Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 4, Chemical Spill (Lowe) (3rd-4th)
We love hearing the students’ ideas, connections, and questions! Their knowledge and interests have added so much to our discussions. This has been a fun bunch!
The class started the day by classifying yesterday’s 12 safe kitchen-type liquids as acidic or basic. Then, we learned that to protect the fish and plants it is necessary to keep the pH in an aquarium at proper levels. We experimented with ways to neutralize lemon juice. The class chose to use dissolved antacid tablets and baking soda to bring the lemon juice to a pH of 7.
This knowledge could all be applied to our chemical spill because the County Commissioner sent us a sample of the water near our spill. We tested its pH and found it to be a strong acid!
The group discussed water flow rate, watersheds, ecosystems, and the Cumberland River Basin. While taking a nature walk on the Peabody campus with clipboards, we brainstormed all that would be hurt by this corrosive liquid.
The class performed an experiment testing if water can fully mix with vinegar (acid), oil, soap, and Coke. We put red food coloring in our water to distinguish it from other liquids in the experiment. Realizing that water could dilute vinegar gave us another idea of how to solve our chemical spill.
We finished the day with a Kahoot game.
We are looking forward to tomorrow morning’s chemical lab tour. The students were reminded about closed-toe shoes and long pants. We suggested they bring shorts to change into after the field trip to the Vanderbilt lab.
Dinner table topics:
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What are your new ideas regarding the chemical spill?
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What are some of your ideas from the nature walk?
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Describe how to neutralize an acid or a base.
We look forward to tomorrow!
Warmly,
Ms. Elizabeth and Mr. Sam