EnviroHealth Discussion Board Highlights
Welcome to the EnviroHealth Connections Discussion Board Highlights. This is a sampling of the ideas, information, and resources that have been posted. Contributions are followed by the username of the author.
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View the whole discussion board at http://discussions.pbs.org/viewforum.pbs?f=130
Cancer | Food/Nutrition | Societal Issues | Toxicology | Water/Land/Soil
CANCER
Information:
Dr. Halden, who spoke about water quality, Baltimore sewers, and antibacterial soaps at the Institute is much quoted on the topic of freezing and heating foods in plastic. Check out
http://www.jhsph.edu/PublicHealthNews/articles/Halden_dioxins.html and http://www.lafamily.com/display_article.php?id=649. In brief, the position Dr. Halden states is that freezing in plastic is not dangerous, it actually inhibits the release of chemicals. The effect of heating plastic is not so clear, as heating does accelerate the release of chemicals. However, Dr. Halden does not think that there are dioxins in plastic, and in any case our greatest exposure to dioxins is in the fish and meat we eat. He doesn't comment on other compounds which may be released from plastic, but does say that containers made from inert materials, such as glass and stainless steel are the best bets for heating food.
EHM
In the book that was given out during the institute, Stopping Cancer Before it Starts, new facts and old myths about cancer are discussed. There is a chapter on nutrient foods which states that "the considerable amount of research into diet since 1980s has shown that consuming nutrient foods at rates far higher than any recommended minimums can have considerable health benefits.... 20 studies on rodents who had cancer induced in which some were fed veggies and fruits experienced smaller and fewer tumors, fewer metastases, less DNA damage noting that the dosages were much higher than those amounts eaten by humans. In chapter 10 they discuss the diet study of 7th Day Adventists (vegetarian) and the cancer mortality rate being 22% less than the omnivorous general population.
Ginalaw
Resources:
There is a booklet, published by the American Cancer Society, entitled "The American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention" which is excellent. It should be available through your local ACS office. The booklet, reprinted from CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Booklet number is March/April 2002, Vol 52/No 1, 66-67, 92-119 from ACS.
Cyndi Slacum
STUDYING THE CELL
Ideas:
I have a colleague who has a cell building activity that he does in his regular level Biology class. (I am pretty sure he ordered a kit from a supply company,) The students form the different cell organelles and nucleus out of different colors of clay. These are suspended in a clear gel that they pour into a cup. The activity takes place over a couple of days, so that the students pour different layers and add their various organelles in such a way that the "cells" look 3D when they are finished. I've seen the results and they look pretty neat. The students were excited to show me what they had done.
Jrothen
My 7th and 8th graders, in four teams (two plant, two animal), constructed cells using baking pans or bowls, plastic wrap as a cell membrane gelatin as protoplasm, and objects of their own choosing for the various organelles. They had to consider size and shape in choosing the objects (most were edible, although one group used banana peel as part of theirs). They had one class period to plan what to use and designate people to bring the various items, and one to construct them. We quick-set the gelatin at the start of class, and the students laid out and organized the other items while the gelatin partially set. Then they added the organelles and returned the cells to the refrigerator. In a subsequent class, each group explained to the class which items represented which organelles. Each student then wrote a description of the cell he or she had worked on, with a reflection on what they would change if they could do the project over. They really enjoyed the activity.
Mamoore
I suspect that you have moved long beyond the cell unit. I often like to think about chicken eggs. They are a modified cell. The other neat idea that I am using to reinforce the cell organelles is for each student to make a cube with 6 organelle (one on each side.) They then create 2 questions and answers about that organelle. They can assign different numbers of points to them (1-3) . They trade cards and dice and then they roll the dice with a parter and see who gets the highest scores
L1coolidge
I have used water-filled plastic baggies with the students to have them build their own cell models. Use the sandwich size with the kids; use the large size as a demo. The students add various items to model the major organelle: rbbon= endoplasmic reticulum, green beans= chloroplasts, etc. It's also a good demo to illustrate the size limits of a cell. The kids love the hands-on aspect and still talk about "Cell Day"
Skirkbride
One of our teachers taught a nifty lesson about the cell membrane by using soap bubbles. (Soaps are definately PhosphoLipids!) They blew bubbles then lifted them out of the pan twisted them played with them and then blew bubbles inside the bubble to make... EUKARYOTIC Cells!
