CH301 Chemistry and Society
Park University On Line Course
Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Sapna Gupta
Required Text: Chemistry in Context, 4th ed., by American Chemical Society.

CH301 CHEMISTRY AND SOCIETY

This course is designed to make students aware of the impact of chemistry in our society. Chemistry is a central science, a human activity and an integral aspect of our political and economic climate. Students will be able to understand the basic scientific issues dealt with in our daily lives, our immediate society and on a global level. Some examples of topics covered in this course are: environmental pollution, new ways to generate energy, how medicines are discovered and how they come into the market. New frontiers in science from current magazines and newspapers will be discussed in the class.

I. Overview and Course Goals

Welcome to Chemistry and Society (CH301), on line! This course focuses on the need for increasing science literacy in today’s society in order to better understand our world. By the end of course the student will be able to take logical and a scientific approach to decision making by virtue of being more educated in science. This is an extensive writing course (several reports are to be submitted in the duration of the course); hence students are expected to be able to communicate effectively and defend themselves articulately and logically. We will be carrying out weekly discussions on current issues. All students are expected to keep up with new literature. Dedicate at least two hours per week reading magazines and not to mention newspapers.

The goal of this course is to educate the students about the impact chemistry has on our lives and the society. Chemistry is the basic science involved in every walk of our life. We all need to be more educated in science so we can lead a safer and healthier life. Even politics is not devoid of science. Many policy makers make important decision about our lives without a formal education in science or chemistry. Every citizen should be scientifically literate to understand their surrounding. Each week we'll focus on different new writing situations, issues, or problems encountered in the workplace through our online conferencing discussions; these are reinforced and expanded in readings in our text, Chemistry in Context, 2nd Edition, 1996 (Published by the American Chemical Society).

During Week 1, You are advised to read the lecture for this part: 1) we will begin with a brief history of chemistry; when and how it began; what were the problems initial scientists faced and how they eventually overcame the close mindedness of people!! 2) we will then move on to learn about the scientific method; 3) study and classification of matter; 4) basic measurements used in chemistry; 5) difference between physical and chemical properties; 6) a brief introduction to the periodic table and 7) structure of atom.

During Week 2, We will discuss radioactivity/ nuclear chemistry, the basic principles and applications. We will move on to Energy. What is energy; law of conservation of energy; sources of energy medieval, old and current.

During Week 3, The environment. What is the earth made up of our major constitution of the earth's crust (stratosphere), water (hydrosphere) and air (atmosphere). Air pollution : problems, solutions and preventions.

During Week 4, Water pollution and solid waste disposal. Causes. prevention and solution.

During Week 5, Medicinal chemistry. Serendipity, targeted research and folk medicine in finding new drugs. Role of FDA in drug approval process. Which one was the first synthetic drug and increasing need for new medicines. Controversial use of narcotics as medicinal drugs.

During Week 6, Consumer chemistry. Chemistry of cosmetics, health and beauty aid products (shampoo, soaps), detergents. Principles behind their cleansing action. Pollution caused by detergents and development environmental friendly products.

During Week 7, Food chemistry. What is the makeup of our body. What are the essential elements needed for our lives. Why some chemicals are harmful and why we need to have a balanced diet.

During Week 8, Genetic engineering. Structure of DNA; we will learn about mutation, cloning and the potential dangers of these processes.

