Science 9 Assignment – Controversial Substances

Background
Since many people in the general public do not have a strong scientific
background, they are unaware of the dangers caused by many every-day
chemicals, ranging from home use pesticides to commercially available
addictive substances such as cigarettes and alcohol. Our job as science
students and educators is research and inform those in our life about the
dangers of harmful substances.

Question: Which controversial substances should be banned?

Synchronous Work period: Wednesday May 12th (half the period), Asynchronous
work period 3: May 13th and 17th.

The note taking section of your project will be due May 17th by midnight to the
dropbox

The flipgrid will be due May 17th by midnight to the flipgrid website (you do not need
to download or hand this into the dropbox)

The Assignment
● Each student will choose one harmful substance from the list below (see provided PDF
document for a more complete list)
● Conduct research on your substance and learn the following information
o Background and Purpose (What is your chemical and what is it used for?)
▪ Chemical formula and type of matter (element, compound, solution, mechanical
mixture)
▪ How essential is the substance in day-to-day life of people?
o Hazards – How exactly is the substance dangerous?
▪ What negative effects does the substance cause to humans?
▪ Refer to WHMIS classifications – Which WHMIS symbols apply to your substance?
o Regulations – Are there any regulations limiting or outlawing use of the substance?
▪ How do regulations in Canada compare to regulations in other countries?
● Reach a conclusion – Should your chosen substance be banned for the sake of human safety?
Explain why or why not

Tasks for Students

i) Conduct research using your choice of sources (which will be mostly websites)
● All relevant, reputable, credible, research (.org, .edu, .gov) is to be recorded as jot
notes IN YOUR OWN WORDS in the space provided and submitted to your teacher
● Record your sources with your jot notes – you will need this information for making your
bibliography
 o Any information without a source identified will be considered plagiarism
and will result in a mark of zero
ii) Create a public service announcement 3-5 Minute flipgrid post - must contain evidence from
your research notes to justify your stance on whether or not your controversial substance
should be banned.
o Background and Purpose
o Hazards
o Regulations
o STSE connection
o Final Recommendation
FLIPGRID LINK HERE
iii) Compile the sources you used into a bibliography (use website to assist you such as
https://www.easybib.com/ or https://www.bibme.org/style)

Note-Taking Section- YOU ARE PRACTICING PARAPHRASING YOUR OWN WORDS AND SOURCING
YOUR WORK.

JASS Resources:
1. How to do a basic investigation with online databases (Mr. Blackwood)
2. Investigating with google docs explore (Mr. Blackwood)
3. Practice Paraphrasing (Mr. Blackwood)
4. How to use myBib for your bibliography (Mr. Blackwood)

Chosen Chemical: Aluminum

Background and Purpose Sources (website(s) URL(s))

▪ What is the chemical formula of your substance?
▪ What type of matter is your substance? (element, compound,
solution, or mechanical mixture?)
▪ What is your substance used for?
▪ How essential is the substance in day-to-day life of people?
● Aluminum is a silvery coloured and lightweight metal ● https://www.rsc.org/pe
● it is seen every day in things like cans, foils, kitchen utensils riodic-table/element/1
and things of that sort 3/aluminium#:~:text=A
● On the periodic table, It is found as Al and in group 13 luminium%20is%20a%
● Aluminum is an element 20silvery%2Dwhite,It%
● aluminum is essential in everyday life as it is found in cell 20is%20soft%20and%2
phones, zippers and fuel-efficient cars. 0malleable.&text=Alumi
● it is a very sustainable element and is an essential element nium%20is%20used%2
0in%20a,because%20of
%20its%20particular%
20properties.
 ● https://www.aluminum.
org/aluminum-advantag
e/aluminum-101#:~:tex
t=Lightweight%2C%20
durable%20and%20hig
hly%20recyclable,essen
tial%20element%20of
%20daily%20life.
● https://byjus.com/alum
inum-formula/

Hazards (How exactly is the substance dangerous?) Sources (website(s) URL(s))