L1coolidge
It's ironic--I already answered this post, but described only one of our cell activities, and the other was far more fascinating. It was a study of how cell membranes allow things to enter the cell without allowing the essential materials of the cell to escape. Each student was given a raw egg and a container. The eggs sat in vinegar for three days (which dissoved the shell but left the egg intact). They were then rinsed and put in water for three days, then rinsed and put in salt water for three days, then rinsed and put in water with food coloring for three days, and then rinsed and put into any liquid the student chose for three days. They were measured every day--some days they grew, and some days they shrunk--and some of the final fluids did really strange things to the eggs! It was fascinating. The students were very careful; only a few had their eggs break before the end of the experiment (when they were allowed to seal the eggs into plastic bags and break them to see what the inside of the egg was like--an activity that was delightfully disgusting for these middle schoolers!). I'm really looking forward to having this come up in the curriculum again because it was as much fun for me as it was for the students.
Mamoore
FOOD/NUTRITION
OBESITY
Ideas: (all involving soda)
I found a great web site lesson to use to demonstrate the amount of sugar in Coke. It uses Diet Coke/Regular Coke. I plan to adapt it to use next week.
Kborsella
The Coke vs. Diet Coke Lesson that was referred to is something I've used for years. I use it as one of several Density lessons in our Chemistry Unit (upcoming). However, the link gave me a great idea: measure out 39g of sugar and 100mg of NutraSweet. This helps to emphasize the role that ingredients play in determining density. Also, I can add an "editorial" about childhood obesity. In addition, this demo will mean something to my 21-year-old, who loves soda. Thank you!
Jwalker
I know my school's cafeteria eliminated a lot of the choices that were high in fat and the vending machines--except for the water machines are now off during the school day. The students have done nothing but complain about these changes. They still come in with candy and soda for breakfast. By the way, I use that diet Coke floats and Coke doesn't demo as the introduction to a lab about density. The lab estimates the amount of sugar in a soft drink using density. Data quality is very sensitive, so students doing sloppy work get poor data. Noncarbonated drinks are easier to use and my students have been shocked at the amount of sugar in "healthier" drinks such as fruit drinks and bottled iced tea.
Robume
Leaving a chicken bone in cola for a few days demonstrates cola's effect on teeth. It's a great visual for students. BrownPaper School Books has a great book on foods: Good for Me, All About Food In 32 Bites by Marilyn Bums. It includes all sorts of information about foods that are healthy or unhealthy and why, including a very lucid explanation of why breakfast is important and why sugar is bad.
mamoore
Teenagers in the US now drink twice as much soda as milk, a reverse of figures noted 20 years ago, according to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in Washington, DC. According to the report called "Liquid Candy" - the average soda consumption among teenage males between 13 and 18 who drink soda is three or more cans a day, and 10% drink seven or more cans a day. Of 13 to 18 year old girls who drink the beverages, the average intake is more than two cans a day, and 10% of those teenagers drink more than five cans a day. CSPI officials are calling for reforms to lower soda consumption: "including more water fountains, soda-free schools and health-education campaigns funded by state taxes on soda”.
RubyKChristian
Information/Issues:
Because I teach pre-adolescent and adolescent girls I am really concerned about how we can actually increase awareness of the essentials of food for living well while avoiding the pitfalls associated with eating disorders in this age group. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to balance this?
