DiscoverE
Water Pollution Cleanup
How do scientists determine the best method for removing pollutants from our water sources? Environmental scholars experiment with pollution clean-up options to discover which are the most cost-effective, fastest, and most thorough....
Teach Engineering
Aerogels in Action
Model an oil spill cleanup. An engaging engineering lesson has groups using aerogels to simulate an oil spill cleanup (vegetable oil in water). Along the way, they learn about nanotechnology and hydrophilia/hydrophobia.
National Geographic
Rescuing, Relocating, and Rehabilitating Wildlife
Bring up the Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Display the colorful diagram of the coastal and marine organisms living in the area. Show a video about relocating the eggs of the Gulf's 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...
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...
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.
![Cynthia Cudaback: Self Contained Gulf Oil Spill Kit [Pdf] Activity](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Cynthia Cudaback: Self Contained Gulf Oil Spill Kit [Pdf] Activity")
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.