HowTo:IncorporateGreenChemistryConceptsandActivitiesintoa

YearLongChemistryCourse
Thisdocumentistobeusedbyteacherstohelpintheplanningprocessofanintroductoryyear
longchemistrycourse.

ThisdocumentisintendedtobeusedtoinfuseGreenChemistryintoaregularChemistrycourseatthe
highschoollevel.Ateachershouldusethisdocumenttoaugmenttheirestablishedcurriculumand
replacelaboratoryactivitiesthatuseandteachtechniquesandmaterialsthatarehazardoustohuman
healthandtheenvironment.Thetopicareasarethosetypicallyincludedinahighschoolintroductory
chemistrycourse.

Thiscurriculummappingdocumentwascreatedbyateamofhighschoolteachersinconjunctionwith
BeyondBenignstaffwhosurveyedtheavailablematerialsonthewebandinprint.Themajorityofthe
activitiesandlessonplansaretakenfromtheBeyondBenignwebsitematerialsasitisthelargest
repositoryforsuchmaterialsbuttheteamalsotookanindepthlookatotherexistingmaterials.The
teamfocusedontrueGreenChemistrypieceswhichfocusonbothteachinggreenchemistryandon
makingthechemistrylablesshazardous.Materialsthatweredesignedtolessentheamountsof
chemicalsusedi.e.microchemistrywerenotthefocus.(IfthecreditreadsBeyondBenignthenthe
materialscanbefoundontheHighSchoolBeyondBenignwebsitepageat
http://www.beyondbenign.org/K12education/highschool.html)

BeyondBenigncreatesthesematerialssolelyforthepurposeofsupportingtheworkofteachersand
providedresourcesandnocost.Youcanhelpwiththisprocessbyusingtheresourcesandalsoproviding
feedbacktoBeyondBenignifyouhavechangesoradditions.Wehavemanyteachersusingthelesson
andlabsincludedheresoifyouhaveanyquestionspleasecontactusandwecanprovideyouwith
experthelp.

1.

IntroductiontoChemistry
IntroductiontoGreenChemistry:twovideosthatyoucanusetointroducetheideasbehind
GreenChemistry.
VideoJohnWarner:BeyondBenigninterview(9mins22seconds)
VideoJohnWarner:IntellectualEcology(36mins)
http://www.beyondbenign.org/greenchemistry/greenchem.html
DefiningSustainabilityBeyondBenign(5mins12seconds)Thisisanactivitythatgets
studentsthinkingaboutsustainabilityandwhatitmeanstothem.
http://www.beyondbenign.org/K12education/kthru12.html
WhatisGreenChemistryAmericanChemicalSocietyBeyondBenign.ThisPowerPointwas
createdbytheACSandgivesabroadoverviewofGreenChemistry.

BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.

 The12PrinciplesofGreenChemistryFisherScientificandBeyondBenign.Hereyouwillfinda
PPTthatintroducesthe12principlesofGreenChemistryandalsoalessonplantoaccompany
thePPT.

WritingtheprinciplesBeyondBenign.Thisisafunlabactivitythatgetsthestudentsthinking
abouthowtoapplythe12principlesandcanalsobeusedtotalkaboutlabsafetyatthe
beginningoftheschoolyear.

2.

ToxicPopcornOregonStateUniversity.PartoftheHydrovilleCurriculumthislessoncanbe
usedasateambuildingactivityinyourchemistryclassroomwhilestillbeingchemistrybased
andcanbeajumpingoffpointfordiscussionregardingchemicalsinthecommunity.
http://www.hydroville.org/system/files/aiv.+Teamwork+Skills+8.07.pdf
IntroductiontoGreenChemistryUniversityofScranton.Backgroundreadingrelatingtowhat
greenchemistryisandsomehistory.Thisresourceisprimarilyforcollegestudentssothereading
levelisalittlehigherbutitcanstillbeveryusableforahighschoolclassroom.
http://academic.scranton.edu/faculty/cannm1/intro.html

MeasurementsandCalculations

3.