Pcoulter
We really need to look at the chemicals that are used in the processing of foods and how they are addicting us to want to eat more and are causing havoc in our bodies of which one possible result is weight gain. Take MSG for example with all that is negative about this chemical which makes foods taste better but again is very dangerous to our bodies. The question is if the FDA knows this why is it that they still allow the big processed food companies to use this dangerous chemical?
Nyckielw
I have just started my master's degree middle level education, and in my reading (Promoting Harmony: Young Adolescent Development and School Practices, by Van Hoose, Strahan, and L'Esperance) I have found that middle school kids desperately need sound nutrition in order to be healthy because they are growing so much during their adolescent years. At the same time, they do not tend to eat healthily, often consuming junk food at intervals, so they often become overweight. I think that schools really need to educate students so that they understand what their bodies need and how important it is that those needs are met. Furthermore, school lunches need to reflect good health standards as well. Otherwise, students will continue to be overweight.
Kasimundo
Fast Food related:
My husband and I just watched SuperSize Me, Morgan Spurlock's documentary about fast food's affect on his health during a 30 day period. I found the film very powerful. With careful editing, parts could be shown to kids in school. I do think that people mindlessly eat fast food without thinking about what they are doing to their health. I also think that the advertising that targets the youngest and most vulnerable eaters with Happy Meals and toys and birthday parties is a huge part of the problem. It really is a battle to keep our kids away from this unhealthy food.
kbstanton
There is already a student version of SuperSize Me available at the movie's official website. I have used it in my classroom. The stronger curse words are bleeped out, and the discussion of Morgan and Alexandra's sex life has been cut. The educational version also comes with a big booklet of lesson plans (in place of the standard DVD insert). All of the extras from the public release are missing (no room at the inn with all the educational support stuff like interactive quizzes and games), but I'm sure you could sneak in the consumer version to show the french fry experiment!
Swetzel
There was a article that I had read that dealt with a reaction against SuperSize Me called Micky D's and Me. This woman couldn't believe that it was primarily McDonald's fault for obesity, but the responsibility fell onto the consumer who ultimately chooses what to eat. She went on a diet as well-- sticking to a restricted calorie diet and... lost weight. Read the article, it points to a different facet of eating. In SuperSize Me, Morgan Spurlock was eating everything on the menu. Whaley, however, picks and chooses what to eat. She does say that variety of foods is much better though and McDonald's would not be able to support that kind of variety. So this would be an example where there are more than one factors affecting... in this case obesity.
Sw8angela
Resources:
There is a website geared for teens (and younger kids too) that defines body mass index, discusses what it is, why it is important, why people of the same weight and height may look different, the effects of puberty, etc. etc. There is a body mass index calculator and once the BMI is calculated it plots it on a graph which shows if it is in the underweight, healthy, at risk, or overweight category. This is something that might interest your students even if you do not teach it. I have found the kidshealth.org web site in general to be useful and full of kid friendly and accurate information.
EHM
Action for Healthy Kids, a national, nonprofit that fights childhood obesity through school-based change, has established a Resource Clearinghouse to organize and disseminate the latest data and model interventions to improve childhood nutrition and physical fitness. The Clearinghouse expands on and improves resources available to the public through the group's web site. Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (CHEF) has developed a four-module video-based series, entitled FUEL: Getting Youth Fired Up to Fight Obesity, that encourages students in grades 5-12 to adopt healthful eating habits, increase their physical activity, and question and respond to caustic media messages. The modules work together to give young people the skills, knowledge, and power to transform themselves and their world. Each educator's kit includes a VHS and DVD version of the video and an educator's guide with five dynamic lessons and resources. For more information, visit: http://fuel.chef.org/
John Walker
I just received this month's issue of Your World Biotechnology and You. The theme is obesity. It covers heredity, research, popular diets. The material is suitable for grades seven through twelve.
Kborsella
There is a web site to the publication. There are teacher guides, links, and supplements, for all of the issues that have come out. I recommend checking it out.
