Chemistry Research

Introduction

Name: _______________ Class: _____________

New York City needs your help! Mayor De Blasio has called upon students to take part in determining his budget for environmental projects around the five boroughs. He has asked that each student learn about four major environmental projects that could be funded through his office and NYC Environmental Protection Agency and then choose the project that is most important to improving New Yorker’s quality of life. Each of these projects are rooted in chemistry so students will need to explore these projects while also understanding the related chemistry content and principles. The four proposed projects include:

1) Improving Air quality: Air pollution in New York City is a significant environmental threat which contributes to an estimated 6% of annual deaths. Improving our city’s air quality is a difficult task because there are many types of air pollutants that can come from millions of sources, inside and outside city boundaries. Strategies exist to improve our air quality – it just takes time, effort and money. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/air/index.shtml).

2) Improving NY Harbor and Ocean Water Quality: With 520 miles of shoreline, the waterways that surround and adjoin the five boroughs are among New York City’s greatest assets. Over the past decade, the City has invested more than $10 billion to improve water quality in the harbor, which is now the cleanest it has ever been in more than a century of testing. Even with these promising trends, we know there is more work to be done to ensure the health of our waterways. (Strickland, State of the Harbor 2012, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/hwqs2012.pdf)

3) Household Toxins: We like to think of our homes as our castles. But most of us are not thinking of what's stashed in the basement, garage or under the kitchen sink. Take a look sometime. Do you see old cans of cleansers, paint, bug spray and used motor oil? How long has it been since you used this stuff? How will you get rid of it? Those types of waste contain hazardous substances which can pose risks to the environment, wildlife and human health. What can New Yorkers do to ensure a safe environment for all?

4) Food Chemistry: How safe is our food in NYC? How can we make it safer? How does food spread disease? Are GMO’s really that bad for our environment, our bodies? How about the travels of foods to get to us here in NYC – is it better to eat locally and reduce the pollution and carbon footprint needed to bring our food here from other countries? New Yorkers need more information to answer these questions. Information often costs money.

Task

Before you choose a proposal you will need to collect preliminary information on each. You will also gain a better understanding of how chemistry relates to each of these issues. At the end of the chemistry unit, you will be asked to deliver following in response to Mayor De Blasio’s challenge:

a) Create a persuasive statement with evidence to support as to which issue should be funded;

b) Provide a content-based description of the problems connected to the issue;

c) Design a pamphlet highlighting the chemistry content involved in the issue;

d) Examine relevant current events tied to the issue selected and create short Twitter-like summaries;

e) Suggest ideas for further research and action to take by the government employees.

Rubrics will be provided for each of these tasks so you understand what is expected of each of you.

Task

Use the following links to complete the chemistry research questions presented in class. Chemistry Research Questions worksheets can be found on the NWP school website.

Chemistry Research Links

Water Quality

http://water.epa.gov/learn/resources/measure.cfm

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F

Air Quality

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/airquality.html

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_brochure_02_14.pdf

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/globalwarmingforkids.html

Toxins:

http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/toxic.htm