Matter
AsmalldoseofToxicologyStevenGilbert,thisisabookandwillbemostusefultoteachers
notstudents.Thiswebsitealsocontainsteacherresourcesalthoughnoneofthemarereally
activitiesbutratherawealthofbackgroundinformation.
http://www.asmalldoseof.org/
EnvironmentalImpactFactorBeyondBenign.Thislessonistointroducetheconceptofe
factorandhowitcanbeusedtoevaluatematter.

Seanine211industryexampleBeyondBenign.Thislessonhighlightspresidentialgreen
chemistryawardwinningtechnology,Seanine211whichisanantifoulantmadebyRohmand
Haasandisusedtocoatthehullsofshipsinortopreventbarnaclesandseadebrisfrom
adheringandcreatingdrag.Thistechnologyreplacedpreviouslyusedsubstancesthatwere
knowntobioaccumulateandcreatepollutionintheoceans.ThelessonincludesaPowerPoint
whichintroducesthenewtechnologyandalabcomponentthatlooksattoxicitythroughanLD
50labandtheconnectionofchemicalsandlivingorganisms.Thelessoncanbeusedtoteach
bioassays,bioaccumulationandserialdilutions.

SublimationBeyondBenign.Thislabreplacesthetraditionalnaphthalenesublimationlab.
Studentswillobservesublimation(physicalpropertiesofmatter)andexplainthetypeofchange
thatoccurred.Thislessonalsoreinforcestempmeasuringandmassmeasuringetc.

SolubilityBeyondBenignStudentsqualitativelyandquantitativelydescribetherelationship
betweentemperatureandsolubilityforgasesandsolids.Traditionallabsusesolubleionicsolids,
suchasnitrateorchloridesalts.Thedisposalofthesecompoundshasnegativeimpactonan
aquaticenvironment.Byswitchingthesolventtosucrose,weareusinganaturalproductthatis
benigntotheenvironment.
BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.

EssentialOilExtractionusingliquidCO2BeyondBenign.Studentsexplorewaystoextract
essentialoilsfromcitrusfruitsandevaluatethemethodsusedagainstthe12PrinciplesofGreen
Chemistry.Theyalsoexplorephasechanges.(*Thisactivitycouldalsobeusedattheendor
beginningoftheyearbecauseitisveryengagingforstudents.Itisalsogreatifyouareincluding
aunitonindustrialapplicationsofchemistryasthishighlightsagroundbreakingGreen
Chemistrytechnology)

DesignandApplicationofSurfactantsforcarbondioxidePPTUniversityof
Scranton.ThisisbackgroundinformationandreadingfortheEssentialOilExtraction

lesson.Thereadingsherearedesignedforcollegelevelstudentsbutcanbeused

successfullywiththehighschoolaudience.

http://academic.scranton.edu/faculty/cannm1/general.html

4.Atomsandtheperiodictable
HydrogelBeads:TheNewSlimeLab?ScienceTeacher,summer2011volume78#5.Page50.
Thislabactivityisaninexpensiveinquiryactivityonchemicalbonding,properties,and
replacementreactions.Studentssynthesizeacrosslinkedpolymerhydrogel.

IfyoudonothaveaccesstothisresourceyoucaneitherdownloaditforfreefromtheNSTAsite
ifyouareamemberoryoucanpay0.99centstogetthisissue.
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/4/tst11_078_05_50

5.Nomenclature
ChemistryofCosmeticsBeyondBenign.Studentslookatthematerialsusedtomakecommon
cosmeticsproducts.Theylookatthemolecularstructureoforganiccompoundsandhowthe
shapeofthemoleculeaffectsthetoxicityandpotentialhealthhazardsthathavebeen
associatedwithcosmeticingredients.Thislessonisparticularlyrelevantforfemalestudentsand
canreallyhelptocapturetheirinterestinanefforttogetmorefemalestudentsintochemistry.