Gyoung
A good read that I would suggest is Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau. The book discusses obesity and other health issues at length. It also references the movie SuperSize Me. It has provided me with so much insight on how I can prevent further damage to my body and why "we" are sick and unhealthy. Another book that I have read several times over is Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.
Nyckielw
The Governor's conference (C-Span) had Dr. Katz on from Yale University. Fabulous talk. His web site offers a lot of info and opportunity on childhood obesity. It can be used in schools or in classes. Check out the Nutriiton kit.
Dan Gabel
SOCIETAL ISSUES
AVIAN FLU
Ideas:
An activity that might interest the students occurred to me as I was reading the Jan. 26, 2006 edition of Nature. There is a web site where users are invited to type in the serial numbers of their US dollar bills, and track them across the US, as well as outside the country. Scientists in Germany and the US are developing a mathematical model for human travel, which therefore can describe, of course, the pattern of spreading infectious diseases. (Summary, p. xi; article, p. 462). The mathematics in the article is pretty high-brow, but this might be an activity that gets kids interested in the global nature of diseases, especially with the current threat of avian flu. Also, there is the book Hot Zone, (by Richard Preston, I think). It is a thriller, tracing the sporadic outbreaks of Ebola virus, and is an awesome summer read. It would be interesting to contrast the effects and other aspects of these two viruses.
Information:
Did anyone see the avian flu story on 60 minutes? They talked about the lag time in getting a vaccine developed in relation to the rate that the current flu could mutate. One of the big problems right now is that the countries that are being affected the most just don't have the resources to deal with it quickly enough and on a large enough scale to be effective. It was interesting. I'm sure tapes of the story can be purchased from the show's website
Gyoung
Actually, having been an agricultural loan officer, I have been aware of avian flu for a long time. It has been around the states in various forms for quite sometime. 7 years ago it got MUCH more scary than it is now. In fact one of the huge pushes in Homeland security has been food safety. It is just that it is below the radar screen for most people not involve in agriculture (and that is 98% of us now!). Viruses can get very "hot" only with enough population so that they can spread before the host dies. In a broiler house of 60,000 birds it is easy to do. Then when you consider that a new set of chicks is moved in every 6-8 weeks, then you have the perfect makings for spreading contagion. In spite of huge precautions, shower-in, shower-out facilities etc. The flu still spreads. My understanding though is that the primary concern is from areas where pigs, birds and humans all live in close and continuous contact, like in China. I have my environmental science kids look at a map of disease outbreaks worldwide from the CDC. Then I ask them what we need to be concerned about, the freedoms we need to give up for safety, and to suggest how to implement some controls. Unfortunately, most of my kids feel immortal, or helpless and don't think we need to worry much. Any suggestions?
L1ccolidge
Resources:
I haven't done a lesson directly on the Avian flu, but I've taught about the 1918 flu (using a book called "The Purple Death") to give them some background on what a pandemic can do. The statistics made a big impression on my middle school students
Mamoore
I just got 2 resources emailed to me about this very topic. There was an article in Time magazine, Feb. 23, 1998, titled "Flu Hunters". It might be interesting to compare that article's information with recent articles, like the one in National Geographic. Also, Texas Instruments has an activity for graphing calculators called Outbreak. It takes students through a simulated germ outbreak.
Gyoung
I am reading a book titled "The Great Influenza". It gives a very detailed account of how the 1918 flu spread, the unique conditions associated with it, and a history of the development of American medical education. I have used some of the information from this book to compare the government response to the 1918 pandemic to the current Avian flu situation. Check out http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/students/science/. You will find some streaming video and discussion opportunities for your students! (there are many topics, but one is bird flu)
Ldinerman
The March, 2006 National Geographic has an interesting map of the flyways of migratory birds that come in and out of China and where an infected bird could then carry the avian flu. The strain that is of most concern is H5N1. The national geographic web site has a link to the article they did about the flu. If you go into the article site there is an option for multimedia. That selection shows a slide show that is narrated by the author of the article where she gives good information and the pictures would really grab students' attention. She does mention and compare this possible pandemic with the past one in 1918.
