Ocean Health
Students will determine which sorbents best absorb oil from fresh and saltwater, develop an algorithm that could be used on a boat drone to clean up an oil spill, and develop a sample program to monitor the water quality of different water sources.
Overview
Students watch a short video of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill and record reflections, then act as testers for marine scientists developing an oil spill cleanup prototype. In a lab, they compare sorbents and filter media, including activated carbon, to see which absorb oil best from fresh and salt water. Using a micro:bit and expansion board with a TDS probe, teams program a water quality monitor that classifies samples from the lab and explain it in a video or Flipgrid. Students then write a MakeCode algorithm that moves a boat drone sprite across the micro:bit LED grid, and test it by downloading the code and observing the LEDs. Phase times run from 20-25 minutes for engagement to as long as two class periods for explanation and elaboration.
Lesson Objectives
- Determine which sorbents best absorb oil from fresh and saltwater, develop an algorithm that could be used on a boat drone to clean up an oil spill, and develop a sample program to monitor the water quality of different water sources.
Standards
NGSS · 4
- HS-PS1-6Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.
- HS-LS2-7Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
- HS-ESS3-4Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
- HS-ETS1-4Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
CCSS Math · 5
- MP2Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- HSN-Q.A.1Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.
- HSN-Q.A.2Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive modeling.
- HSN-Q.A.3Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities.
- MP4Model with mathematics.
CCSS ELA · 6
- WHST.9-12.7Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- RST.9-10.8Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
- RST.11-12.7Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- WHST.9-12.7Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- RST.11-12.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
- RST.11-12.8Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.