6.ChemicalReactionsandEquations
ReactionsLabBeyondBenign.Inthislessonstudentsobservereactionsandidentifythetype
andproductsproducedinthosereactionsandcomparethereactionsfortheirtoxicityusingthe
12principlesofgreenchemistry.

ChemicalorPhysicalBeyondBenign. Thislabreplacestraditionalreactionsinvolving
chemicalssuchascupricchloride,6Mhydrochloricacid,potassiumhydroxide,andcopper
sulfate.Studentswillunderstandthedifferenceinchemicalreactionsvs.physicalreactionsusing
allgreenmaterials. Thegoalistouseobservationsofdifferenttypesofreactionstodiscover
commonthreads,ultimatelyleadingtoconclusionsregardingevidenceofchemicalreactions.
Studentswillultimatelylearnthedifferencebetweenchemicalandphysicalchanges.Thegoalof
thelabistodispelcommonmisconceptions;i.e.boilingwaterisnotachemicalreaction

GreenPrecipitationReactionBeyondBenign.Thislessonplanisintendedtoreplacealab
wherestudentsdeterminethepercentcompositionofsulfateinalumbyprecipitationwith
excessbariumnitrate.Inthislab,studentswilldeterminethepercentcompositionofzinc
acetatebyprecipitationofzinccarbonate,inadditiontootherquantitativecalculations.
BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.

CountingAtomsIntroductiontoGreenChemistry,ACSActivity#2.Thislessonisfromthe
ACSbookIntroductiontoGreenChemistry:InstructionalActivitiesforIntroductoryChemistry
HS25.Thisbookcosts$19.95andisavailablefororderform:
https://www.store.acs.org/eweb/ACSTemplatePage.aspx?site=ACS_Store&WebCode=storeItem
Detail&parentKey=6dec6b4862974cacafa5af855d052de7

TheAtomEconomyRoyalSocietyofChemistry.UniversityofGlasgow.Thislessonintroduces
theconceptofatomeconomy,thenexaminestheintrinsicatomeconomiesfordifferentclasses
ofreactionandthenappliestheconceptofatomeconomytodrugsynthesis.
http://www.rsc.org/images/PDF1_tcm1840521.pdf

7.MoleConcepts
Moles,AtomsandGrams,ohmy!BeyondBenign. Thislessonpracticestheconceptofthe
moleandthecalculationsinvolvedinunderstandinghowmolesareused. Thislabwillrequire
studentstomeasure/mass/buildvariousamountsofsalt,waterandcopperwire.After
completingeachtask(AE)thestudentteamswillcomeuptotheinstructortoseetheaccuracy
oftheircalculations.ThislabhelpstoreinforcetheprinciplesofGreenChemistryasthe
materialsareusedandreusedyearafteryearinyourclassroom.

MoleofRiceBeyondBenign.Thisisafunquickactivitytoaddontoyourunitabout
measurementwherethestudentshavetoconsidertheconceptoftheMoleasitpertainsto
GreenChemistry.

8.Stoichiometry
StoichiometryofSmoresBluedevilchem.com.
http://www.bluedevilchem.com/honorshome/hch9/hch9docs/files/lad9.3smores.pdf

StoichiometryChallengeBeyondBenign.ThislessonreplacesatraditionalAluminumtoAlum
stoichiometrylabwithagreenerprecipitationreactionofsodiumcarbonateandcalcium
chloride.Itisusedtodemonstratehowstoichiometryworks,showingthatifconcentrationsand
amountsofthestartingmaterialsareknownthatthetheoreticalyieldcanbecalculatedfroma
balancedchemicalequation.

9.AtomicTheoryandNuclearChemistry
ElectronTransitionsBeyondBenign.Thislessonreplacestraditionallyusedflametest
activitieswhichandusednitratesaltsofsodium,potassium,lithium,strontium,calcium,barium
andcopper(II)aswellassodiumchloride.Theredesignedlabincludesacetatesaltsofsodium
chloride,sodiumacetate,andpotassiumacetateandplasticbeads.

