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Catchy Title: Children's Health: Children Aren't Little Adults
Theme/Topic of Lesson: Children’s Health and Environmental Exposure to Toxic Substances
Time Commitment: Two 60-Minute Periods
Subject Area(s):
Mathematics
Science - Ecology
Grade Level(s): 6,7,8
Standards Alignment:
Class Challenge Question: Why are children more susceptible to toxic chemicals than adults?
Overview:
Children today face an array of exposures to potentially toxic environmental hazards, including the current use of more than 70,000 chemicals to support the explosion in technology and material use. Hazardous substances have found their way into the homes, schools, and playgrounds of our children. One in every four Americans lives within four miles of a hazardous waste site.
Children are not just "little adults" when it comes to environmental exposures. The unique susceptibility and characteristics of children make them extremely vulnerable to hazardous substances in the environment. They are more likely to be exposed because they play vigorously outdoors (splashing, digging, and exploring) and they often bring food into contaminated areas. They are smaller than adults are, which means they get higher doses per body weight. Their developing body systems can sustain permanent damage if toxic exposures occur during critical growth stages. Most importantly, children depend completely on adults for risk management decisions, housing decisions, and access to medical care.
Organizations for children's health have concluded that these unique vulnerabilities of infants and children demand special emphasis in communities faced with contamination of their water, soil, air, or food. There is equally compelling need to educate children and their parents, as well as health advocates, to prevent hazards to children's health from site-related substances. Exposure to hazardous substances can cause growth and development problems in children, such as learning disabilities, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and hyperactive airways, as well as cancer.
This lesson is a compilation of interdisciplinary, technology-infused activities that focus on the often complicated and sometimes controversial issues related to toxic chemicals in children's environment. Special emphasis is placed on the effects of toxic chemicals on living things, toxic chemicals released in the community by local manufacturers, and the unique vulnerabilities of children to environmental toxicants. Students should be familiar with making observations and following laboratory protocol. Teachers and students need to be able to utilize the Internet.
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Skills and Processes
(6-8) | Maryland Content Standards
Students will explain how the nature of science has affected scientific inquiry, technology, and the history of science. | Maryland State Indicators
1.8.3
use observations, research, and select appropriate scientific information to form predictions and hypotheses. (MLO 1.1.3.) | Life Science
(6-8) | Maryland Content Standards
Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from the interactions that occur over time. | Maryland State Indicators
3.8.13
analyze changes that occur due to interactions in the environment and determine if they are beneficial or detrimental from different perspectives (e.g., producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host). | Writing
(6-8) | Maryland Content Standards
Students produce informational, practical, persuasive, and narrative writing that demonstrates an awareness of audience, purpose and form using stages of the writing process as needed (i.e., pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing). | Maryland State Indicators
3.8.5.1
write letters that
address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear and efficient manner
adhere to stated purposes (MLO.W. 1.6., MLO.W. 2.5.)
follow the conventional style for the type (e.g., memo, letter) using appropriate technical terms | Technology research tools
(Gr. 6-8) | ISTE Technology Standards
5. Technology research tools
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Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
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Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
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Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.
| ISTE Technology Performance Indicators
Use content-specific tool
Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations (e.g., environmental probes, graphing calculators, exploratory environments, Web tools) to support learning and research.
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Learning Objectives:
The Students will:
- Discuss how scientists conduct studies to obtain information on toxic substances.
- Analyze and interpret data in an experiment that illustrate the impact of hazardous substances on living things.
- Research information on the Internet to construct a profile of the toxic chemicals released by a manufacturing company in their community.
- Describe why certain characteristics and activities make children vulnerable to toxic chemicals.
- Write a letter to a top-ranking polluter in the community addressing toxic chemicals in their community.
- Construct a graph that illustrates the disproportionate risk of children for exposure to environmental hazards.
Assessment
Students will complete an individual concept map addressing the lesson challenge question. The concept map will be assessed using the Individual Concept Map Scoring Rubric.
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Resources
| Other Technology | Overhead projector | | Print Materials | Getting Started-"A Guide to Bringing Environmental Education Into Your Classroom" Published by The National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training School of Natural Resources and Environment
University of Michigan
Ann Arb | | Bags, Beakers, and Barrels: An Action Curriculum Toward Solving Hazardous Materials Issues for Middle and High School Students Published by Industrial States Policy Center, 1987. Industrial State Policy Center, 17 Brickel, Columbus, OH 43215, (614) 2 | | Internet Sites | HAZ-ED: Classroom Activities for Understanding Hazardous Waste Maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency. Classroom activities provided at this site are designed for students in grades 7-12. Excellent site for locating environmental activities that will help students develop skills in critical thinking, | | http://www.epa.gov/superfund/students/ | Hazardous Waste Sites and Children's Health Risks This site maintained by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Office of Children's Health places special emphasis on policies, projects, and activities that promote health in children.
| | http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/child/chw497.html | | Preventing Child Exposures to Environmental Hazard: Research and Policy Issues Provides 52 pages of reports from the first symposium to address a national research and policy agenda for pediatric environmental health. | | http://www.cehn.org/cehn/symposium.html | An Introduction to Children's Environmental Health Maintained by the Children's Environmental Health Network. Provides a brief overview of why children are more vulnerable than adults to environmental exposures, what types of exposures affect children, and which children are at particular risk.
| | http://www.cehn.org/cehn/WhatisPEH.html | Scorecard An information service provided by the Environmental Defense Fund. Provides detailed data reports on chemicals being released from any of the 8,800 zip codes, 50 states, or the entire country.
| | http://www.scorecard.org/ |
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Materials
Per class- Overhead Projector
- Consumer Product Scorecard Transparency (View)
Per student team/group of 4- Small plastic cups (5 per group)
- Three empty one-liter plastic soft drink containers with caps
- Refrigerated tap water
- Automobile antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
- Live, *fresh-water black (hair) worms (sold as fish food in pet stores)
*If worms are not available, use brine shrimp or some fresh water invertebrate (50 or more worms per group)
- 16-ounce measuring cup
- 1-ounce measuring cup (used to measure doses of cough syrup)
- Plastic wrap
- Tape and markers
- Latex gloves
Per Student
Vocabulary
- Acute Exposure - A single exposure to a hazardous substance for a short time.
- Carcinogen - A chemical substance or other agent that causes cancer.
- Chronic Exposure - Exposure that occurs over a long period of time, usually with repeated exposures in small amounts.
- Emissions - Substances given off into the air, from a smokestack or automobile gasoline engine.
- Epidemiology - The study of the occurrence of disease among people. Epidemiology studies groups of people to try to discover the cause of a disease, or where, when and why diseases occur.
- Fugitive Air Releases - Releases that do not occur through a confined air stream. Sometimes called Non-point sources.
- Hazardous substances - Substances or mixtures that are toxic, corrosive, flammable, explosive, or reactive. In general, they pose a risk to living things and/or the environment
- Recognized Toxicants - Chemicals that are identified and known to cause specific adverse health effects.
- Stack Air Releases - Releases to air that occur through confined air streams, such as stack, vents, ducts or pipes. Sometimes called point source.
- Suspected Toxicants - Chemicals that may cause specific adverse health effects.
- Total environmental release - The sum of air releases, water releases, underground injection, and land releases.
- Toxic - Of, relating to, or caused by, a poison or a poison itself.
- Toxicology - The study of the effects of poisons on living organisms.
Procedures
This lesson includes a variety of instructional strategies. Technology is integrated into the lesson. The class will conduct an experiment, visit a web site to gather information and write a letter to a local chemical producer. Individuals will be responsible for completing a graphing activity.
All activities are structured to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. Modifications can be implemented throughout this lesson to provide for the success of all students. Heterogeneous groups are a good way to provide support for lower performing students. Also, the use of graphic organizers and allowing extended time will assist those students with disabilities.
In order to complete this lesson, each student needs access to an Internet-connected computer. If this is not possible, students could pair up at the computers or the teacher may want to print out the necessary information from the web sites.
Day 1: Organisms and Toxins
Daily Challenge Question: How do living organisms respond when exposed to toxic chemicals?
Set-up Directions:
The teacher needs to prepare all materials for the Black Worm experiment. Supplies should be grouped and assembled for easy distribution. The teacher should have the students broken into heterogeneous groups of four. The teacher needs to gather the following materials for each group: eye goggles, small plastic cups (5 per group), three empty one-liter plastic soft drink containers with caps, refrigerated tap water, automobile antifreeze, live fresh water black worms (50 or more per group), 16 ounce measuring cup, plastic wrap, tape, markers, latex gloves. The teacher also needs to duplicate the following handouts: Sample Letter, Community Check-Up, Background Information, Black Worm Experiment Student Directions Sheet, Black Worm Experiment Student Activity Sheet. The teacher also needs to make a transparency of the Scorecard handout.
Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Distribute copies of Background Information handout to each student. Teacher should say, "The purpose of this activity is to determine the effect of a chemical substance on a fresh-water worm." Discuss the definition of a toxic substance. Point out to class this activity involves the exposure of worms to a toxic substance (antifreeze). Make sure all students are comfortable with the experiment. Make necessary adjustments if required.
Have students respond orally to each of the following questions listed below. Distribute the Student Directions handout and the Student Activity Sheet. You may want to post the question on the overhead, give student groups 4 minutes to discuss the question, and then have students share their responses with the whole class.
- Why do you think scientists use test animals instead of humans to conduct experiments of this nature?
- What is the name of the toxic substance you will use in this activity? What chemical does antifreeze contain? (Refer students to "Student Directions Sheet" for answer)
- What are some products located in the classroom and in your home that contain the chemical found in antifreeze? (Put the Scorecard transparency on the overhead projector so students can reference the list.)
Activity 1 - Toxic Substance and Black Worm Experiment (25 minutes)
This exercise not only promotes a fundamental understanding and appreciation for how scientists determine the human health effects of toxic substances, it also provides hands-on opportunity for students to use laboratory skills.
Note: This activity involves the exposure of worms to a hazardous substance (antifreeze). Some students and/or school systems may object to this type of activity on ethical or moral grounds. Teacher discretion is recommended in using this activity.
Detailed instructions for teacher preparation and procedures for this activity can be found at the following Internet site: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/students/clas_act/haz-ed/act05.htm
The students will work in heterogeneous groups of four to complete the Toxic Substance and Black Worm Experiment. For lower functioning students, the teacher may want to conduct this experiment as a demonstration. Each individual is responsible for recording information into the observation table on the Student Activity Sheet. After groups have completed the experiment they should complete the questions on the Student Activity Sheet.
Activity 2 - Community Check-Up (25 minutes)
This activity involves student teams of two using the TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) online database to conduct research on the toxic chemicals released by companies in their local communities and learn how these chemicals affect human health. Have students break up into pairs. Distribute the Community Check-Up handout. Instruct the class to read the "Did You Know?" section. Ask students if they know of any manufacturing sites in their community that release toxic chemicals into the environment.
Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
Teacher should say, "Your focus for media interaction is to find out which manufactures are releasing toxic chemicals in your neighborhoods. Also you will learn the names of the chemicals released and how they affect human health." Have students follow the five steps listed on their Student Handout Sheet and record their data on the Community Check-Up handout.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
Using the data from the web site, have students write a letter to one of the manufacturers addressing their concerns about the toxic chemicals released in their neighborhood. Before students start writing their letter, allow them additional time to browse around the web site to check out other information available. Instruct students to take notes to use in helping them compose their letter. For example, after locating the list of substances released into their neighborhood, students can click on a particular chemical substance on the list to find out what it is, how it is released, how it gets into the body, how it affects the body, and how it is tested and so on. Have students use the same letter format as illustrated in the sample letters shown at the Internet site or distribute copies of the Grace Davison sample letter provided. Note: Consider mailing or faxing letters to the companies.
Wrap Up:
The whole class will be brought back together to discuss the daily challenge question that was posed at the beginning of the lesson. The teacher should say, "Based on the experiment and Internet research you conducted, how do you think living organisms respond when exposed to toxic chemicals?" This would be a good time to discuss whether or not an experiment on worms is representative of all living organisms.
Day 2: Children are not Just Little Adults
Daily Challenge Question: Why are children more susceptible to toxic chemicals than adults?
Set-up Directions:
The teacher needs to arrange for each student to have access to an Internet-connected computer. The teacher may want to bookmark the Internet site that the students will be visiting. If there are not enough computers, the teacher may want to have the students work in pairs or print out the information needed to complete the Children are Not Just Little Adults Activity Sheet. The teacher needs to duplicate the Children are Not Just Little Adults Activity Sheet for each student.
Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Teacher says, "Yesterday, we saw the effect that antifreeze had on worms and we learned about the toxins being released in our community. Today we are going to conduct Internet research to learn why children are more susceptible to the effects of toxin exposure than adults. Does anyone have any idea why children might be more susceptible?" Write down any responses on the board. Distribute the Children are Not Just Little Adults Activity Sheet and move the students to the computers.
Activity 1 - Internet Research (45 minutes)
In this activity students will use the Internet to gather data and read for information. Students will explain why children are more vulnerable to toxins than adults and why specific groups of children are more vulnerable than other groups.
Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, web sites or other multimedia elements.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
As students view the selected web site they will be looking for specific information and recording that information on Children are Not Just Little Adults Activity Sheet.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
Groups of four should regroup in order to share the information that they have gathered as well as compare graphs. All students should have complete and accurate information collected in order to address the daily challenge question.
Wrap Up:
As a whole class, the lesson challenge question will be revisited. Post the challenge question, "Why are children more susceptible to toxic chemicals than adults?" on the chalkboard. Have students create individual concept maps to address the question. Students can use paper and pencil to create the concept map or complete it on the computer using Inspiration software
Enrichment Options
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Mathematics
"The Numbers Game" is an activity in which students gain an appreciation for the part-per-million and part-per-billion units used to measure contaminant concentrations in the environment. This activity gives students an opportunity to use their math skills to learn how to calculate these ratios and analyze a sample chemical spill to determine if cleanup action is necessary. Visiting the following Internet web site, students can download this activity: HAZ-ED: Classroom Activities for Understanding Hazardous Waste http://www.epa.gov/superfund/students/clas_act/haz-ed/hazindex.htm
Social Studies
Congress has enacted a series of environmental laws that work together to protect our health, our environment, and our future. Have students research the following environmental laws using the Internet and/or library and then create a PowerPoint presentation of their findings.
- Clean Air Act (CAA)
- Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA)
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
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As a reflective practitioner, note how this lesson could be adjusted after its initial implementation. How successful were the students? What did the assessment demonstrate about the students' learning? What skills do the students need to revisit? What instructional strategies worked and what made them successful? What will you change the next time you use this lesson? Why?
Author: Rosetta Jackson & Jennie Discepolo
Program: National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI)
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