II. Course Objectives

Each student will be able to:

1. use the scientific method to design and perform experiments that provide information to solve problems.
2. Student will be able to describe the make up of protons, electrons, neutrons, atoms, molecules, mixtures.
3. explain the makeup of the earth’s atmosphere by writing balanced chemical equations and solving problems related to the interaction of its components.
4. explain the impact that man has made on the earth’s environment from a chemical perspective.
5. demonstrate the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures.
6. use the periodic table to predict the reactions between chemical elements and use it to assist in the solving of problems.
7. explain the role of ozone in the Earths atmosphere. They will be able to explain the ozone cycle, the interaction of radiation with matter, and the effects of chloroflorocarbons on the upper atmosphere.
8. develop research and critical thinking skills and use them while reading newspapers magazines, scientific journals, and the internet.
9. use the the properties of the phases of matter to explain the greenhouse effect.
10. use the concept of the mole to solve problems.
11. explain and use the laws of thermodynamics from a chemist’s perspective. They will be able to use them to solve problems.
12. explain the unique properties of water that make life of Earth possible.
13. explain acids bases and their interaction.
14. explain the causes for acid rain, its impact on the environment, and mitigation procedures

III. Course Requirements:

Computer literacy: Each student is expected to have the following: a Personal Computer, modem (14.4 baud - recommended 28.8), Internet access (America Online, Microsoft Network etc), web browser (e.g. Netscape, Microsoft Explorer) and an email account. Some computer literacy is expected; e.g. starting a computer, finding and executing programs, setting up files, familiarity with browsing and downloading files from the Internet.

Current News: Students will be expected to read magazines and newspapers and submit a summary of about 100 words on one scientific news article of their choice. They should include: a) what they read, b) what they found interesting about it, c) if they have any opinion about it and e) the reference. This will enable them to develop reading habit and keep them updated with the current events.

Reports papers: The students will express their views on an issue assigned by the instructor. They should be able to defend their point of view by articulately expressing themselves and backing their opinion by facts, hence references is an integral part of this report. Students will generally get a minimum of a week to work on these reports. The report should be roughly 600 - 700 words long excluding the references. There will be 6-7 reports.

Class participation: During the course some discussion topics will be given to the class, to which the students are expected to respond. This will be carried out in the conference area. Students are expected to visit the conference area at least twice a week, give their opinion and defend it articulately. This is one of the most important part of the course. It will help establish a communication between the students and the instructor and also among the entire class. Students are expected to question each others statements and challenge each other to think. Each week of constructive participation will earn them 2% of the total grade points. Constructive participation means responding to comments made in the class and taking initiative to bring interesting topics in the discussion forum (see below for details on on line participation).

Research paper: The topic will be entirely the students choice. They can research on one scientific - chemistry related topic that they are interested in. Primary reasons for choosing a topic should be: 1) they are interested in it, 2) they have found a significant amount of information on this topic, 3) no one else is writing on the same issue and 4) it has been approved by the instructor.
Most times students get carried away with the vast number of interesting issues that they lose focus. To avoid this, a topic of interest should be submitted to the instructor within the first three weeks of classes; a rough, one page draft submitted two weeks after the submission of the topic, with four to five references, and the final report due two days before the final exam. It is important to remain focused on the topic of interest. The student will be allowed to change the topic only once and not later than five weeks into the course.

Final exam: There will be only one exam at the end of the course. It will a comprehensive exam. It will be based on the discussion topics and the informative reports that the students have written.
To help the students understand the kind of questions they can expect on the exam, practice quizzes will be available on the web.

IV. Course Policies

The standards listed here will help maintain the quality of the course.
1) Submission of reports: All reports must be submitted on time. Turning in the reports the next day will be allowed if there was a valid excuse e.g. technical faults which are uncontrollable. In such a case the student is advised to contact the instructor by telephone to let him/her know of the problem. If submitted late just because of tardiness, then it will be not be graded.
2) Class participation: Students are expected participate in the class. Constructive participation means responding to comments made in the class and taking initiative to bring interesting topics in the discussion forum (see below for details on on-line participation).
3) Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Honesty is the best policy. Students will be writing a number of reports hence it is no doubt that they will be reading a lot of magazines and journals. Students are advised to do any of the following points:
a) write in your words
b) reference the article, book etc. from which they got the information or
c) quote information (as in quotation marks) and then reference it
d) not copy at all.
If at any point the instructor has justified doubts about a student committing plagiarism the student will be issued a warning; however if the student plagiarizes a second time then necessary action will be taken which may result in expulsion from the class.

