Chemistry at Work Project

CHEMISTRY AT WORK

Purpose:  To research a commercial product that you currently using or are interested in using to examine what it is made of and its potential hazards. We consume food and products that we do not know the effect of on our bodies and on our environment.  This project will help make you and your classmates a more educated consumer. 

Step 1: Choose a product that you would like to research it can be a food (example: sports drink), household cleaning (example: floor cleaner), beauty product (example: lip gloss), personal hygiene (example: deodorant), or health product (example: energy boosts/vitamins). You must choose a different product than your classmates. As soon as you select your product, tell Ms. Cotta or e-mail her your choice to secure it.

Step 2: Research your product by looking at the ingredients on the label or look for the website of the company that makes it.  You must research three (3) ingredients in the product.  Your research must include what it is made from or derived from, its health effects, its chemical formula and chemical name, physical and chemical properties of the ingredient, and the purpose of including that ingredient in the product.

Step 3: Start creating your website (You must have a g-mail account. You can create your website through www.blogger.com) giving background about the product you selected and why you selected that product.  More details on what you need to have included on your website are on the reverse of this paper.

Step 4: Post a link to your blog on Ms. Cotta’s blog (mscotta.blogspot.com). When you post your link include your full name, period and the name of your product.

Step 5: Look through the links on Ms. Cotta’s blog and choose three products that interest you and read your classmates research.  You must post one comment on three different classmates’ blogs.  Look to the next page to see more details on what your comments must include.

Helpful hints:

Ø  Choose a product that you already use or are interested in, this will make your research that much more useful to you.

Ø  If you are stuck during Thanksgiving break, e-mail Ms. Cotta for tips and ideas at julianne.cotta@lausd.net.

Ø  Remember that your project is 10% of your grade so this project can help you out and raise your grade or it can hurt you if you do not do it and lower your grade.

Ø  If it is hard for you to get computer access (it will be next to impossible to create your blog on your phone!), try to work with a classmate or go to your library. Don’t wait until the last minute to work on it!

Ø  Have fun and learn from your classmates, you will be shocked about what you discover.

Rubric:

Category:	Explanation:	Points Possible:
Three ingredients are included.	All three ingredients include all the required elements. For extra credit, research five ingredients in the product.	10
Research of product.	These facts MUST be included in your research: (15 points total possible for each ingredient = 45 points) ü  Chemical name of the ingredient. ü  Chemical formula of the ingredient. ü  Health effects of the ingredient. ü  How it is made and/or what it is derived from in nature. ü  Physical and chemical properties of the substance (at least three properties). ü  Purpose of including the ingredient in the product.	1 2 3 3 3 3
Grammar	All information must be given in complete sentences with proper English, punctuation, spelling and grammar. Make sure to proof read your work.  You can write it in a separate document or cut and paste it into your blog.	10
Photos	Your blog must include at least four photos in the blog.  Make sure that each photo is captioned with what the photo is about and illustrating.      One photo must be a photo of your product.     One photo must be a chemical structure illustration of one of the ingredients.     One photo must be a Lewis structure of the chemical formula of the ingredient.     The last photo can be of your choosing, but must be related the product or one of the ingredients.	20
Comments	You must make a total of three comments on three different classmates’ blogs. When you are commenting keep in mind the guidelines of the comments. Fully write a response and explain your comment to receive full credit. Also when you comment, include your full name with your comments. (15 points total) o   One comment must be a response to the blog about what you learned from the blog that you did not know previously. o   One comment must be a question that you still have after reading the blog about the product. o   One comment is a positive comment about a blog that you thought was a good idea or that you wish that you thought of for your own blog.	5 5 5

Total possible: