Extra Credit - Chemistry H & R 2013-2014
Students may complete 1 extra credit assignment per quarter. Each assignment is worth up to 5 points of extra credit.
The points will be added to the “HW” category in the gradebook. The number of points assigned will be at the discretion
of the teacher based on, creativity, thoroughness, correctness, effort, and demonstration of learning.
Choose one of the following 7 options:
Option #1 = Article Critique Rubric
*Note: You must attach either the original article or a copy of the article.
The critique must be at least 10 sentences long.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/ and http://www.scientificamerican.com/chemistry are good resources to find
articles to read.
The article you choose needs to be directly related to CHEMISTRY, not physics, not biology. (Though aspects of
other sciences will most likely be found in your article.)
In your critique, include the following:
1. Title of the article.
2. The names of all the authors.
3. Who published the article? (If you found it on a web site, give the complete web address.)
4. What was studied, and what was the method used in the study?
5. What did the authors find in their study? (What were the results of the study?)
6. What conclusions did the authors make?
7. Do you think they proved their hypothesis? Why?
8. What did you learn from this article?
Option #2 Chemistry in warfare
Research when chemicals were first used in war and explain any advantages or disadvantages over conventional
weapons. Choose one chemical; describe its properties and how it affects the victim. Your paper should be
approximately one page long single spaced.
Option #3 Chemicals in the environment
Visit the Scorecard website, http://www.scorecard.org/index.tcl and enter your Zip Code to find the polluters in your
area. Choose one of the industries listed and research a chemical that is of concern. You will want to include the
properties of the chemical, the known or possible effects on people, and any possible steps you could take to minimize
your exposure. The paper should approximately one page single spaced.
Option #4 Chemistry inventions
Do research on chemistry related inventions. Provide information as to when it occurred, how it happened and some
technical information about the chemistry involved. Finally, discuss how this invention may have impacted society or
even your own life. Paper should be approximately one page single spaced.
Option #5 Chemistry art in the classroom
Create a colorful poster that depicts a chemical reaction, concept in chemistry, or a safety message. You are not limited
to listed topics, but the poster should be informative in nature, not purely abstract.
Option #6 Mobile madness
Create a mobile of an actual hydrocarbon that can be displayed in the classroom. The model must be accurate depicting
correct molecular geometry and following actual bonding rules. You decide what materials to use, creativity does count.
The more complex the molecule, the more credit is earned. For example: methane would be only worth a relative value
of 4.
Option #7 The Hydrogen Economy
Research the emerging technology of hydrogen as a future fuel and create a written or visual presentation on this
topic. Include the benefits of hydrogen as a fuel and any problems in implementing this technology. Also include some
basic chemistry that explains how the energy is extracted from the hydrogen and how we will obtain the hydrogen in the
first place. Finally, keep in mind as you create your presentation that the main reason for using hydrogen is an
environmental one, so please relate this to the information you present.