A two-week exercise on the Flint, MI water crisis was developed for high school and undergraduate students in introductory chemistry courses. During the first week of the exercise, students learn the chemistry of lead contamination while reviewing concepts learned previously in the course. During the second week, the students participate in discussions focused on the environmental and social injustices experienced by the people of Flint, MI. The exercise was introduced in the fall of 2020 with 101 students in three different general chemistry courses and in one course with 44 students in the spring of 2021. Over 100 more students have participated in this exercise since first implemented. Student feedback from these exercises was positive with participants sharing that they felt engaged with chemistry beyond the classroom and appreciated the real-life applications. The lab activities can be and have been modified to meet the needs of different student demographics and alignment with curriculum. Incorporating chemistry exercises to include environmental and social injustice case studies help to diversify the STEM narrative in higher education.

Environmental and social injustices of the Flint, MI water crisis: A general chemistry exercise

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ACS Fall 2022

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