TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Oil Spill Solutions
In a lesson to teach young scholars about the field of environmental engineering, they examine an oil spill, then design a system to contain the oil and extract it from the water.
NOAA
Noaa: Oil Spill Resources
An excellent collection of resources and activities for exploring oil spills and chemical disasters.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Goo Be Gone: Cleaning Up Oil Spills
Oil spills devastate wildlife and our precious water resources. Test the absorptivity of different materials (sorbents) to discover which ones are best at removing oil from water in this brief lab.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: What Happens When an Oil Spill Occurs?
This interactive activity from McDougal Littell/TERC visualizes the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, factors that influence oil spill behavior and impact, and techniques used to contain and clean up oil spills at sea.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil Spill Cleanup
This hands-on experiment will provide students with an understanding of the issues that surround environmental cleanup. Students will create their own oil spill, try different methods for cleaning it up, and then discuss the merits of...
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Virginia Institute of Marine Science: Oil Spills
A collection of lessons for teaching students about oil spills.
NOAA
Noaa: Oil Slick Emergency
Using software tools downloaded from this site, students will learn about strategies used to respond to an oil spill. The site recommends that teachers spend some time learning how to use the software themselves as the instructions in...
Other
Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Experiment to Clean Up an Oil Spill
For this activity, students conduct an experiment to investigate how difficult it is to clean up an oil spill. There is a comprehensive list of observation questions for students to respond to.
National Geographic
National Geographic: Simulate an Oil Spill Cleanup
After researching the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, students do an experiment where they simulate an oil spill. They then simulate a cleanup using dispersant, and observe what happens before and after the...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Oil Spills
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes how oil spills occur and how they can be cleaned up.
Canadian Wildlife Federation
Hinterland Who's Who: Oil Pollution and Birds
Oil can be deadly for a bird. Even a tiny amount, the size of a quarter, could be enough to kill a bird. Learn how oil harms birds and what birds are most at risk. Then, take a look at how oil spills happen and just what can be done....
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Oil Spill Clean Up [Pdf]
In this lesson plan students experiment with cleaning up an oil spill. This lesson begins with students learning about the effects of oil spills on the natural environment. Then students will explore the most effective way to clean up an...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil Spill
This lesson will allow students to explore an important role of environmental engineers: cleaning the environment. Students will learn details about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which was one of the most publicized and studied...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigate Effects of an Oil Spill
This lab is designed so that students will understand the effects of oil spills on plants, animals, and the environment and investigate clean up methods through a simulated oil spill. They will understand the risks associated with...
Learning to Give
Learning to Give: Oil Changes Everything
This unit is a collection of four lessons that lead students from learning about oil spills and the impact human activities have on the environment and wildlife, to actively campaigning for laws to protect wildlife from oil spills and...
NOAA
Noaa: Gulf Oil Spill Educational Resources
NOAA provides educational resources regarding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill such as imagery, animations, videos, lessons, activities, real world data, trajectory maps, and background information. Lessons such as Cleaning Oiled Feathers...
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies
Mocomi: Oil Spills Facts
Explores the effects of oil spills on marine life, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and methods to clean up oil spills.
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Gulf Oil Spill Could Be Most Damaging in History
Discussed is the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the attempts to clean up the oil, animals and industries threatened, policies questioned and a comparison made to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Includes instructional resources. (4 May...
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Capping and Cleaning Up the Oil Spill
Lesson plan promotes discussion of possible solutions to end the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Students are encouraged to give the point of view of an "interested party." 8/2010
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Largest Oil Spill in u.s. History Continues
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has surpassed the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Briefly discussed is criticism of the Obama administration for not acting quickly enough. Described are the efforts by BP oil to stop the oil leak, effects...
Other
Cynthia Cudaback: Self Contained Gulf Oil Spill Kit [Pdf]
Here is a kit that you can create to help understand the impact of an oil spill and the logistics of the clean-up effort. Unfortunately, real-life oil spills are not quite as easy to clean up.
University of California
Uc Santa Barbara: 1969 Oil Spill Articles and Images
This site from UC Santa Barbara provides details about the 1969 oil spill off the coast of California which marred 35 miles of coastline. Information is provided about the ecological impact of the spill as well as info on the clean-up...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil on the Ocean
Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process as they brainstorm potential methods for oil spill clean-up, and then design, build, and re-design...
BBC
Bbc: Bp Oil Disaster
Up to the minute news on the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010. The BBC reports on the impact on the environment and provides an interactive guide to stopping the leak itself. In addition, find maps that clearly define the...