On Line Participation

This course is offered on line, over the Internet and the World Wide Web, which allows students to participate at any time, from any location. Because of this flexibility, it is important to plan your time carefully. Students are expected to sign in to the class conference forum (your "virtual classroom") and participate in discussions and other activities at least four times per week. You should expect to spend a minimum of four hours per class week on line the same amount of time you'd spend in the physical classroom. You'll be sending and receiving E mail, performing on line research and participating in Web explorations and "tours," and interacting socially and professionally with classmates (See Ground Rules for On Line Participation for additional guidance).

A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday. The first week begins the first day of the semester and ends midnight the following Sunday. Assignments scheduled for completion during a class week should be completed by Sunday of the week assigned. Writing assignments and papers should be completed and successfully submitted, or postmarked, so that they are in the instructors hands on the due date.

NOTE: Because this is an online course designed to get feedback on assignments to you directly via Internet, you must make prior arrangements with the instructor before submitting a paper via fax or the postal service. If you ever have problems transmitting your assignments, telephone me immediately, and we'll get the problem solved.

Ground Rules for On line Participation

• Students should use E Mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The Class Conference is for public messages.
• Students are expected to complete 4 hours per week of conferencing or other appropriate online activities, including sending/receiving E mail and navigating and conducting research over the World Wide Web.
• All students will participate in conference discussion. Conventions of "on line etiquette," which include courtesy to all users, will be observed.
• Students may get assistance with computer related problems through the instructor.
• Students will normally submit papers as ASCII or binary files uploaded to the computer and routed to the instructor.
• Assigned papers may be submitted via the postal service or fax only if arrangements are made with the instructor beforehand.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

Park College policies are in effect. All your work must be your own, unless the instructor authorizes collaboration, in which case you must, in writing, acknowledge the help you have received. Presenting as one's own the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism, and will not be tolerated. The claim of ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse.

GRADING POLICY:

Grading Scale
90% and above A
80 - 89 % B
70 - 79 % C
60 - 69 % D
59% and below F

Each student is responsible for:

• Completing weekly reading assignments (reports).
• Completing weekly discussion Questions.
• Completing all substantial writing assignments, (referred to as opinion or informative papers).
• Completing a Final Examination.

VI. Grades Assignment

VII. Resources and Reading Material:

In the following paragraphs you are provided with references that you may use. In some cases small lectures may already be present on the web. If not you will be provided with a link that will take you to the relevant lecture site.
There are certain sites that are recommended if students are new to the web and email system:

This course requires a lot of report writing hence each student must know how to write a good report. The sites listed below can help students with their writing techniques:

• Advice on Research and Writing
• How to Cite Electronic Media
• Critical Thinking
• Evaluating What You Have Found
• Guide to Writing Essay

Most magazines and journals and newspapers can be found on the web. You are encouraged to use the web as much as possible. All these journals are also available at your local public library or any college library. The following are few of the recommended magazines and papers:
1) use encyclopedia and books to get a primary idea
2) read science magazines e.g. Science, Nature, American Scientist, New Scientist, Popular Science, Chemical and Engineering News etc.
3) non science magazines e.g. Prevention, National Geographic, Smithsonian, etc.
4) newspapers
Note: National enquirer is not a scientific reference.
Online links to a number of magazines and newspapers will be provided.

VIII. Course Schedule

Week 1: The Basics of Chemistry

Topics to be covered:

• history of chemistry; see suggested reading
• study of matter what is matter, its properties, different states of matter, law of conservation of matter (read section 1.5);
• the structure of atom (read section 2.2);
• the periodic table;
• the language of chemistry (read sections 1.7 and 1.8);
• the electromagnetic spectrum (read section 2.4).

