ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS • DIRTY WATERS

Title: Dirty Waters

(Environmental Pollution)

Grade Level(s): 6-8

Introduction: Many countries around the world rely on oceans as a source of food. Fishing provides not only food, but jobs as well. Pollution of our oceans kills many fish in our ocean, which affects the food source as well as jobs for many people. Wastewater treatment plants are designed to handle sewage, but not many of the chemicals that are washed down our sinks and flushed down our toilets. We must try to reduce chemical usage by starting with our own homes.

Learner Objectives:

• The student will be able to multiply and divide using decimals.
  
  
• The student will be able to round decimals and convert measurements.

Florida Sunshine State Standards: Math: MA.A.3.3.1, MA.A.3.3.2, MA.A.3.3.3, MA.B.2.3.3, Science: SC.G.2.3.3

Competency-Based Curriculum: Math: M/J-1-II-1A, M/J-3-I-17-C, I-20-C, I-21-C, I-24-C, II-10-B, I-11-B, Science: M/J-3-V-2-A

Materials:

Worksheet on household cleaners
paper
pencil

Activity Procedures:

1. Each student will bring with them, from home, an inventory of the household cleaners that they use.
   
   
2. Each student will make a list of possible hazards caused by the use of each of the chemicals contained in the cleaners.
   
   
3. The teacher will hand out the household cleaners list. The teacher will then review the fact that there are 365.25 days in a year and 2,000 pounds in a ton.
   
   
4. All answers will be rounded to the nearest hundredth, therefore a review of rounding is necessary.
   
   
5. Have students answer questions regarding the use of household cleaners.

Student Assessment:

1. Allow students to answer critical thinking questions assigned by the teacher about pollution, as compared to household cleaner chart.
   
   
2. Allow students to create own questions about pollution using the household cleaner chart.

Activity Extensions:

1. Encourage students to visit the library to research chemical substitutes to help save our environment. (Language Arts, Science)
   
   
2. Encourage students to write letters to different chemical companies suggesting alternative ways to help to save our environment. (Science, Language Arts)

Home Learning Activity:

Write a one-page report on how students and their families can help reduce chemical use in their own homes and therefore help to save our oceans from the pollution that they cause.

References/Related Links:

http://nap.edu National Academy Press
www.epa.gov/teachers/curriculumwater.htm Environmental Protection Agency
www.ewef.org Water Environment Federation
www.seaword.org

1. If 3.72 tons of abrasive cleaners are used each day, how many tons are consumed in one year?
   
   
2. If 247.63 tons of powdered laundry detergent is used in one day, how many tons are used in one year?
   
   
3. How many pounds of dishwasher detergent are used daily?
   
   
4. People use products 10-13 to do their laundry. What are the total tons of cleaners used on one wash day?
   
   
5. How much more liquid dish detergent than dishwasher detergent is used each day?
   
   
6. How many tons of liquid household cleaners are used each year?
   
   
7. What is the difference in the amount of powdered versus liquid laundry soap used daily?
   
   
8. How many tons of household cleaning materials are used daily?
   
   
9. If everyone in this population stopped using glass cleaners and used vinegar and water to clean windows instead, how many tons of household chemical waste would that eliminate in 10 years?
   
   
10. If people stopped using fabric softeners in laundry, how many tons of waste would be eliminated each year?
    

Answers to questions from worksheet

1. 1,357.73 tons
2. 90,446.86 tons
3. 485,260 tons
4. 567.67 tons
5. 33.11 tons
6. 69,386.54 tons
7. 190.59 tons
8. 779,22 tons
9. 19,029.53 tons
10. 49,140.74 tons