1. Module 1 Intro

1.6. Page 4

Module 1 Lesson 1

Module 1—Chemical Foundations

Lesson Summary

 

Reflect on the critical questions posed to you at the beginning of this lesson.

  • What is the nature of science and technology, and what is their relationship?

  • How can science-related societal, political, economic, ethical, and ecological issues be addressed?

  • Can scientific knowledge lead to the development of new technologies? Can new technologies lead to or facilitate scientific discovery?

Throughout this course you will view the world through the eyes of a scientist. This will be done by following a cyclical problem-solving model in the quest to explain and predict the natural world. A key element of this model is the use of classification as an essential organizational tool to determine whether observations are qualitative or quantitative; to differentiate between direct and indirect knowledge; and to classify knowledge as empirical or theoretical. When communicating ideas and findings with other people, you will use descriptions, tables, graphs, hypotheses, definitions, generalizations, and laws. The scientific method contributes one perspective to the decision-making process. As you have begun to see from your project work for this module, many opinions representing other perspectives can exist regarding complex issues.

 

Lesson Glossary

 

atom: the smallest entity of an element that is characteristic of that element

 

CANDU: Canadian Deuterium-Uranium reactor; a type of nuclear reactor

 

ecological perspective: a perspective, either pro or con, referring to the relationships among living organisms and the environment

 

economic perspective: a perspective, either pro or con, relating to the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth

 

empirical knowledge: knowledge gained through observation

 

ethical perspective: a perspective that bases decisions around accepted beliefs of a group

 

neutron: an uncharged subatomic particle present in the nuclei of most atoms

 

physical change: any change in the form of a substance in which the chemical composition does not change

 

political perspective: a perspective, either pro or con, relating to vote-getting actions or campaigning

 

scientific perspective: a perspective, either pro or con, relating to researching (describing, explaining, and predicting) natural and technological phenomena

 

societal perspective: a perspective that focuses on ways in which society functions and the ways in which people interact

 

technological perspective: a perspective, either pro or con, referring to the development and use of machines, instruments, and processes that have a social purpose