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Electronic cigarettes(1 of 2)
Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science
2. 2
I would never
smoke – it’s
far too risky.
Think I’ll give vaping
a try. It won’t kill me.
But vaping is safe.
There’s no smoke, no tar
and so – I guess – no cancer.
Review ConsiderEngage
3. 3
How an e-cigarette works
heaterSolution of nicotine and other
substances dissolved in
propane-1,2,3-triol
battery
Vaping is smoking electronic
cigarettes (e-cigarettes)
1The user
inhales.
2The heater
switches on
and warms
the solution.
3An aerosol
forms.
It includes
nicotine.
4The user
inhales the
nicotine – just
as in smoking.
Review ConsiderEngage
Aerosol
A mixture of tiny liquid droplets
and/or pieces of solid mixed with a gas.
5. 5
Review Consider
Turkey, Wales and parts of Canada
have banned workplace vaping.
Now health campaigners
want a Europe-wide ban.
Will you support a European ban
on indoor vaping in public places?
Engage
6. 6
Lesson 2
Are the
benefits of
banning indoor
vaping in
public places
worth the risks?
Lesson 1
Is there
scientific
evidence that
nicotine from
vaping can get
to people
nearby?
How are you going
to make a decision?
Review ConsiderEngage
7. 7
Draw before and after diagrams
of particles to explain observations
Weigh up risks and benefits
to make a decision
Working ScientificallyBig Idea
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
ParticlesJudgerisks
In these lessons you will :
8. 8
1 Read SS1 to find out about the particles in vaping
2 Draw and label particle diagrams on SS2 to show:
■ the arrangement and behaviour of the
particles in the solution.
■ the arrangement and behaviour of the
particles in the aerosol.
■ how nicotine particles travel from a person
who is vaping to people nearby.
Can nicotine from vaping
get to people nearby?
SS1-2
Engage ConsiderReview
9. 9
Decide what you think
about the question.
Engage Review
SS1-2
Can nicotine from vaping
get to people nearby?
9
Consider
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Electronic cigarettes
Student sheets
Sheet no. Title Notes
SS1 Particles in vaping Reusable, one per pair
SS2a and
2b
Particle diagrams Consumable, one of for
each for every student
12. Student sheets
SS1
Particles and vaping
Moving around in the air
The aerosol
Solvent: propane-1,2,3-triol
Solutes: nicotine and water
The aerosol is tiny droplets of liquid
water, liquid propane-1,2,3-triol, and
liquid nicotine mixed with the air.
The air is mainly nitrogen and oxygen.
The exhaled breath of an e-cigarette
user includes nicotine vapour.
The nicotine particles mix with the air.
The air is mainly nitrogen and oxygen.
Nitrogen and oxygen particles are smaller
and lighter than nicotine particles.
In the gas state, particles move randomly.
They collide with each other frequently
which makes them change direction.
The nicotine vapour spreads out from
a place where there are many nicotine
particles to a place where there are fewer.
In other words, they move from an area of
high concentration to an area of low
concentration. This is diffusion.
The solution
In the solution solvent particles
surround solute particles.
There are more
solvent particles
than solute
particles.
13. Student sheets
SS2a
Particles in the solution
nicotine particle
propane-1,2,3-triol particle
water particle
Particles in the aerosol
nicotine particle
propane-1,2,3-triol particle
water particle
nitrogen particle
oxygen particle
Particle
diagrams –1
Key
Key
A droplet of
liquid water
(part of the
aerosol)
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Electronic cigarettes(2 of 2)
Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science
17. 17
Will you support a
European ban on
indoor vaping in
public places?
Play DecideEngage
17
18. 18
People will vape more at
home. So children will be
exposed to more nicotine.
Fewer people
will get heart
disease.
No one will be exposed
to nicotine at work.
A ban on indoor vaping in public
places has risks and benefits
Play DecideEngage
If people have to go outside to vape,
they might as well smoke instead.
So more people will get lung cancer.
18
19. 19
We need to quantify the risks
and benefits, and weigh them up.
risk
benefit
It is difficult to make
sense of risks and benefits.
Play DecideEngage
risk
risk
risk
20. 20
Lesson 2
Are the
benefits of
banning indoor
vaping in
public places
worth the risks?
Lesson 1
Is there
scientific
evidence that
nicotine from
vaping can get
to people
nearby?
How are you going
to make a decision?
Review ConsiderEngage
21. 21
Draw before and after diagrams
of particles to explain observations
Weigh up risks and benefits
to make a decision
Working ScientificallyBig Idea
ParticlesJudgerisks
In these lessons you will :
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
22. 22
Now play WhizzQuiz
to learn how to
quantify risks and
benefits, and how
to weigh them up.
