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UCCI Chemistry and Engineering Design: Solving Local and Global Challenges 1,2 (6488, 6489)    - PILOT COURSE -


Pilot Site:
 Pilot course for Lincoln and San Diego Science & Technology High Schools. Other schools may not offer this course without prior approval from the Interdivisional Curriculum Committee.

Grade Range:
 10–12
 Prerequisites:
 None
 Course duration:
 Two semesters
Subject area in which graduation credit will be given:
 Practical Arts
 UC subject area satisfied:
 d - Labratory Science
Course Description:
 Through this course, students will examine, explore, and experiment with a variety of chemistry concepts in order to better understand how such knowledge can be used to engineer tools, products, or systems for using energy to meet human needs--such as water purification, energy needs for a community, and ways to store energy.

Unit 1 features key assignments for understanding and carrying out the process of water purification. Unit 2 focuses on the energy needs of communities, such distillation as an effective means of purifying water with dissolved contaminants. In Unit 3, students will study the basic types of chemical reactions and how energy is released or absorbed through chemical change in order to understand different plausible energy storage solutions. Finally, in Unit 4, students will create a solution to a real world problem that will bring together all of the concepts that were studied during the course. The final challenge in Unit 4 is framed around creating sustainability related to water, food, or energy consumption in a hypothetical small village. The culminating project of the course requires students to present a report that includes CAD models or prototypes, bill of materials, and Gantt chart to achieve their selected goal. They will also present their project to an authentic audience and receive feedback.

In order to demonstrate and integrate student learning of both Chemistry and Engineering design,students will be prompted to collect work samples for a portfolio that will also support them with completing their culminating project. The project portfolio should illustrate the level of student proficiency in each chemistry based skill by documenting the application of these skills in the production of each unit project. The portfolio should contain imagery, video and written reflections rich in language/vocabulary used in both the class and the associated professional industry. As a recursive practice throughout the course, students will learn and apply documentation skills in order to create a “course notebook” chronologically recording daily progress through the course. The course notebook will be referenced recursively in each unit and should ultimately resemble a blend between traditional engineering and chemistry lab notebooks.

State Course Code(s):
 7720 - Intermediate Engineering Technology (Concentrator)
Basic Texts and Teaching Guides:
 District approved chemistry text.