Summer SAVY 2017, Session 3/Day 4- Chemical Spill! (Rising 4th/5th)

Posted by morganr1 on Thursday, June 29, 2017 in SAVY.

Our 4th day in Chemical Spill was great! We began the day with a visit from Ms Chelsea Peters,
who explained how lead gets into soil and water via leaded gasoline combustion, the use of
lead-based paint, industrial production of lead products and the use of lead pipes to carry water.
She also demonstrated for us the use of x-ray absorption spectroscopy to identify metals in soil and
in compounds.

Afterward, we watched some videos that explained some of the processes that led to the toxic condition of the water supply in Flint, Michigan and some of the reasons that lead became such
a big problem. We then learned a little about the chemical reactions that metals and nonmetals
produce and we examined some chemical reactions between different ionic compounds.
Finally, we revisited the neutralization reaction between vinegar and sodium bicarbonate.

The purpose of the class has been to explore some of the many effects that human activities have
on our water supply. We have discussed some of the effects on natural systems that also occur as
a result of human activities. The goal is to give our SAVY students an opportunity to begin thinking
of some new, creative solutions to some of these problems. If our Earth is in the hands of people
as great as our SAVY students, we have many reasons to be hopeful and excited about the future!

Mrs. Lucy Organ