After each round, write
your score, and what you
learnt about risk, on SS1.
Play DecideEngage
SS1
WhizzQuiz
23. 23
Round 1
Which method of transport
has the lowest risk of death?
DecideEngage Play
WhizzQuiz
24. 24
To compare risks you need
numbers and units.
Transport
Chance of dying
per 10 billion km
travelled
Your
score
WhizzQuizRound 1 answers
DecideEngage Play
24
aeroplane 25 4
bicycle 365 2
car 24 4
motorbike 998 0
train 2 5
26. 26
Familiar things
feel less risky than
unfamiliar things.
Activity
Chance of
dying per event
How you feel about a risk might
not be the same as the real risk.
Score 5 if
you said
the risks
are similar.
If not,
score 0.
DecideEngage Play
WhizzQuizRound 2 answers
8 in a million
running a
marathon
8 in a million
parachute
jump
27. 27
Falling over
Which is a person
less likely to die from?
DecideEngage Play
Round 3 WhizzQuiz
The effects of fires
28. 28
Activity
Number of deaths
in UK in 2009
Your score
Again, how risky you think something
is might be different from the real risk.
Media reports
might affect how
risky you think
something is.
DecideEngage Play
Round 3 answers WhizzQuiz
fires 279 5
falls 3593 0
29. 29
Choose a sensible square on the grid for each activity.
The consequences of
risk-taking include death...
... but there are other consequences too.
increasing chance of it happening
(likelihood of risk)
Seriousnessofconsequences
ifitdidhappen
G H I
D E F
A B C
Activity 1
Falling off your bike
on a quiet cycle path.
Activity 2
Falling off your bike on
a muddy path going
down a mountain.
Activity 3
Falling off your bike on
a busy city road with
lots of lorries.
DecideEngage Play
Round 4
29
WhizzQuiz
30. 30
You can estimate the size
of a risk by combining its
likelihood and its seriousness.
Score 1 mark for every
sensible placement
on the grid.
Medium likelihood,
high seriousness. H
Low likelihood,
low seriousness.
A
DecideEngage Play
High likelihood, medium
seriousness.
F
30
Round 4 answer WhizzQuiz
31. 31
Every year, around
100 cyclists die in
collisions in the UK.
Why do
people risk
cycling?
Think of five reasons.
DecideEngage Play
31
Round 5 WhizzQuiz
32. 32
To feel the
adrenaline
rush.
There are many reasons
for doing risky activities.
These are benefits.
Score one point for every sensible
reason, up to a maximum of 5 points.
Round 5 answers
DecideEngage Play
WhizzQuiz
To get to
school.
To keep fit.
To relax at the
end of the day.
My friends
do it.
33. 33
More on round 5
You can estimate
the size of a benefit by
combining its likelihood
and how good it is.
And now,
good bye from
WhizzQuiz!
DecideEngage Play
Then weigh up the
risks and benefits.
WhizzQuiz
34. 34
1 Decide whether each card describes
a risk, a benefit, or neither
2 Estimate the seriousness of each risk
and benefit (score 1, 2 or 3).
3 Estimate the likelihood of each risk
and benefit happening (score 1, 2 or 3)
4 Multiply likelihood x seriousness to decide
how big each risk and benefit is.
5 Add up the scores for the risks
and for the benefits.
6 Compare the totals and decide.
Will you support a European ban
on indoor vaping in public places?
Back to the big question...
Engage Play Decide
SS2
and 3
35. 35
I support / do not
support the ban.
The benefits of the ban are
The risks of the ban are
Overall, I think that the
risks/benefits outweigh
the risks/benefits because
Engage Play Decide
SS2
Will you support a
European ban on
indoor vaping in
public places?
35
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Electronic cigarettes
Student sheets
Sheet no. Title Notes
SS1 Risk WhizzQuiz
Consumable, one per
student
SS2
Risks and benefits of a ban
on indoor vaping in public
places
Reusable, cut into cards,
one set per group
SS3
Weighing up risks and
benefits
Consumable, one set per
group
39. Student sheets
SS2
Risks and benefits of a ban on
indoor vaping in public places
A B C
D E F
If people have to go
outside to vape, they might
as well smoke cigarettes
instead. So it is possible that
more people will
get lung cancer.
Since nicotine damages
foetal brains, fewer
babies will be born
with brain
damage.
People might
vape more at
home. So children
might be exposed
to more nicotine.
Lung cancer
risk of smoking
reported by
the NHS
Foetal brain
damage
reported in
paper in the
journal Nature
A ban might make people
think that the risks of
smoking and vaping are
the same. This makes
smokers less likely to use
e-cigarettes to help them
quit smoking.
