Oil Spill Clean-up Activity; Pollution Experiment

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​Teach kids about the seriousness of oil spills and tap into their problem solving skills. Challenge them to clean-up an oil spill in this eye opening environmental learning activity

Supplies

  • The Book “Oil Spills” 
  • Tin foil pan
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable oil (per clean up team)
  • Cotton balls
  • Craft sticks
  • Dish soap
  • Baking Soda
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Old Nylon Stockings
  • Paper towels
  • Eye dropper
  • Q-tips
  • Any other objects you have around

Preparation for Oil Spill Clean-Up Activity

Teach kids about the seriousness of oil spills and tap into their problem solving skills. Challenge them to clean-up an oil spill in this eye opening environmental learning activity.

Explain to the kids the seriousness of oil spills.  Read “Oil Spills” to the group. “Oil Spills by Marvin Berger is a children’s picture book about the impact of oil spills.  It explains how oil spills have different causes and that they all harm the habitat along the coastlines. The book is great for explaining the realities of oil spills and motivating kids to help

  • Split the kids into “clean up teams” (I found groups of 2-3 work best)
  • Pour water into the tin foil pans, fill them about ½ way. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the tin. Set out the remaining supplies.

How to; Oil Spill Clean-Up Activity

  1. Tell the kids that there job for this activity is to remove the oil from the water using the materials available to them.
  2. Ask the kids to develop 3 plans that may work to remove the oil from the water.  
  3. After the kids have developed a plan, have them try each idea.  Have them rate the success of each method on a rating scale of 1-10.  10 being the best and most effective method.

​Wrap-up Discussion

  • What was the most effective method to cleaning up the water?
  • Would that approach be able to clean up oil in the oceans?
  • Would that approach leave residue in the ocean that maybe dangerous to the oceans ecosystem?
  • So then, Is that helping or just changing the problem?

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