Instructional Video

Mercury

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

For many years, mercury was used in thermometers, dental fillings, and fluorescent lights. As scientists better understand the toxicity of this liquid metal, other materials replace these uses for mercury. Young scientists learn about the properties, dangers, and applications for mercury as the 80th part of a series of 118 videos on chemical elements.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Learn more about how people used mercury in hat making and connect this to the phrase mad hatter in literature from the time
  • Invite a dentist to discuss the old mercury fillings and why they are no longer offered as well as how they dispose of the old ones they remove
Classroom Considerations
  • Assumes prior knowledge of environmental hazards and safety regulations
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Includes subtitles in English, Italian, and Portuguese for ELLs
  • Shares interesting stories about mercury throughout history
Cons
  • None