Classroom and Course Demographics       

• Seventh grade students at Kirtland Middle School are required

           to take a full year of science. Each day I teach seven science

           classes, two of which are considered advanced classes.  At

           the time of this RIP® (Research Investigation Process) scientific

           inquiry, I had a total of 133 students. Thirteen percent of

           these students I involved are considered Special Education,

          10% are ELL, and 77% general education. Kirtland Middle

           School is a Title 1 school.

• The science course involves studying the scientific method,

           forms of matter and energy, cells, genetics, ecology,

           classification, plants, the human body, and Earth in the

           solar system.

• The course is designed to build on knowledge that the students

           gained from the sixth grade, as well to develop new knowledge

           of new concepts.  Some of the tasks involved in this course

           include doing research, presentations, hands-on labs, and

           many individual and group activities.                               

• The classroom environment I have established is geared

toward students feeling safe, involved, engaged, being

respectful towards one another, and gaining an

appreciation and respect for science.

 

I am a new teacher and this is the first year that I had

scientific inquiry as an instructional tool in my classroom.

The Research Investigation Process (RIP) was implemented

                                                                                                                      INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN AND OBJECTIVES

   Introducing the Oil Spill Inquiry

When coming up with this inquiry, my initial thought

was to come up with something that dealt with the

environment (Ecology). Then I remembered that many

of my students really seemed to be intrigued with oceans

and ocean life, so I wanted to incorporate oceans

somehow into my next inquiry with the students. The

oil industry is prevalent in New Mexico and oil well drilling

is a common sight for those of us here even if we may

not have some immediate family member or relative

working the oil fields in some capacity.

                     An oil drill rig in New Mexico.

 

 

So I thought that simulating an oil spill and having the

students decide which methods of clean up to use and

test would be relevant and fun, yet a very valuable

learning experience that dealt with oceans and ocean

life.  However, sadly, I had no idea that, after coming

up with the storyboard proposal and preparing to

introduce this guided inquiry to my classes, the BP oil

geyser in the Gulf would happen.

 

 

             

                         Offshore oil drill rig.

 

                                 

 

Although we were geographically far from the Gulf

disaster site, the media coverage was abundant and

we felt as if we were first hand witnesses. It is not

difficult to imagine the value of this developing tragedy

for motivating my students to learn about ecology

and man's influence on the environment through

the use of models. It was indeed a teachable moment!

 

As I was relatively new to teaching through scientific

inquiry and had not previously attempted this guided

inquiry on oil spills, I decided to explore some of my

ideas with my own children at home before

attempting to introduce it into my classes at school.

           Melissa Miller's son skimming oil off of the surface of water in

               a simulated oil spill.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO:

Ms. Miller practices her Socratic questioning and formative

assessment skills as she questions her son, Carson, about what he is

doing and why as he uses a skimming technique to collect oil from the

surface of the water in a simulated oil spill.

  Scientific Inquiry Instructional Goals & Objectives

I developed the plan for engaging my students in this

research investigation with the expectation that the

outcomes would align with Goals I and III of the

National Science Education Standards (NSES).

NSES Goal I: Experience the richness and excite-

ment of knowing about and understanding the

natural world

I expected this inquiry-based instructional approach to

stimulate student interest to learn about science because

• I was providing students with the opportunity

to answer their own questions.

• Students were provided the opportunity to design

           an investigation to test their own hypotheses

about the natural world.

NSES Goal III: Engage intelligently in public discourse

and debate about matters of scientific and

technological concern

By the end of this unit, I expected my students to be

able to:

• understand what ecosystems are and why they

are important.

• describe and provide examples of the inter-

dependence of organisms in an ecosystem.

• explain how an oil spill affects the environment.
• identify different methods used to clean up

oil spills.

• understand the mechanisms through which

these methods work by having them put their

cleaning methods to use to clean up a

simulated oil spill.

Specifically, my students would:

• Observe a short movie clip of the Exxon Valdez

                     Oil Spill.

• Record their observations and assess them

for objectivity.

• Ask questions concerning oil spills.
• Formulate and pose a research question originating

from one or more of their objective observations.

• Gather background information related to their

research question.

• Construct a testable hypothesis.
• Design a study to test their hypothesis.
• Record data and analyze data accurately.

and honestly.

• Use evidence based on their data to support their

decision about their hypothesis.

• Evaluate and discuss findings within their groups.
• Come together as a class and discuss their findings,

as well as their understandings of oil spills, and relate

them to the Gulf Oil Spill that is happening   now.                    

