Oil+spill+lesson

Materials to simulate an oil spill and the clean up:

aluminum trays sand water (you can add salt if you want to simulate the ocean, or compare what oil does in fresh versus salt water) cooking oil colored with black tempera paint or cocoa powder (so it looks like crude oil) cotton balls paper towels sponges gauze pads string droppers popsicle sticks craft feathers (to see how oil sticks to feathers and to try to wash off) small bowls to put the oil into as they separate it from the water tweezers or rubber gloves for picking up contaminated absorbant materials

Other possible things to use: > popsicle sticks, shredded wheat cereal, balloons, cooked rice, garden peat > moss, grass, cork, suction tube/cooking baster, straws
 * A variety of non-toxic cleaning solutions, either powder or liquid (dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner)
 * A variety of non-toxic household liquids or powders (baby powder, salt, vinegar, tonic water, sugar, baking soda, etc.)
 * Wax paper
 * Several plastic spoons
 * Rubber bands, paper towels, string, toothpicks, cotton balls, plastic wrap,

Links to activities:


 * http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/14/g35/dawnducks.html
 * http://www.educ.drake.edu/sci_ed/elem_sci/environ/Oil%20Spills/day_2_lesson_plan.htm
 * http://www.tryengineering.org/lesson_detail.php?lesson=55 (This one gives good background info for the teacher)
 * http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceImmiscibleSolutionsInWater56.htm (This one is really good -- well-scaffolded)
 * http://www.teachablemoment.org/elementary/oilspill.html (This one has clips to news about the Gulf Oil Spill and lists of things we all use made of oil)
 * http://www.amsa.gov.au/Marine_Environment_Protection/Educational_resources_and_information/Teachers/Classroom_Projects/Clean_up_oil_spill_exercise.asp (Good questions to ask during the experiments / during reflection)

1. Students pour the dark oil on top of the water and observe what happens. Do they mix? Where does the oil go? Does it spread or stay in the middle? Does it sink or float? 2. Students put feathers in the oil to see the effects of oil on feathers.

Birds and Oil (from http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/human/savethebay.html)
Examine a bird feather. Oiliness on the feather keeps the feathers from becoming waterlogged. Notice how it can fluff up after it's handled. Drop the feather into a pan of clean water. Does it float? Shake it off. Allow it to dry completely. Does it still fluff up? Drop a bird feather into the pan of water and oil. What happens to it? Try to clean it up. Some students may use liquid detergent; others may just scrub with a toothbrush. Allow the feather to dry naturally, or dry it with a hair dryer. Does it still fluff up? Drop it into a pan of water. Does it still float as well as it did before? These tests indicate that the feather has lost its ability to insulate, and to resist water.

3. Students try to clean up the oil. The objective is to get as much of the oil out, but leave as much of the water. They first get only spoons. Then they get cotton balls. Next is paper towels, and last they get a strainer. (maybe omit the strainer) You can try other cleanup materials as well -- string or yarn can be used to move the oil, for example, or popsicle sticks.

Which worked best?

4. Optional: also give them detergent to see how it makes oil spread out and make smaller clumps. Be sure to talk about what it means to put detergent in the ocean.