The Quick Facts: Whether it’s an at-home project or a lesson plan for the classroom, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has provided us with a teachable moment that cannot be passed-up. With real time streaming video available of the actual leak and a host of easy-to-replicate science experiments, the devastation in the Gulf may be the catalyst needed to raise a generation with an awareness of the realities that accompany our fuel consumption habits.
Unfortunately when the students at the school where I volunteer return from summer break, our country will still be struggling to contain the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. The efforts to clean up the massive amount of crude oil in the water, on the beach, and now in the surrounding wetlands, no doubt, will be in full force. And, while this disastrous spill is potentially scary for young children, the learning opportunity for older kids is undeniable. If there is any upside to this environmental tragedy, it will certainly be that our children will enter adulthood better educated about the potential harms of our reliance on fossil fuels. (See also Real Mama’s article, “Reduce Your Family’s Oil Consumption“)
Our goal as environmental educators is to open our children’s minds to all sides of current ecological issues, teach science principles, and encourage responsible stewardship practices. Overall, we want students to understand the need for natural resource conservation and to instill a sense of hope that will inspire a generation of problem solvers.
Here are some classroom lessons that help teach about oil spills and cleanup efforts:
Oil Seepage is a Natural Part of our Earth
The crude oil located far beneath the rocky ocean floor seeps into the ocean naturally. Some estimates put this natural seepage at over 60 million gallons every year. While informing students of this natural process, it is important to note that this seepage is widespread and slow; bubbling through the rock layers over time. Contrast this natural process with the violent explosion on the Deep Water Horizon off the coast of Louisiana. In less than two months, nearly double that amount gushed into a very localized area in the Gulf of Mexico. With this information students can ponder one of many controversial points surrounding this massive oil spill. Can our Earth naturally process the crude oil leaking into the Gulf from this latest oil spill?
Create an Oil Spill and Simulate a Cleanup
With a shallow pan, cocoa powder, blue food coloring and vegetable oil, you can simulate an oil spill in the classroom. Fill a pie tin or other shallow pan halfway full with blue colored water to represent the ocean. Make a mixture of cocoa powder and vegetable oil to represent the crude oil. Pour the oil mixture into the “ocean” and have students record the results. Create different weather scenarios by blowing on the pan or mixing the oil up with a fork.
After students have marked down their spill observations, have them brainstorm on the fastest and most effective way to cleanup the “oil spill” using the following items: cotton balls, medicine droppers, cotton swabs, and dish soap. Have students record the cleaning process selected. Set a timer and record how long it takes to clean up the spill.
Effects of Oil on Animals and Birds
The Internet is filled with images of birds covered with brown oil, but students can learn first hand how bird feathers change in character when soaked with oil. Provide each student with a feather and have them wet it with water. Students should record their observations (e.g., the feather repels the water). Next, guide the students to dip their feathers in vegetable oil and record any differences (the oily feather should be heavier and no longer able to repel water). Have students discuss what might happen to a bird whose feathers are completely covered in oil. Pass around dish soap and ask if students are able to get the feather clean.
Human Activity Pollutes More Than Oil Spills
Probably the biggest lesson that can be learned in teaching about oil pollution is the role we each play. Petroleum is not just used to make gasoline. It is prevalent in thousands of other products we use everyday from water bottles to lipstick to crayons. The more we consume products that contain petroleum, the less chance we have that offshore drilling will slow down. Have students discuss how our consumption habits play a role in the oil spill disaster.
Finally, inform students that 363 million gallons of oil enter the ocean every year from industrial waste and automobiles. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), about half of all the oil that enters Earth’s oceans comes from human activity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that half of U.S car owners change their own oil but only a third of these people dispose of the oil properly. Students should list the changes they can make to help reduce that amount of oil entering the waters at the hands of human activity.
Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
(http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/SeaWiFs_Oil.html, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Tags: crude oil, fuel consumption, Gulf of Mexico, lesson plan, oil spill