▪ What negative effects does the substance cause to humans?
▪ Refer to WHMIS classifications – Which WHMIS symbols apply
to your substance?
● aluminum is not hazardous and little amounts are found in ● https://www.atsdr.cdc.g
unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables ov/ToxProfiles/tp22-c1-
● on average an adult in the US intakes 7-9 mg of aluminum b.pdf
daily in their food
● very little amounts are taken in daily from the breathing in
the air, food and medical products
● the minimal amounts of aluminum intaken daily are
released without harm through feces
● intaking high amounts of aluminum can be very harmful
and cause serious short and long term health issues
● workers and people who are exposed to high amounts of
aluminum will experience breathing problems, kidney
issues and overall lung issues and harm
● high exposure to aluminum has lead to Alzheimer's disease
but it is not fully proven to be from aluminum
● In children brain and bone diseases have been caused by
high levels of aluminum
● the one WHMIS symbol represented by aluminum is
flammable as aluminum is found in things like fireworks
and explosives and that is the reason why there are
flammable signs on spray cans that are made of aluminum
Regulations – Are there any regulations limiting or outlawing use Sources (website(s) URL(s))
of the substance?
▪ How do regulations in Canada compare to regulations in other
countries?
● The food and drug association is a federal agency that https://www.aluminum.org/re
makes regulations for toxic substances sources/electrical-faqs-and-ha
● the max amount that the Canadian government says can be ndbooks/safety
consumed is 50mg a day
● They also have regulations for workplaces so that the air is https://www.canada.ca/en/he
pure for workers to breath alth-canada/services/househol
d-products/safe-use-cookware.
html

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Tox
Profiles/tp22-c1-b.pdf

Application: List arguments for Pros (Why should we ban your chosen chemical?) and Cons (Why
shouldn’t we ban your chosen chemical?) for banning your chosen chemical?

Consider the following: How does it affect health? Does it affect people in society? Does it affect the
terrestrial or aquatic animals/plants (environment)? Does it affect the economy (is there a cost?)

Pros Cons
● Major health issues come from high levels of ● it is a part of our everyday life and only high
aluminum intake amounts of consumption are harmful which
is rare
● can be flammable
● it helps purify drinking water and other
foods
● it is used in everyday life for things like cell
phones, cans, zippers and car parts
● it is very sustainable
Based on the arguments above, make a decision about whether to ban the chemical or not, then
support your claim by explaining why in the space below: (explanation can be in point-form – this is
your rough copy) This can also be the script for your short flipgrid video!

Decision (to ban or not to ban): Not to ban

Explanation: In my opinion, we should not ban aluminum. Aluminum is a silvery, lightweight metal
that is seen in everyday materials such as cans, foils and kitchen utensils. I don’t this substance should
be banned because aluminum is a part of everyday life and everyone consumes it daily. The reason this
substance shouldn’t be banned is that everyone consumes it and the only way it is harmful is if high
amounts are consumed and that shouldn’t be happening unless you or where you work is not following
the regulations and recommendations to keep your air from being polluted. Even with high amounts of
aluminum being consumed, there are no guaranteed health issues that come from that it is more based
on each person. Aluminum is essential and there is almost no way that you can get rid of it. Aluminum
helps filter drinking water and other foods. With the way the world is today, almost everyone has a cell
phone or mobile device. Aluminum is a very sustainable element that is seen in things like mobile
devices and is the best option for the manufacturing of these things. Even though aluminum has some
rare negative effects it is mostly positive and the negative effects are too rare to ban the substance.
Aluminum is everywhere and there isn’t really a way to ban it. There are so many good things that
come with aluminum such as purifying water, used in cell phones and it is a sustainable substance, I
believe that this substance should stay.