Week 2: Nuclear Chemistry

Topics to be covered:

• what is radioactivity (read section 8.7); why does it occur;
• what is energy (read chapter 4);
• sources of energy old and new; water, wind, fossil fuels, natural gas, wood, nuclear etc. (read chapters 8 and 9).

Week 3: Environmental Chemistry

Topics to be covered:

• divisions of the earth; the stratosphere; the hydrosphere and the atmosphere and their components;
• atmospheric pollution; what is pollution (read chapter 1);
• air pollutants: carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter etc.
• acid rain (read chapter 6);
• the ozone layer (read chapter 2);
• toxic effects of air pollution.

Research paper topic due: submit this by email and on approval in the conference area; in this way your colleagues may be able to assist you in finding material or throw in interesting ideas.

Week 4: Water Pollution

Topics to be covered:

• Water: a unique compound; its properties (read chapter 5);
• Pollution as a result of air pollution (read chapter 6);
• Effects of water pollution (read chapter 6);
• Prevention;
• Conservation of water.

Week 5: Medicinal Chemistry

Topics to be covered: (read chapter 11)

• history of medicine;
• the first drug to be synthesized aspirin;
• drug discovery serendipity, targeted research and traditional medicine;
• drug approval process role of FDA in this process;
• fraud in medicine
• weight loss pills, methotrexate (abortion pill), Huntingtons disease (uses fetus tissue for treatment).

Week 6: Consumer Chemistry

Topics to be covered:

• properties of solutions;
• polar and non polar molecules;
• formation of micelles;
• basic cleansing action; role of foam in cleaning products;
• soaps, detergents, toothpaste, shampoos, hair dyes, moisturizer lotions, lipsticks, other cosmetic products.

Week 7: Food Chemistry

Topics to be covered: (read chapter 12)

• composition of our body; what is it made up of;
• what elements do we need to live healthily;
• diet needs according to the functions of our body;
• diseases caused by malnutrition.

Week 8: Genetic Engineering

Topics to be covered: (read chapter 13)

• DNA (Deoxy RiboNucleic Acid): what is it and what is its function;
• the genetic map
• human genome project;
• genetic engineering: the good, the bad and the ugly;

Research report due: on Friday.
Final Exam to be taken during the last week of classes.  Student must arrange for a proctor and a site to take the exam.

SUGGESTED REFERENCE GUIDE FOR WEEKLY REPORTS AND RESEARCH REPORT

GENERAL INTEREST/ MAGAZINES/ NEWSPAPERS

Science Updates http://www.gene.com/ae/WN/SU/index.html
Newsmaker Interviews http://www.gene.com/ae/WN/NM/index.html
MediaWatch  http://www.gene.com/ae/WN/mediawatch.html
Nature http://www.nature.com/
American Scientist  http://www.amsci.org/amsci/amsci text.html   
THE SCIENTIST http://www.the-scientist.com/
Science http://www.sciencemag.org/
National Geographic http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0508/index.html
The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/
USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/

ENERGY

Geotimes http://www.geotimes.org/current/
DOE News Briefs http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do
Energy Science News http://www.pnl.gov/energyscience/

ENVIRONMENT

Environment and Health Weekly http://www.envirolink.org/pubs/rachel/contents.htm
Ozone Action http://www.ozone.org/
Acid Rain http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/

MEDICINE

AIDS Watch http://www.actis.org/
FDA Consumer Magazine http://www.fda.gov/fdac/597_toc.html
FDA News http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpnews.html
Med Watch http://www.fda.gov/medwatch
Alternative Medicine http://www.alternativemedicine.com/am/login/index.jsp

COSMETICS

MSDS of P&G Products: http://www.pg.com/company/our_commitment/material.jhtml
 

FOOD

General Food Safety http://www.usda.gov/agency/fsis/pubconsu.htm
Consumer Food Safety http://www.foodsafety.gov/
FDA on Food Safety http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html
Consumer Advice on Food http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/advice.html

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