Activity #2: Water Pollution
Materials: Small clear plastic food container, water, food coloring, vegetable oil, dish soap, feathers, small floating objects (like sponge pieces or bottle caps), small sinking objects (like beads or pebbles), cotton balls, paper towels, sponges, spoons, tweezers, gloves.
STEP 1: Now that you’ve explored air pollution and how it affects the atmosphere, we’re shifting our focus to water. In this part of the unit, we’ll look specifically at water pollution, focusing on one of the most harmful types: oil spills. Watch the video below and complete the summary in your workbook.
STEP 2: Now that you’ve watched a video introducing oil spills and their impact on the environment, it’s time to design your own experiment. Using the materials provided, your goal is to explore which method works best for cleaning up an oil spill—and how oil affects other things in the water, like feathers and floating objects. Start by creating your oil spill region. Fill a small clear plastic food container with water and a few drops of food coloring. Then place in your “ecosystem”: feathers (to represent birds), small objects that float (like bottle caps or pieces of sponge), and objects that sink (like beads or small stones). Once everything is in, gently pour a layer of vegetable oil on top to simulate the spill.
Think about what you saw in the video: how oil spreads on water, how it sticks to animals, and how difficult it is to remove. Try using materials like sponges, cotton balls, paper towels, or spoons to clean up the oil—just like real scientists and engineers do. When your “spill” is complete, answer the below questions in your workbook.
- Which material absorbs the most oil with the least amount of water?
- What happens to feathers when they’re exposed to oil and then cleaned?
- Which tool removes oil best without disturbing the floating objects?
- Does adding soap make cleanup easier or harder?
- How does oil affect things that float versus things that sink?