                                                                                                               MATERIALS USED

       BACKGROUND MATERIALS

• A video about oil spills and their consequences to the

          environment

• Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1989:

           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

           YkzB1ZYcTwM&feature=related     

• Oil Spills:

                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

                     NuVv6jDk1jY&feature=related         

• The Exxon Valdez Disaster-20 Years Later:

                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

                     MbjC9SMKClE&feature=related

• Alaska's Big Spill -National Geographic

• World Wide Web Resources containing pictures of the

          consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill:               

          http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/gallery_gallery.php?          

          RECORD_KEY%28gallery_index%29=joinphotogal_id,

          gallery_id,photo_id&joinphotogal_id(gallery_index)=171&

          gallery_id(gallery_index)=12&photo_id(gallery_index)

          =106]

• Books and other Internet sites containing conceptual

           information about ecosystems

 

  

      Birds killed as a result of oil from the Exxon Valdez spill.   

      (Photo courtesy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.)

• A slide show about many different traditional and

nontraditional methods for cleaning up oil spills

• http://classic.cnbc.com/id/37593652?slide=1             

The Research Investigation Process (RIP) is a critical

thinking model based on how scientists think when

conducting their research about the natural world.

I have a RIP flowchart (see below) on my classroom

wall to which my students can refer when engaging in

their scientific inquiries.

                           Flowchart of the RIP for secondary students.

                                            (Click on chart to enlarge)   

                        Exxon Valez oil onshore at Herring Bay (NOAA.GOV) .                           

Providing My Students with the Opportunity

to Make Observations

 

The first step for me as to stimulate student interest as I

introduced our topic. This was done by having my

students watch a short video clip regarding the Exxon

Valdez Oil Spill that happened in 1989. The video

focused on consequences of the oil spill to the sea

environment. From there, I had them individually write

down their observations from the video clip. My students

had previously learned how to make and identify

objective observations.

 

       

                         Exxon Valdez - grounded on Bligh Reef.

Then as a class, we all shared what we observed; these

observations were written down on chart paper at the

front of the classroom for everyone to see. Many

students were surprised at the damage that was done

by the oil spill resulting from the ship hitting Bligh Reef.

 

Student Observations

• An oil tanker was leaking oil.
• The people couldn’t contain it.
• The oil spread all over.
• Animals were coated in oil.
• Many animals died.

                  

                        A sea turtle on Grand Terre Island, June 8, 2010.

              (Reuters/Lee Celano) [Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_sc2694;

              _ylt= Alm89rTMrl0_Kj1th6Y.b.vZa7gF;_ylu=X3oDMTB2djk2ZDM1BHBvcw   

              M3BHNlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDaW1hZ2U]

                                  An oil-coated bird.

• The oil tanker lost 11 million gallons of oil.
• The oil spill happened in 1989.
• It took 12 hours for clean up efforts to arrive.
• After many years oil still remains there.
• The spill happened in Alaska
• Oil can kill ecosystems.
• Oil spills affect the food chain.
• The oil wasn’t easy to clean up

 

Socratic Questioning

I knew that I wanted to get my students to "buy into"

this topic as early as possible so that they would take

ownership and contribute to the thinking involved in all

aspects of this research investigation. I began by

questioning them, focusing on detailed aspects of

sources for oil spills, consequences on the ecosystem,

and methods for cleaning up oil spills.

The Questions I asked included:

What is an oil spill?

Are oil tankers the only source of oil spills?

Where do most oil spills happen in the world?

Do oil spills affect the wildlife in and around the ocean?

Can oil spills be cleaned up?

Is it an easy process to clean up oil spills?

What can be used to clean up an oil spill?

Does the type of oil involved in the spill affect the

   clean-up process?  

          Oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is seen at sunset off East Grand

          Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the

          Louisiana coast on July 31. Top left is Grand Isle. 

          (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press) [Source: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/

          2010/08/02/ gulf-oil-spill-cap.html?ref=rss# ixzz0vTp47CA7]

          GULF OF MEXICO - Skimming operations continue to help mitigate the

             effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill Friday, June 25, 2010.

                      ( U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaclyn Young.)

CLICK HERE TO SEE OIL SPILL SKIMMING VIDEO:

Gulf of Mexico - U.S. Naval Skimming Operations (Vessels conduct

skimming operations in the Gulf of Mexico near the site of the

Deepwater Horizon incident May 22, 2010. The Deepwater Horizon,

a mobile offshore drilling unit, exploded April 20, 2010 and sank two

days later.) [Used with permission, U.S. Coast Guard ]

Many student questions arose as a result of the

discussion of their observations, and my questioning.

Their observations included some of the methods for cleaning

up the surface of water following a spill.

           A controlled burn of oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill sends

           towers of fire hundreds of feet into the air over the Gulf of Mexico June 9.