Gyoung
HANDWASHING and ANTIBACTERIALS
Ideas:
Handwashing seems to be a never ending problem. We have tried to convince our parents not to send the students to school with hand sanitizers but we can't even convince the other teachers. We have demonstrated (with ultraviolet light) the differences between soap and sanitizer. We stress that frequent washing, done correctly, is the most effective method. Some of the students saw a recent tv show comparing hand washing habits of men vs women. The men lost!
Mvasold
I have been hearing a lot about how "germy" the handles of shopping carts are. Various articles on the internet indicate that shopping cart handles are as germy as toilet seats. Not only do they contain the germs from several people's hands, but they also contain bacteria from the packs of raw meats that people handle to put into their carts. In fact, Weiss supermarkets actually provide shopping cart wipes so that customers can sanitize the handles before touching them. I know that many Biology classes do a lab where they culture various items (such as the handle of the water fountain, a door knob, etc.) and see what grows in the petri dish. One suggestion is to add shopping cart handles to this list. It would be interesting for someone to culture the following items and then compare what grows:
1. washed hands
2. washed hands after touching a door knob
3. washed hands after touching a shopping cart handle
4. door knob
5. shopping cart handle
6. toilet seat
I think the results would make an interesting class discussion. Needless to say, I now carry hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes to the grocery store with me!
Drod
Information:
Earlier in the week, I was shocked to notice that my Colgate Total toothpaste had triclosan as an ingredient to prevent gingivitis. As I was teaching my 8th-graders chemistry, I digressed when asked an environmental science question (a teachable moment) and informed my students what happens to triclosan after it undergoes a chemical reaction at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (becomes a dioxin- and cancer causing-like compound).
Jwalker
An article dated October 21, 2005 in The Baltimore Sun, stated that according to a federal advisory panel, " Popular antibacterial soaps and washes offer no more protection than regular soap and water...". This same panel even went so far as to tell the companies that produce these products, " ... to prove that their products are better if they expect to continue making claims to the public". This advisory panel indicated that the same results are obtained by simply washing the hands with soap. It was also noted, " that soaps that use synthetic chemicals - as do many products that claim to eliminate 99 percent of the germs they encounter - could contribute to the growth of bacteria resistant to antibiotics." The panel suggested that the FDA look into these matters, as these products could potentially cause more harm than good to the general population.
kgephardt
Resources:
On the topic of antibacterials, I discovered a great game which we use in my class. It is called "Infection: The Board Game" by Earwig Enterprises. I own several copies and my class is divided into teams in order to play. It teaches about all kinds of infections as well as possible cures. I bought the game at the National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed Army Med. Center
Mvasold
Here is a link which should be appropriate for middle school students. It is a report from 2002 about an NIH study which found that regular and anti- bacterial soap washed away bacteria equally well. There is a lesson (Hands Off) about comparing various hand washing methods posted on Thinkport. Search Thinkport for hand washing. I think liquid soap is often preferred to bar soap because there is an impression that germs can "live" on a bar of soap. This would be a great factor to add to the hand washing lab mentioned above.
EHM
This web site is from a posting of the largest study to date on hand-washing. Another factor this study measured was the amount of bacteria remaining on one's hands after 10 seconds vs. 30 seconds of hand-washing.
