Cleaning up Valdez, Alaska!
Objective:
To experiment with various clean-up techniques of an oil spill. To analyze which methods are the most effective and which are the least productive.
Materials:
a baking pan, cooking oil, baking soda, dish washing liquid, paper towels, a sponge, cold water.
Lesson:
Our scientists have explored the Prince William Sound area and have now returned to their research lab with various oil specimens. They will attempt to clean the oil from a small confined area so that they might eventually try these techniques on the open waters. First, they will add enough water to a pan to fill it halfway. Then they will add the oil that they collected. Next they will begin their various clean-up techniques such as baking soda, dish washing liquid, skimming the surface with paper towels and soaking the oil with a sponge. The group will record their findings and determine which method was the most effective. Some questions they might ask themselves are: Did any method leave an additional residue on the water?, Did any of these methods create additional harm to marine life?, or Which method would best be attempted on larger areas?
