum; rather, it serves to present sample items that can be addressed to clarify a specific key concept. It is up to the teacher to decide which topics to use to teach the proficiencies and how deeply to explore them. We stress that these proficiencies provide a simple but solid disciplinary foundation that complements the unifying concepts, and they can be expanded as needed. The list of topics that have been provided for each proficiency represent a set of alternative means whereby the proficiencies can be met. It is expected that a teacher might use some or all of these topics depending upon local circumstances. Through learning opportunities provided in chemistry at the high school level, students will demonstrate the ability to: 1. Identify the components of the atom, i.e., location, charge, mass, name. 2. Utilize models (physical or mental) of molecules to write formulas for compounds. 3. Use appropriate chemical terminology. 4. Describe and predict the nature of elements and chemical reactions with the assistance of the periodic table. 5. Determine how energy and matter manifest themselves in many ways though their transportation, transformation, and conservation. 6. Apply their knowledge of atomic structure to show its relationship to the chemical behavior of the elements. 7. Explain that the behavior of matter under various common circumstances is dependent on its physical state, i.e., solid, liquid, plasma, or gas. 8. Apply the mole concept to explain the behavior of matter and calculate quantitative relationships. 9. Compare and contrast physical, chemical, and nuclear changes. 10. Denote the conditions that establish an equilibrium (balance of forces) system and recognize the existence of equilibrium (balance of forces) systems in the real world. 11. Evaluate man's impact on natural equilibrium systems (balance of forces) in light of the advancement of technology. 12. Explain, by way of example, that matter undergoes chemical reactions whose nature, occurrence, and rates are dependent upon the intrinsic features of atoms and molecules and upon the surrounding environment. 13. Compare and contrast the changes of properties between reactants and products in a chemical transformation. 14. Illustrate how systems, both natural and man-made, are internally coordinated by processes that are similar and that affect each other. 15. Cite examples of how technologies have been influenced by changes in our understanding of atomic theory from the early Greeks through Dalton to the modern models. 16. Logically gather, order, and interpret data through an appropriate use of measurement and tools. SAMPLE CONCEPTS OR TOPICS MATCHED TO THE PROFICIENCIES acids, bases, and salts 11 13 atomic structure 1 6 12 14 Avogadro's number 8 bonding 2 4 6 12 13 14 characteristic properties of matter 4 7 9 13 chemical and nuclear reactions 2 5 12 classification of matter 3 concept of matter and energy 5 conservation laws 5 ecological concepts 11 12 14 energy flow 5 10 equilibrium 10 11 factors affecting reactions 7 9 10 12 formula writing 2 3 13 gas laws 7 8 history of chemistry 15 Kinetic Molecular Theory 5 7 Le Chatelier's Principle 7 11 logical reasoning 16 measurement 16 metric System 16 modern technological developments 15 mole concept 8 molecular shape 2 nature vs. man-made chemical systems 14 nomenclature 1 3 observation 16 oxidation/reduction reactions 13 periodic table 4 6 periodicity 4 6 physical, chemical, and nuclear changes 5 7 9 quantitative analysis 8 quantum mechanical model 15 rates of chemical reactions 4 5 7 10 12 13 reaction types 4 6 9 safety 16 scientific method 16 scientific notation 16 significant figures 16 solubility 10 solutions/concentrations 7 10 states of matter 5 7 9 stochiometry 8 3 types of compounds 2 6 RHH/sb:1/8736