Finding the toxic dose

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grades 9–12 — Advanced Placement Chemistry

• Goal 1: The learner will develop abilities necessary to do and understand scientific inquiry.
  • Objective 1.01: Design, conduct and analyze investigations to answer questions related to chemistry:
    • Identify questions and suggest hypotheses.
    • Identify variables.
    • Use a control when appropriate.
    • Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
    • Collect and organize data in tables, charts and graphs.
    • Analyze and interpret data.
    • Explain observations.
    • Make inferences and predictions.
    • Explain the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Identify how scientists share findings.
  • Objective 1.02: Analyze reports of scientific investigations.
    • Appropriate sample.
    • Adequacy of experimental controls.
    • Replication of findings.
    • Consideration of alternative interpretations of the data.
  • Objective 1.03: Analyze experimental designs with regard to safety.
    • Identify potential safety hazards given a scenario.
    • Differentiate between safe and unsafe procedures.
    • Use information from the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) to assess chemical hazards.
• Goal 4: The learner will develop an understanding of chemical reactions.
  • Objective 4.01: Analyze the various types of common chemical reactions
    • Acid-base reactions; concepts of Arrhenius, Brönsted-Lowry, and Lewis;
    • Coordination complexes; amphoterism.
    • Precipitation reactions.
    • Oxidation-reduction reactions.
    • Oxidation number.
    • The role of the electron in oxidation-reduction.
    • Electrochemistry: electrolytic and galvanic cells; Faraday's laws; standard half-cell potentials; Nernst equation; prediction of the direction of redox reactions.
  • Objective 4.05: Analyze chemical thermodynamics
    • State functions.
    • First law: change in enthalpy; heat of formation; heat of reaction; Hess's law; heats of vaporization and fusion; calorimetry.
    • Second law: entropy; free energy of formation; free energy of reaction; dependence of change in free energy on enthalpy and entropy changes.
    • Relationship of change in free energy to equilibrium constants and electrode potentials.
• Goal 5: The learner will build a knowledge of descriptive chemistry.
  • Objective 5.01: Examine chemical reactivity and predict the products of chemical reactions.

Grades 9–12 — Advanced Placement Earth and Environmental Science

• Goal 5: The learner will build an understanding of air, water and soil quality.
  • Objective 5.01: Analyze the sources of major pollutants.
    • EPA Criteria Pollutants.
    • Indoor air pollutants.
    • Thermal pollution.
    • Pesticides.
    • Acid deposition.
    • Units and measurements.
    • Point and nonpoint sources.
  • Objective 5.02: Investigate the effects of pollutants on:
    • Aquatic systems (Eutrophication).
    • Vegetation.
    • Natural features, buildings and structures.
    • Wildlife.
  • Objective 5.03: Analyze and investigate pollution reduction, remediation and control measures.
    • Legislation.
    • Historical examples and global case studies.
    • Waste water treatment plant.
  • Objective 5.04: Analyze and investigate local, regional and global issues concerning solid waste.
    • Types, sources and amounts.
    • Disposal methods and environmental effects.
    • Decreasing waste: Reduce, reuse, recycle.
  • Objective 5.05: Analyze impacts on human health.
    • Infectious disease.
    • Chemical agents.
    • Radiation.
    • Toxicology: LD50, acute and chronic effects.
    • Risk assessment.

Grades 9–12 — Chemistry

• Goal 1: The learner will develop abilities necessary to do and understand scientific inquiry.
  • Objective 1.01: Design, conduct and analyze investigations to answer questions related to chemistry.
    • Identify questions and suggest hypotheses.
    • Identify variables.
    • Use a control when appropriate.
    • Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
    • Collect and organize data in tables, charts and graphs.
    • Analyze and interpret data.
    • Explain observations.
    • Make inferences and predictions.
    • Explain the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Identify how scientists share findings.
  • Objective 1.02: Analyze reports of scientific investigations from an informed scientifically-literate viewpoint including considerations of:
    • Appropriate sample.
    • Adequacy of experimental controls.
    • Replication of findings.
    • Alternative interpretations of the data.
  • Objective 1.03: Analyze experimental designs with regard to safety and use safe procedures in laboratory investigations:
    • Identify and avoid potential safety hazards given a scenario.
    • Differentiate between safe and unsafe procedures.
    • Use information from the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) to assess chemical hazards.
• Goal 5: The learner will develop an understanding of chemical reactions.
  • Objective 5.01: Evaluate various types of chemical reactions:
    • Analyze reactions by types: single replacement, double replacement (including acid-base neutralization) , decomposition, synthesis, and combustion including simple hydrocarbons.
    • Predict products.
  • Objective 5.06: Assess the factors that affect the rates of chemical reactions.
    • The nature of the reactants.
    • Temperature.
    • Concentration.
    • Surface area.
    • Catalyst.