JB Rothen
I think that a hand washing lesson is a perfect tool for heightening environmental health concerns to students of all ages. Washing hands is an activity that they all perform and review of the results of the experimentation will definitely spark interest in the world of environmental health. I want my students start questioning what they see and hear on television and realize that not everything is as clear-cut as the world of advertising would make it seem we it comes to what is good for use and our environment.. You can find an article at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051021/news_1n21soap.html which discusses how FDA advisors have stated that antibacterial soaps aren't any better that plain soap and water for fighting illness when washing your hands. The article also states that the FDA advisors are warning manufacturers of antibacterial soaps that they must prove their products' claims. And the article also expresses deep concern regarding the risks that the use of the synthetic chemicals in antibacterial soaps has on creating environmental health hazards - since they could contribute to the growth of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Nyckielw
NOISE POLLUTION
Ideas:
An interesting class discussion might concern how various types of headphones affect hearing. There are different types of headphones - those that look like cushions and fit over your ears and those that actually fit into your ears. Do some types of headphones make the user more susceptible to hearing loss? I often jog with a hand-held radio. When my cushion ear phones broke, I replaced them with the type that fit into the ear. The problem was, I didn't bother to adjust the volume on my radio. After my jog, I experienced a slight ringing in my ears (which, thank goodness, soon went away). I think this was due to the fact that, with my insert headphones, the sound was louder. I think that many teenagers would be interested in discussing the various types of headphones they use and any experiences they had with temporary ringing in the ears or temporary hearing loss.
Drod
I should think that a very easy experiment for them to do would be to spend a day as a hearing impaired person. They could use cotton in their ears or anything that would not be harmful but would serve to muffle the sound that they hear. It could be connected to a discussion about sound, and decibels and what is an acceptable level, etc. Maybe if they could experience hearing loss and relate it to levels of sound, amount of sound, and frequency of sound, it might make an impact.
Kgephardt
Information/Issues:
We try to look at this in my Environmental Science class, however like many of you my students just do not have any idea as to what really is assaulting their ears. I try to have them be perfectly quiet and then to write down all the things that are making "background" sound. They just don't really get the fact that our ears are being stimulated by the fans on the computer, the blowers in the air ducts, the jets overhead. the highway noise! I often wonder if some of this attention deficit disorder is partly caused by all the background noise. I recently visited friends in Vermont who live off the grid with woodstove, gas lights and an artesian well. At first I found the silence disconcerting, then it was a much deeper relaxation than I have had for years... until I started to be bothered by the highway noise that is 8 miles away. Hmmm, it sure made me reailize just how much I've been asking my poor ears to filter out. Invest in hearing aid technology!
L1 coolidge
Resources:
There is a good web site on the issue of loud noise and what it does to hearing. It includes a link to a virtual exhibit from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry which has a variety of games and activities which teach about the topic. There is also an information center that has information about hearing and hearing loss.
EHM
There was a great article in the Washington Post on Tuesday, 1/17/06, "The iPod and the Fury". It has all the latest information and some funny guidelines for whether you are or have lost hearing.
Mr. Diewald
(A hearing self-test is linked to the article above).
TOXICOLOGY
Ideas:
I use a really neat book with my chemistry students to get them reading about science. The book is The Genie in The Bottle by Dr. Joe Schwarcz-- it is filled with short and interesting stories. I recently had my students read the story about thallium and how its toxic properties have been used for medicine and murder. They love that kind of stuff. Next I'm going to break my kids into groups and assign each of them one of the 12 toxic tales in the National Geographic (May 2005) we got at the workshop. They will read the information and then find a creative way to teach the class about what they learned. I find this type of "outside" information really hooks the kids into science. The Genie book has a whole chapter with 16 stories concerning health matters. I recommend it highly. I do some bioassays with my kids when we study water and water pollution. I get duckweed or brine shrimp or some other easily raised organism and then we dose it with toxins like.... salt and soap.
gyoung
The biggest problem is that my students think it takes HUGE amounts to kill, and I have a very hard time getting them to dilute enough to have a range of responses. I've thought about this and have decided to introduce it with a dilution of salt in water to get them to taste just how LITTLE salt is needed for them to taste it in water.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for how to get my kids thinking about the few ppm that are really needed to kill us?
