Managing PFAS in our Daily Lives
Students will be able to: revise one's own understanding of concepts related to drinking water contamination and regulation, and articulate those revised ideas in one's own words; explain and understand the meaning of concentration (in parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb) and dilution (serial dilutions).
Overview
Students start with household items such as a nonstick skillet, a fast food wrapper, and a microwave popcorn bag, and ask what they have in common. After a PFAS video and a pre-unit writing activity on drinking water, they make a serial dilution of food coloring to learn concentration in parts per million and parts per billion. Math mini-lessons on ratios and on comparing fractions, decimals, and percents support the lab, and students discuss drinking water standards. In the capstone, teams design a public service announcement poster on PFAS in water, present it in a gallery walk, and repeat the writing activity to compare their understanding. The plan runs ten days, with lesson blocks of 60, 120, and 180 minutes listed for Days 1-2, 3-4, and 5-10.
Lesson Objectives
- Revise one's own understanding of concepts related to drinking water contamination and regulation, and articulate those revised ideas in one's own words
- Explain and understand the meaning of concentration (in parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb) and dilution (serial dilutions).
Standards
NGSS · 2
- MS-LS2-4Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
- MS-ETS1-3Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
CCSS Math · 3
- 6.RP.A.1Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.
- 6.NS.B.3Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard algorithm for each operation.
- 6.NS.C.5Understand that positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having opposite directions or values (e.g., temperature above/below zero, elevation above/below sea level, credits/debits, positive/negative electric charge); use positive and negative numbers to represent quantities in real-world contexts, explaining the meaning of 0 in each situation.
CCSS ELA · 1
- SL.11-12.1.aCome to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.