Association
of e-cigarette
manufacturers
The concentration of
nicotine in the blood of
passive vapers is similar to
that of passive smokers.
Reported by the World
Health Organisation
Exhaled nicotine remains
on surfaces for many
months. Other people can
absorb this nicotine through
their skin.
Priscilla Callahan-
Lyon in the British
Medical Journal
40. Student sheets
SS3
Weighing up risks and benefits
Statement A
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk /
size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Statement F
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk
/ size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Statement E
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk /
size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Statement D
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk /
size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Statement B
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk /
size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Statement C
Risk or benefit?
Seriousness of risk
/ size of benefit
1 2 3
Likelihood of it
happening
1 2 3
risk x benefit
Total scores for risks and benefits
Scores for risks total score for risks =
Scores for benefits total score for benefits =
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Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science
Editor's Notes
Students discuss their initial responses – what do they know about vaping (smoking electronic cigarettes)? Is vaping safe?
Point out that the cartridge in an e-cigarette is a solution of nicotine and other substances dissolved in a solvent such as propane-1,2,3-triol. The heater warms the solution, initially forming an aerosol, which the user inhales.
Point out the health impacts of one of the key ingredients of e-cigarettes, nicotine. (Nicotine-free e-cigarettes are also available.)
Tell students the key dilemma – should the EU follow the example of countries such as Turkey, Wales and parts of Canada, and ban indoor vaping in public places?
This slide gives a breakdown of how students will use scientific evidence in lesson 1 and judge risks in lesson 2 to help them to make a decision.
The main task for the lesson is to use previous knowledge to work out whether nicotine from vaping can get to people nearby. Students read the information and behaviour of the particles in e-cigarette solution and in the exhaled aerosol on SS1. They also read about how nicotine particles diffuse. Students then work alone to translate the written information into particle diagrams using the keys given on SS2a and SS2b.
Students then peer evaluate each others’ work, suggesting improvements and coming to agreement about the features of a correct and high quality diagram.
Students come to a decision. You might like to have a class vote, in which students have three options: yes – nearby people are likely to inhale lots of nicotine; yes – nearby people inhale a little nicotine; no – nicotine does not get to nearby people.
Remind students of the dilemma question from the last lesson, as well as the results of the class decision about the question ‘Can nicotine from vaping get to people nearby?’ (to which the answer should be ‘yes.’)
Remind students that the EU is considering a ban on indoor vaping in public places, and allow students to read some of the risks and benefits given on this slide.
Point out that it is difficult to make sense of risks and benefits, and that we need to quantify them and then weigh them up in order to make a decision.
This slide reminds students that they used scientific evidence in lesson 1 to answer the question in blue, and informs them that they will judge risks in lesson 2 in order to make a decision about the dilemma question.
This introduces a quiz-style game in which students learn how to quantify risks and weigh them up. Students need copies of SS1 on which to record their learning after each round.
Make the point that you can quantify risks by looking at how frequently death occurs in a large population over a given time or distance.
Make the point that how you feel about a risk – the perceived risk – might be different from the real risk. Since students are familiar with running they are likely to say that the parachute jump is more risky. In fact, out of every million marathon runners, 8 people die, and out of every million parachute jumps 8 people die.
Again, the real risk is often different from the perceived risk. In this case, media reporting is likely to encourage people to think that they are more likely to die in a house fire than from a fall.
This slide guides students in thinking about both the seriousness and likelihood of risks.
Make the point that both the likelihood and seriousness of a risk are important in judging risks.
Point out that people do risky activities because of the benefits of the activities. Of course there are many reasons for choosing to cycle in addition to those listed here.
Point out that for benefits, as for risks, you can estimate the size of a benefit by combining its likelihood with how good it is.
Students follow the instructions here to estimate the size of the risks and benefits of a ban on indoor vaping in public places. They need cards cut from SS2 and the grid on SS3. There is no ‘correct score’ for each benefit and risk on SS2. Students need to make judgements and choose reasonable scores for each one.
The table at the bottom of SS3 is for students to work out the total scores for risks and benefits in order to be able to compare them.
Student groups then vote with their feet by deciding where to stand along a continuum, in which one end of the room represents ‘strongly agree with a ban’ and the other end represents ‘strongly disagree with a ban.’ Do not allow students to stand in the middle.
With the students standing in position, lead a discussion. We recommend getting students to present and justify their viewpoints by following this structure:
State your opinion
Present your evidence (science, judging risk)
Explain your reasoning (how the evidence supports your opinion)
Students then write their own responses to this task. Finish with another show of hands - has anyone changed their opinion since the beginning of lesson 1 or lesson 2? If so, what has made them think differently?