L1coolidge
I used the National Geographic (May, 2005) last week with a class and it went great! I copied each article and gave each student a different one. They had to summarize the main idea(s) of their article and explain how it related to poisons. They put the information on an overhead and presented to the class. The kids thought the articles were really interesting. They brought up ideas from the articles like how they affect ions in your body. This was a chemistry class so that was great. The students asked to see the magazine itself so they could see their article and pictures in color. It really generated a good discussion about the topics as well as science in general because the kids began flipping through the whole magazine. This activity probably only took 30 minutes and was well worth it.
Gyoung
The book titled, Hoot (by Carl Hiaasen, 2002) is an excellent book to help to tie some very interesting information into your lessons on environmental health. It has passages regarding the environment on issues that are politically influenced; as well as information regarding community activism. As a language arts teacher it has provided a great read aloud to help stimulate discussions regarding environmental awareness. One activity might even involve a copy of a page to read for main idea and follow-up by writing a response in BCR format. We have planned a Book Celebration to acknowledge readers and will again highlight the book, Hoot to help peak the readers' interest in environmental awareness.
Inobe
Information:
Speaking of students and Toxicology...I attended a session at last December's regional NSTA conference in Richmond presented by the chief medical examiner of the state of Virginia. One of her main points to us as teachers: encourage your students to consider toxicology as a career. Toxicologists are in short supply, much needed, and it is an exciting field. I would think with all the versions of CSI on TV that more students might consider it as a career option.
Jrothen
I recently read an article on hairdressers at risk of respiratory diseases due to the chemicals they use. I have some students who are studying cosmetology, but fail to understand why they need chemistry and biology. I believe this is a great example of how science plays a role in non-scientific occupations. It goes along with the saying "what you don't know will hurt you."
Cmaccow
Resources:
I recently did a lesson with my environmental applications class where my students used an interactive website called Toxitown. My students were able to identify the major toxic chemicals found in our schools and homes as well as the location and health effects of these chemicals. I then had my students choose a chemical and design an informative brochure using Microsoft Publisher.
Cmaccow
A great resource for career information, linking chemistry, biology and math skills to careers is www.marylandhealthcareers.org and the occupational outlook handbook.
Toxicology is indeed a popular career now, and very needed.
Cyndi Slacum, Health Careers Coordinator
Check out the web site www.bodyburden.org to learn fascinating details about our exposure to chemical pollutants just as we live our ordinary daily lives. You don't have to work with hazardous chemicals or live near industrial waste sites to be at risk for exposures
Kbstanton
MERCURY
Ideas:
I love the Mercury calculator! This would make an excellent lesson plan for any Math class. After allowing students to "play" with the calculator for a few minutes and discover their Hg level, the teacher could have students divide into pairs and do the following.
1. Each pair of students would use a given weight that is different from all of the other pairs. Each pair would then calculate the Hg level from eating 1 can of tuna. Pairs could put their Hg levels on the board. From the data, students could graph Hg level as a function of weight (since each group used a different weight).
2. Next, all students in the class would use the same weight but vary the amount of tuna eaten. Pairs could then put their Hg levels on the board. From this data, students could create graphs of Hg level as a function of tuna amount.
This activity would facilitate a class discussion of functions. The generated graphs could be used to discuss the definition of a function. Furthermore, in an Algebra II or Precalculus class, students could examine the graphs to see if they are linear, exponential, parabolic, etc. In Calculus class, the graphs could be used to discuss quantities that increase at increasing, decreasing and constant rates! WOW! Thank you for this wonderful web site!
Drod
I just checked out the website and I think I have an idea on how to use it. I'll be ending our environmental science unit soon and we will be using the "Water + ? = Trouble". I'll have students make an individual list of the seafood they had in one month over the summer. Then we'll see the video, do the worksheets and discuss other possibilities and problems (with me leading them to Old man Chapman's problems). We'll exchange lists and use them to calculate each others mercury intake. If there are student who didn't or don't eat seafood, they can use my seafood profile.
Victorperry
Here is an idea for another lesson plan involving the Mercury calculator. Right now, I do not think it applies to my Calculus or Physics classes, but perhaps it could be a useful idea for a Health or Social Studies class. Here is the idea.
