LES – Science and Technology

Putting alcohol to the test of science

This learning and evaluation situation is an opportunity for students to become aware of and adopt healthy habits, in the event that they ultimately decide to drink. They will use what they already know and gather the scientific information they need—about binge drinking, calculating blood alcohol content, what happens when you mix alcohol with energy drinks, etc.—to help the characters in this module agree on how to behave, should they find themselves in the presence of alcohol at parties.

While the situations illustrated here are fictional, they can be a useful starting point for conversations about the impact of alcohol on the human body, and about the living world and the material world, with a particular focus on the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory and nervous systems.

Connection to the Québec Education Program (MESS)

  • Broad Areas of Learning: Health and well-being. Media literacy.
  • Focuses of Development: Awareness of the consequences of personal choices on health and well-being. Awareness of the place and influence of the media in students’ daily life and in society.
  • Competencies in Science (theory): CD2 (Makes the most of his/her knowledge of science and technology) and CD3 (Communicates in the language used in science and technology).
  • Time required: Three 75-minute periods

Resources

Target concepts

The living world

  • Systems:
    • Digestive system (stomach, liver, pancreas, food)
    • Respiratory and circulatory systems (blood, blood vessels, gas exchanges [alcohol in exhaled breath])
    • Excretory systems (kidney, blood balance, diuretic effect)
    • Nervous system (role of central nervous system)

The material world

  • Properties:
    • Characteristic physical properties (density)
    • Solution properties (concentration)
    • Characteristic chemical properties (indicators)
  • Transformations:
    • Physical (dilution)
    • Chemical (digestion)

Send me You Be the Judge content