10.ChemicalBondingandMolecularGeometry
GreenChemistry,BiomimicryandIntermolecularForcesBeyondBenign.Studentsexplore
theuseofadhesives,intermolecularforcesandhowbiomimicryisbeingusedbychemiststo
inventgreeneralternativeproducts.(thislessonhasasequenceofactivitiesthatwillaugment
BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.

traditionalcontentaboutpolarityandintermolecularforces.Thereisalsoarelationshipto
biomimicryiftheteacheriscomfortableintroducingthatemergingbranchofscience.)

11.GasLawsandtheKineticMolecularTheory
ClimateChangeChemistryBeyondBenign.Inthisunitstudentsconsiderthechemistry
behindtheconceptofclimatechangewhileexploringgasesandgaslaws.Thisisamultiple
lessonplanunitwithmanyoptionsforteacherstochoosefromaccordingtothelevelofthe
studentandthedepthofthecurriculumrequirementsinthisarea.

DeterminingPressure,VolumeandtemperatureofgasesformedBeyondBenign.Thislab
includespercentcomposition,densityofagas,anddeterminationoftheidealgaslawconstant.

TheAgeofRefrigerationRoyalSocietyofChemistryUniversityofGlasgow.Thislesson
examinestheissueofreplacementrefrigerants.Theaimoftheunitisnottoteachaboutthe
chemistryofrefrigerantsbuttoillustratesomeofthechemical,industrialandethicalissues
associatedwiththeselection,productionanduseofrefrigerants.TheunitcoversCFCs,modern
compoundsusedinrefrigerantsandindustrialdecisionmaking.
http://www.rsc.org/Education/HElecturers/resources/itus.asp

12.Thermodynamics
SynthesisofBiodieselBeyondBenign.Studentsconsiderthepropertiesofdifferentoilsused
tomakebiodieselandthenmaketheirownfuel.

EnthalpyofCombustionBeyondBenign.Investigatingthemolarheatofcombustionof
paraffin,comparedtosoywax,studentswillbeabletomeasurethethermalheatabsorbedby
water,measuretheheatofcombustionofparaffinandsoywaxandcalculatethemolarheatof
thecombustionofparaffin. Thislabreplacesthefollowingtraditionalreaction.
Mg+2HClMgCl2+H2andMgO+2HClMgCl2+H2O

13.Solutions
StarchConcentrationLabBeyondBenign.Thislabisamodifiedversionofa
spectrophotometricdeterminationofbovinealbuminconcentrationusingcoppersulfate,and
FolinPhenol.Whileconsideredmostlybenign,coppersulfateistoxicathigherconcentrations.
Byusingstarchinplaceofbovinealbumin,andiodineinplaceofcoppersulfateandFolin
Phenol,wereducethefinancialandenvironmentalcostoflabreagentsandproducts.

14.Solids,LiquidsandPhaseChanges
CatalystsandOxygenBeyondBenign.Thislabreplacesmanganesedioxidetodemonstrate
theeffectofacatalystinareaction.Studentswillunderstandtheconceptofacatalystand
reactionrates,andhowacatalystcanimprovetheefficiencyofaprocess.
ExothermicandEndothermicBeyondBenign.Manyteachersusethecalciumchlorideand
ammoniumnitratereactiontoshowexothermicandendothermicreactions.Thisalternative
methodusesacatalase,anenzymefoundinnearlyalllivingorganisms.Studentswillperforman
exothermicreaction,anendothermicreactionandachangeinenthalpy(H)inanendothermic
reaction.
BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.


