Overview:
In the unit to follow, you will be learning about organic chemicals and the chemistry behind them. This project will give you a look at what kinds of organic chemicals exist in our everyday lives and how they impact us.
Your tasks:
You will be working in groups of up to three people. You may choose to work individually.
You/your group will choose one organic chemical (which must be approved by your teacher) and will research:
1. Its molecular structure,
2. What the organic chemical does, and
3. Its impacts on humans and society (whether it be related to the intended function of the chemical or some other side effect).
You/your group will also research and think of alternatives to using the organic chemical, in the case of compounds that may cause harm to humans and/or the environment
You/your group will then present your research in one of several ways. These may include, but are not limited to:
Rap/song, interpretive dance, skit, video, comic strip, poster, puppet show, interview
(recorded or performed “live”), website or brochure
Please note that if you need any materials for your presentation that you cannot obtain yourselves (e.g., televisions for video presentations), you may request them of your teacher, within reason. Any props your teacher considers inappropriate may be vetoed.
Each student will be creating a processfolio, in which they will collect all of their individual work. Your group must split your responsibilities, and do so fairly.
Topics:
There are many organic chemicals from which to choose from. Remember, you need to have your chemical approved by your teacher. You may not use the same chemical that another individual or group in your class is using. Therefore, you should think of three possible organic chemicals you would like to research when you are getting your teacher’s approval. Here are some example chemicals that you can use:
Polymers: polyethylene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, etc.
Nutritional supplements: various vitamins and minerals, omega fatty acids, etc.
Food additives: MSG, citric acid, aspartame, pectin, etc.
Pharmaceuticals: ASA, acetaminophen, caffeine, estrogen, etc.
Pesticides: DDT, paraquat, coumarin, glyphosate, etc.

Resources:
There are acceptable and unacceptable resources that you may use. Wikipedia and certain websites (You Tube, Facebook, etc.) are off limits.
You are encouraged to use scholarly journal articles, many of which you should be able to access through your library website, as well as reference books such as published encyclopedias and textbooks. University websites are also acceptable for use in this project.
To access the school library website from home, go to: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/libraries/Links.asp?schoolNo=9
The EBSCO Resources (login: tdsb, password: second) and Gale Cengage Learning sites
(password: trillium) will give you access to scholarly articles that will help you find the information that you need.
If you are working in a group, you must split your research areas. However, it is acceptable and encouraged that you share your resources within your groups, since you will be looking at different aspects of your organic chemical.
References:
You must provide a list of references used with your processfolio. Please use APA format for all of your references.
Assessment and Evaluation:
You will be evaluated for (1) your processfolios, and (2) your final projects. Please refer to the next page for a detailed marking scheme.
Your processfolios will be evaluated for quality and completion . You must include:
Your research notes,
Other notes (e.g., brainstorming, correspondence and feedback from peers or teachers)
Rough drafts of your work, and
Your list of references in APA format.
Please date all of your processfolio entries and if your entry involves work done with other people (e.g., group members, other fellow students, your teacher, your parents or relatives) please also indicate who you have been working with.
The quality of your processfolio entries will be determined by how well your research or other notes support the information you provide in your final presentation. Your notes must contain all of the information and facts that will be used in your final presentation.
Your final projects will be evaluated for your ability to incorporate your research in your presentations. If you are using the format of a skit, song or other performance, please note that you are not responsible for memorizing your lines. You may use cue cards to assist you.

Organic Chemical:
Choice 1: ________________________
Choice 2:
Choice 3:
________________________
________________________
Teacher-approved Chemical: ________________________
Group Members and (Tentative) Responsibilities: e.g., Mary
– Molecular structure, function, role of “glycyrrhizin” in the presentation skit
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Important Dates:
Research Days: __________________________________________________________
Presentation: ________________________

Processfolio [C]
Content
The research notes are sufficient and detailed enough to support the project
Detailed notes demonstrate the process towards the making of the final presentation
References
The reference list was complete and all references were written in proper APA format
Final Project – Information of the organic chemical [K/U]
Molecular Structure
An accurate molecular structure was presented
Function of the Organic Chemical
The function of the organic chemical was presented in sufficient detail
Impact on Humans and the Environment
The information on the effect of the chemical on humans was presented effectively and in detail
The information on the effect of the chemical on the environment was presented effectively and in detail
Final Project
– Alternatives to using the organic chemical [A]
Alternatives
Suitable viable alternatives were presented and a rationale was provided
Final Project – Presentation [C]
Presentation and Creativity
The presentation was creative, engaging and of high quality
The information was presented in an effective manner
Total
Comments:
/6
/5
/5
/25
/3
/2
/2
/2