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OIL SPILL SOLUTION

4th quarter STEM6th Grade Earth and

Space Science Day 1

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BELL RINGEROGet a notecard.OWrite down 3 things you know about oil spills.

bpoilspilldamages.us/

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BP OIL SPILL

http://animoto.com/play/Pj3ZWUZEhn1DI8odNr6TEg

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DISCUSSHow might oil

affect an estuary?

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DISCUSSOHave you ever cleaned up a spill

of some sort?OHow did you clean it up?ODo you think you can use the

same methods to clean up an oil spill in an estuary?

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ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

OYou are a part of a team of engineers who have the challenge of containing and cleaning up an oil spill. You will have many materials available to you, and will come up with a strategy to use these materials to remove as much oil as possible.

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Take 3 minutes to discuss with your group any questions you might need to ask before you begin this challenge.

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MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO YOU

O ¼ of a small spongeO 1 piece of paper towelO 2 feet of twineO 10 cotton swabsO 6 large cotton ballsO 1 strawO 1 small piece of “WOW” towel O 2 coffee filtersO 1 plastic spoon

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RATE YOUR SUCCESSRate the effectiveness of your containment and clean-up plan.

Not Effective Very Effective 1 2 3 4 5

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TEAM “TAKE-AWAYS”Put your heads together and make a list of things your team members want to remember from today’s lessons. As you leave class give the list to your teacher.

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OIL SPILL SOLUTION

Day 2

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INSTRUCTIONS1. At your station, pour the 300 mL of

water into your aluminum pan.2. Slowly pour 10 mL of oil into the

center of your pan. Be careful not to spill!

3. Test the plan you sketched to clean up the oil spill.

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GROUP PRESENTATIONSInclude in your team presentation:

OWhich materials did your team use?

OWhat was your containment and clean-up design?

OHow effective was your plan?

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CLEAN UPOSelect one team member to pour the oil and

water mixture into the designated container. OPut the materials you did not use back into

the plastic bag and seal it.OThrow away the materials you did use into

the nearest garbage can.OMake sure there is no oil or water left at your

stations.

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OIL SPILL SOLUTION

Day 3

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BELL RINGEROn an index card, answer this question: How can understanding science and working in teams help to solve technological problems such as oil spills?

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THE BIG QUESTIONHow are 1. mathematical reasoning 2. knowledge of earth science, and 3. teamwork used to solve technological problems?

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PERIMETER AND AREAOEach team of engineers needs to

calculate the perimeter and area of the following:

1. The aluminum pan used to hold the model oil spill.

2. The area outlined on the map of the Mobile Bay.

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DISCUSSOThink about the amount of

materials you used to contain and clean-up your model oil spill. How much would you need to clean up the entire designated area on the map?

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EXTENSION OWhy might a team of engineers change their

plan for cleaning up an oil spill clean-up once they arrive on the site? Do you think that engineers often change their plan while trying to solve a problem?

OWhat trade-offs do engineers need to consider when solving problems in the real world? (Consider costs, environmental issues, health issues, disposal issues, etc.?

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REFLECTION

Answer the questions on the “Student Evaluation Sheet” thoughtfully and in complete sentences.