List your sources in the proper bibliographic format in alphabetical order below:

Bibliography in APA
References

Aluminium - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.rsc.org

website:

https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/13/aluminium#:~:text=Aluminium%20is%20a%20silvery

%2Dwhite

Aluminum 101 | The Aluminum Association. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2021, from www.aluminum.org

website:

https://www.aluminum.org/aluminum-advantage/aluminum-101#:~:text=Lightweight%2C%20durabl

e%20and%20highly%20recyclable

Aluminum Formula - Chemical Formula, Structural Formula And Properties. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2021,

from BYJUS website: https://byjus.com/aluminum-formula/

Aluminum Safety | The Aluminum Association. (2019). Retrieved from Aluminum.org website:

https://www.aluminum.org/resources/electrical-faqs-and-handbooks/safety

ATSDR. (2008). Public Health Statement for Aluminum. Retrieved from

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp22-c1-b.pdf

Health Canada. (2015). The safe use of cookware - Canada.ca. Retrieved from Canada.ca website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/household-products/safe-use-cookware.html

Possible Harmful Substances

● Acetamide MEA ● Coal tar derivatives ● Nitric acid
● Acetone ● DDT ● PABA
● Agent Orange ● DEET (insect repellant) (para-aminobenzoic
● Aluminum ● Diethanolamine (DEA) acid)
● Ammonia ● Dioxane ● Parabens
● Ammonium lauryl ● Dioxin ● Phosphoric acid
sulfate ● Ethanol ● Phthalates
● A-pinene ● Ethyl acetate ● Polychlorinated
● Arsenic ● Ethylacrylates biphenyls (PCBs)
● Asbestos (acrylates and ● Polystyrene
● Aspartame methacrylates) ● Propylene glycol
● Benzene ● Formaldehyde ● Saccharin
● Bisphenol-A ● Glyphosate ● Sodium and potassium
● Brominated flame ● Hydrochloric acid benzoate
retardants ● Lead ● Sodium lauryl sulfate
● Cadmium ● Mercury ● Sulfuric acid
● Calcium chloride (road ● Monosodium glutamate ● Toluene
salt) (MSG) ● Triclosan
● Camphor ● Nicotine ● Triethanolamine

Grading Rubric

Criteria Level 4 Level 3 (7/10) Level 2 (6/10) Level 1 (5/10) I (4-0/10)

(8-10/10)
Research High quality, Most relevant Some relevant Limited Information in
Evidence extensive information is information is information is the presentation
information; jot included; jot documented, documented; jot is not
notes are clearly notes are clearly although jot notes are documented in
and thoroughly documented notes are not well sometimes jot notes; jot
documented organized confusion, not notes are poorly
detailed enough, organized or not
or unclear submitted at all
Assessment of High quality, Considerable Some analysis of Limited analysis Poor or missing
social, medical, articulate analysis of health, health, societal, of health, societal, analysis of
analysis of health, societal, environmental environmental hazards of
environmental, societal, environmental and economic and economic chemical, or
and economic environmental and economic hazards of the hazards of the analysis is
impacts of use and economic hazards of the chemical – more chemical – more presented
of the chemical hazards of the chemical, but not in-depth analysis in-depth analysis incorrectly
chemical as in depth as it is possible is possible
could be
Proposal or Thoughtful and Well supported Adequate Limited analysis Decision to ban
Conclusion well-informed conclusion about conclusion about of hazards and or allow is not
conclusion about hazardous hazardous poorly supported made or not
hazardous substance; choice substance, choice conclusion; more supported by any
substance; choice made is well made is connection research
made is well informed by supported by between research
informed based research research, but can and conclusion is
on research be done better needed
Documentation 4 or more 3 sources used 2 sources used 1-2 sources used Sources are
of Sources sources used and and properly and cited using and recorded, either not
properly cited cited using proper though citations documented or
using proper proper bibliographic are not done poorly
bibliographic bibliographic format using correct documented
format format bibliographic
format
Quality of Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and Expresses and Very limited
Public Service organizes ideas organizes ideas organizes ideas organizes ideas information given
and information and information and information and information or not completed.
Flipgrid with a high with considerable with some with limited
degree of effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
effectiveness