1. Have students work in groups of 2 or 3.
2. Give each group of students a few minutes to "play" with the Mercury calculator.
3. Then have each group list a few questions that can be answered using the mercury calculator. A minimum number of questions should be set (for example, each group could be required to write a minimum of 5 questions. Examples of questions include: "Is shellfish just as dangerous as fish for Mercury content?" and "How much shrimp would a 150 pound person have to eat in one month in order to get the same amount of mercury that he/she would in one can of tuna?"
4. At the end of the lesson, groups would exchange their questions. Each group would be required to use the Mercury calculator to answer another group's questions.
5. This activity could be used to introduce a new unit, review a unit that has just been covered, or it could be assessed as an in-class assignment in the middle of a unit. Possible methods of assessment include having one group grade another group's questions based on "answerability" using the Hg calculator. If this method is used, the teacher should probably still recheck the student-given grades for accuracy.
Drod
Information:
Interesting how the big push has been to go to the more efficient fluorescent bulbs, with no information about their mercury content, for the public to better decide which evil they want to choose...Hmmmm. In the Jan. 21, '06 issue of Science News, there is an article about a study done measuring the effects of light-induced breakdown of methylmercury. It was found that in Arctic lakes, these reactions are responsible for the destruction of up to 80 percent of methylmercury before it is consumed by aquatic species. Although the mechanisms are not understood yet, this is the first research to measure the importance of photodecomposition involved in mercury cycling. The rest of the article is a good primer on how the forms of mercury transition from the reduced form in the atmosphere to the oxidized form that falls with the rain, snow, or dust into our waterways. Then, sulfur-reducing bacteria convert it to methylmercury, the very toxic form that accumulates in fish, and up the food web.
jrothen
In my chemistry class we obviously talk about Mercury but I also bring in the health aspects of it. First it comes up when we do labs and I explain that we now use alcohol thermometers and not mercury ones. There is a neat video about the elements by Discovery channel at it talks about the properties of mercury including the fact that the mad hatter in Alice in Wonderland is thought to have been mad because mercury used to be used in the making of some styles of hats. In the video collection the World of Chemistry, they talk about safe and not safe levels of mercury in the show on the importance of measurement. It shows some of the unfortunate affects of too much mercury in the food supply. This really interests students because sushi is the hip thing to eat these days.
Gyoung
Resources:
Check out www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/index.asp. There is a lot of information about mercury and fish--where it comes from, what the effects of too much mercury are. There is also a mercury calculator: Input your body weight, check off the fish you have eaten, how many times and portion size and it will calculate the resulting amount of mercury in your blood.
There is a great math/science lesson here!
EHM
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/calculator/start.asp
I posted above the direct website for the mercury calculator. It is very easy to use, and has an extensive list of seafood that helped me remember what seafood I had eaten in the last month. This will be a thought-provoking website for my chemistry students to utilize. Thanks!
JB Rothen
PESTICIDES
Ideas:
Next week my students will begin working on a lesson tackling the issue of eradicating the school of a pest. The catch is that they cannot use pesticides. Students will examine alternatives to pesticide use and then select a method to recommend to the manager of facilities. Each group of students will also look at the big picture of how effective their method will be overtime and what environmental problems their solution poses.
Darah
Information/Resources:
According to the Maryland Pesticide Network, children living in homes where lawns are treated with pesticides may be 3 times more likely to have leukemia and 4 times more likely to have sarcoma (two types of cancer). Of 36 commonly used pesticides, 14 are linked to cancer, 15 to birth defects, 24 to damage to the nervous system…. What to do? Plant native grasses that resists lawn disease and over-seed the lawn each year so weeds are crowded out are two suggestions they give. For more see www.mdpestnet.org. The information given above is from their booklet Pesticides: The Risks, Prevention and Healthier Choices
EHM
WATER
Resources:
There is a really good field trip out of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Here is another link with lots of programs.
L1coolidge
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