Chemistry and environmental education can begin in the early grades of school.  A second grade class was chosen to participate in an educational outreach program led by undergraduate students.  Pollution, the scientific method, and the conservation of matter were topics that were addressed in this study.  Students were given an initial assessment, followed by a hands-on lesson about the conservation of matter.  They were asked to apply what they learned to the idea that pollution can come from seemingly innocuous sources.  Students prepared rock salt solutions and dosed lettuce seeds to model the effect of unnaturally enriched surface runoff water on the growth of plants.  Students monitored the growth of the seeds over the course of six weeks and kept a journal filled with observations and measurements during this time.  Follow-up assessments were given and results were compared to the students' initial hypothesis.

Second graders model the effects of pollution on a small plant system

247th National Meeting (2014)

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