Equilibrium/LeChateliersprincipleBeyondBenign(lessonplanandvideo). Thislessongives
studentsanunderstandingoftheconceptofchemicalequilibriumanddemonstratesLe
ChateliersPrinciple. Traditionally,equilibriumexperimentsandLeChateliersPrincipleare
illustratedusingthefollowingexperiments:

(A)CoCl42
+6H2O
Co(H2O)62++4Cl
Exoblue

endored
Thisexperimentisusedtodemonstratetheeffectsofbothtemperaturechangesand
concentrationchangesonanequilibriummixture.
(B)Cr2O72+H2O

2CrO42+2H+
orange

yellow
Thisexperimentisusedtodemonstratetheeffectsofconcentrationchangesonanequilibrium
mixture.
(C)
Fe3+ +CNS

Fe(CNS)2+
yellow
red
Thisexperimentisalsobeusedtodemonstratetheeffectsofconcentrationchangesonan
equilibriummixture.Inthisreplacement,theabovematerialsarereplacedbyeverydaynontoxic
materials.

Thevideoforthisexperimentcanbefoundat:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBdYL3hlBuI

15.AcidsandBases
RecyclingPolylacticAcidBeyondBenign.Studentslearnhowtotakearenewableproduct,a
PLAplasticcup,andextenditslifetimebyconvertingthecupintoacleaningsolution.Thisisa
higherlevellabthatincludestheuseofsomemoredifficultmaterialsandproceduresbutcanbe
doneatthehighschoollevel.Werecommendusingittowardtheendoftheschoolyearwhen
yourstudentshavehadmorelabpractice.

Acids,BasesandpHBeyondBenign.StudentsmeasurethepH,categorizeorgroup
substancesfromtheireverydaylives,basedonphysicalpropertiesandobservephysical
propertiesofacidsandbases.

16.OxidationandReduction(electrochemistry)
DyesensitizedBlackberrySolarCellBeyondBenign(lessonplanandvideo)Studentsconsider
traditionalPhotovoltaicsolarpanelsandtheinherentissueswiththeirchemicalmakeupand
endoflifeewasteconcerns.Studentsthencreatetheirownsolarcellusingnontoxicmaterials
andblackberryfruitasthedye,understandinghowsolarcellsaremanufacturedcurrentlyand
thegreenchemistryresearchtowardsgreenersolarenergydevices.

Green(er)RedoxLabBeyondBenign.Thislabreplacesthetraditionalquantitativeoxidation
reduction(redox)reactionbetweencoppersolidandaqueoussilvernitrate.Typically,thislabis
doneattheendofalargeunitcoveringtypesofreactionsandstoichiometry.Thisexercisewill
beusedtoshowaredoxreactionbetweensolidmagnesiummetalandanaqueoussolutionof
zincchloride.Thestudentswillcalculatethetheoreticalyieldandusingthatinformation
calculatethepercentyield.

BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.

Mercury,MembraneorDiaphragmRoyalSocietyofChemistry.UniversityofGlasgow.This
interactiveteachingunitisconcernedwiththedifferentmanufacturingprocessesusedto
producethesematerials.Theseinvolveelectrochemicalcellsand,assuch,thisrepresentsan
exerciseinappliedelectrochemistry. Throughouttheunityouarerequiredtooperateinsmall
groupsactingasadesignteamandareaskedtodevisetheoptimumoperationalarrangement
foraparticularprocess.Thiswillrequireanunderstandingofthebasicelectrochemicalprocesses
but,inaddition,anawarenessofeconomicandenvironmentalissueswillalsoberequired.
http://www.rsc.org/images/PDF1_tcm1840417.pdf

EnrichmentandProjectBasedLearningActivities

LifecycleandSustainabilityAnalysisBeyondBenign.Thislessoncanbeusedaprojectfor
studentstoanalyzeanyproductorprocess.Thereissomedetailedresearchinvolvedanditcan
beusedasanendofsemesterprojectoraspartofamoreextensiveresearchproject.

PaintActivityBeyondBenign.ThisactivityisaProjectBasedLearningconceptandcouldbe
appliedtoanyexperimentationwithaproductthatyouwouldlikeforyourstudentstotry.Inthis
activityyourstudentswillbechallengedtoformulatecarpaintfromvegetables,fruitsandother
consumables.Theywillthendesignaprocessandtesttheirproductagainstperformanceand
greenchemistrycriteria.

BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved.