PartI:InformationabouttheLessonorUnit

Unit:Scienceliteracy
Topic:Understandingchemicalhazardsasascientistandconsumer
TypeofClass

Gradelevel(s):11
Typeofschool:Urban
Trackinglevel:Untracked

Abstract
Inthislessonstudentswillexplorechemicalsafetythroughaseriesoftextualreadings
anddiscussions.StudentswillfirstreadanalarmistpieceonthesafetyofDHMO(water)and
discusswhethertheythinkitissafe.Studentswillthenreadaboutacaseoffatalwatertoxicity.
Followingthistheclasswillengageinadiscussionaboutacutetoxicityandhowitcanbe
measured.ThiswillleadtoadiscussionoftheLD50,andsomeexampleLD50sofcommon
substances.

PartII:ClarifyingYourGoalsfortheTopic
Knowledge:BigIdeas
Scienceisoftenmisunderstoodandmisrepresentedbypeopleinthemediaandonthe
internet.Thisisaverycommonproblemwithrespecttoinformationaboutchemicalsafetyboth
inalaboratoryandachemicalsafetysetting.Inaccurateandsensationalistinformationis
common,andcangivepeopleanexaggeratedsenseoffearwhendealingwithchemicals.
Assessmentofchemicalsafetyisafieldofscience(toxicology)sochemicalsafetycanbe
assessedwithrespecttoscientificevidence.

Knowledge:Observations,Patterns,andModels/Principles
Observationsor
experiences
Goal
OPM

Relevantexamples:
ClaimsaboutDHMO:
Dangers:
Deathduetoinhalationofsmall
amountsofthecompound

Patterns

ModelsandPrinciples

Truestatementscanbeusedto
paintamisleadingpicture.

Thetoxicityofacompound
isrelatedtohowitinteracts
withyourbody.

nontoxicthingscanstill

Majorcomponentofacidrain
Contributestosoilerosion
Cancausesevereburns
Etc.
Claimsfromwatertoxicitycase
study:
Asampleofvitreoushumor
showedasodiumconcentration
of92mmol/liter(serum
referencerange132144).
Potassium,ureaandglucose
wereallwithinreference
ranges.

killyou.
Scientificsourcesgenerally
lackemotionalscare
language
Scientificsourcestendtobe
moreexplicitaboutcauseand
effect,whilehitpieceswill
toutassociationse.g.major
componentofacidrain

Thedosemakesthepoison:
i.e.mostthingscankillyou
inexcess,butthewayto
determinesafeuseis
quantitative
Themostreliablesourceson
chemicalsafetywilltendto
bepoliticallydetachedand
relyonconcreteevidence.

ClaimsaboutWaterfrom
MSDS:
Health:0
Toxicity to Animals:
LD50: [Rat] - Route: oral;
Dose: > 90 ml/kg

Application:ModelbasedReasoning
Inquiry:FindingandExplainingPatternsinExperience

Practices:ObjectivesforStudentLearning
Objective
1.HSPS12.

Type
Inquiry

Constructandreviseanexplanationfortheoutcomeofasimplechemicalreactionbasedon
theoutermostelectronstatesofatoms,trendsintheperiodictable,andknowledgeofthe
patternsofchemicalproperties.

SpecificLessonObjective(s)

1.Learntorecognizethatpoisoningisachemicalprocessandthatitsextentdependson
theamountofachemicalgiven,i.e.dose
2.Understandthatthetoxicityofasubstanceisamatterthatrequiresscientificstudy,but
thatmisleadinginformationisoftenavailableaboutacompound.
3.UnderstandwhatanLD50isandhowtheyaredetermined.

Inquiry
Reflection/Social
Implications
IdentifyingSP

PartIII:ClassroomActivities
Resources
Sourceanddescriptionofresource
DMHO.orgsensationalistliterature
aboutthedangersofwater

Possibleusesforyourlesson
Communicatethewaythatscience
isimportantforunderstanding
chemicalsafetyconcepts

FatalWaterIntoxication,aJournal
ofClinicalPathologyarticleabouta
fatalityfromhyponatraemia

Showscientificapproachtotoxicity,
demonstratethatnontoxicis
relative.

Strengthsandweaknesses
Strength:Amusing.Goodfor
stressingtheimportanceofcritical
thinking.Weakness:famous.May
notsurprisestudents.
Strength:goodexampleofhow
watercanbedangerous.Weakness:
verytechnical.

Materials
Texts:
DMHOFaq(http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html)
Farrell,DJ;andBower,L.FatalWaterIntoxication,JClinPath2003,56,803804.
WaterMSDS(http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927321)
TheDoseMakesthePoison
(http://ei.cornell.edu/teacher/pdf/ATR/ATR_Chapter1_X.pdf)
Supplement:
MyterminologylistforFatalWaterIntoxication
Terminology and concept list for Fatal Water Intoxication:
Hyponatraemia A life threatening condition caused by a deficiency of sodium
mmol/liter - millimole which is a count of molecules per liter, a measure of volume. This is a concentration of a
chemical similar to grams per liter. Dont worry about exactly how much a mmol is.
Post mortem After death
Ante mortem prior to death
Vitreous Humor A fluid found on the inside of the eye
Serum the non-cellular component of blood.
Dilutional having to do with dilution- the process of adding more and more solvent to a solution, for example,
adding more water to a solution of salt water.
Osmolality the amount of salt in a bodily fluid. Low osmolality means a low concentration of dissolved salts and
molecules.
Emesis vomiting

Iatrogenic caused by the process of medical treatment or analysis

Lavage the washing out of a body cavity
Gasteroenteritis - inflammation (i.e. swelling) of the GI tract.

Activities
Introduction(2minutes)
Studentsaretoldthattheyareonacongressionalpublichealthcommittee,andthat
todaysmeetingisascienceadvisorymeetinginpreparationforahearingthattheywillbe
holdingonabillproposedbyaconcernedcitizensorganization,MichiganagainstDihydrogen
Monoxide.Thebillwouldbantheproduction,possessionorsaleofthechemicalDihydrogen
Monoxide.
MainTeachingActivities(40minutes)
ThediscussionstartswiththeDHMO.orgtext,andadiscussionofthedangersof
DHMO.WearegoingtoreadthedocumentanddiscusswhetherwethinkDHMOisdangerous.
AfterthiswewilllookatthenameofDHMOandtrytofigureoutwhatthestructurewouldlook
like.OnceweveestablishedthatDHMOisactuallywater,wewilltalkaboutwhetherthat
changeswhattheythink.ThenIwillaskthemiftheythinkthereareanypotentialissuesrelated
tothetoxicityofwater.WewilldiscussbrieflyandthenIwillproducethenextresourcewhich
isacasestudyaboutawomanwhodiedfromwaterconsumption.Wewillidentifyhowshedied,
whatthemechanismofhertoxicitywasandtalkabouthowthisrevelationchangesthe
discussion.Howdangerousdotheythinkwaterisnow?
Thediscussionisgoingtochangeatthispointtohowwecangeneralizewhenthinking
aboutthetoxicityofwateroranythingelse.Ihaveafinalreadingthatexplainshowthisisdone,
butIwontbegoingthroughitinitsentirety.AfterIveledthemsomewhereclosetotheideaof
anLD50wewillactuallydiscussLD50,whatitmeans,andhowitisused.Wewilllookatthe
MSDSofwaterandtalkabouthowitcomparestootherMSDSvalues,andhowtounderstand
thevalue.
Conclusion(5minutes)
Nothingneedstobedonewithcleanup,butifwegetthroughthelesson(debatable)we
willhavesomediscussionofsomeothercompoundsLD50valuesasanassessment.Students
shouldbeabletodiscusswhatLD50sdoanddonttellthem.