           (Courtesy: U.S. Coast Guard, Photo by Petty Officer First Class John Masson)

CLICK HERE TO SEE OIL BURNING VIDEO:

In-situ burn footage shot by Petty Officer Justin Sawyer, April 28, 2010,

Deepwater Horizon Response, Gulf of Mexico

(Used with permission, U.S. Coast Guard)

                    A hose sucks oil from the shoreline June 9 in Belle Terre, La.

                   (AP Photo/Eric Gay) [Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews

                   _sc2694;_ ylt=Alm89rTMrl0_Kj1th6Y.b.vZa7gF;_ylu=X3oDMTB2

                   djk2ZDM1BHBvcwM3BHNlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDaW1hZ2U]

Student interest in clean-up ability really peaked as news of

the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill began to surface. In the

end, a research question was established that would in time

be answered through the use of an investigation.

Deepwater Horizon Fire (Courtesy: United States Coast Guard).         

 

Based on the background information they had collected,

they focused on two methods for cleaning the oil off of

the surface of the water: absorbing and skimming.

                         Oil skimmers are seen working in oil.

                     [Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_sc2694;_ylt=Alm89rT

                     Mrl0_Kj1th6Y.b.vZa7gF;_ylu=X3oDMTB2djk2ZDM1BHBvcwM3BH

                     NlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDaW1hZ2U]

Absorbent pads are applied to soak up oil that has washed ashore June 6.

in Grand Isle. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) [Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews  

 /ynews_sc2694;_ylt=Alm89rTMrl0_Kj1th6Y.b.vZa7gF;_ylu=X3oDMTB2djk2ZD

 M1BHBvcwM3BHNlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDaW1hZ2U

             

Research Question

When cleaning up an oil spill, which method, skimming or

absorbing, is most effective for removing the oil?

Background Information

Days 2 and 3 of this inquiry were spent in the computer lab

where the students did background research in regard to oil

spills and cleaning methods. On the following day, we came

together as a class and discussed our research findings.

           

Their background research covered three topics:

• What an oil spill is
• How oil spills affect the ecosystem
• The different ways oil spills can be cleaned up

Below is some of the information they gathered and

learned about:

• The nature of oil spills
  • An oil spill is the discharge of oil that reaches

  bodies of water.

  • The wind speed and the density of the oil
             determines how fast oil spreads.
  • Oil spills happen due to many reasons.
    • Oil tankers can leak it out.
    • People purposely dump oil into
                  bodies of water.
    • Natural disasters can cause them.
• Oil spills affect the environment in many ways:
  • Food chains
• Animals die due to the ingestion of oil

          (cleaning themselves).

• Animals die of hypothermia.
• Shorelines are destroyed.
• Animals suffocate (blow holes get blocked

           with oil).

• Methods used for oil clean up include:
• Burning-used to clean oil up off the water

           through the use of controlled burns. Oil

           is collected into dense pools that are

           then remotely ignited. This method can

           negatively impact air quality.

          

• Skimming-booms are used to contain and

           gather the oil into dense pools and then

           skimmers or centrifuges are used to

           separate the oil from the water.

• Evaporating-according to experts, dispersed

           oil that does not get collected from

           skimming, absorption, or burning

           eventually evaporates.

            [Experts: Most of the Gulf Oil Spill Won't

            Be Cleaned Up, April 29, 2010;  http://

            www.livescience.com/environment/gulf-

            oil-spill-clean-up 100429.html]

• Absorbing-soaking the oil up into absorbent  

          material. My students learned from the 

          background information that absorbing is

          the most commonly used method for cleaning

          up an oil spill. The three types of sorbent

          materials that can be used:

• natural inorganic (e.g., sand)
• natural organic (e.g., saw dust,

           feathers, cotton)

• synthetic (plastic-like material)

To be useful in combating oil spills,

sorbents need to be both oleophilic

(oil-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-

repellent).  Cotton is considered to be

both (http://cottontoday. cottoninc.

com/sustainability-future/Cottons-Role-in-

Gulf-Clean-up/).

• Dispersants-when a dispersant is applied to

an oil spill, it pulls apart oil particles

suspended in the water. These

chemicals break up the oil, allowing for

easier absorption and natural

biodegradation including evaporation.

 

                "Bringing innovative technology to the fight."

   New Orleans – 278-foot skimmer, a macerator 6000 barrel capacity

   U.S. vessel outfitted with a centrifuge. The skimmer extracts and

   filters oil through a cage to avoid bringing in debris. The oil is then

   sent to the Macerator, which is a device designed to chop up any

   debris collected during oil recovery. The oil is then sent to the  

   centrifuge, made popular by actor Kevin Costner, which spins the

   mixture so that the oil and water is separated. The oil is then finally

   sent to the vessel's storage tanks. Graphic created by Deepwater  

  Horizon Response. (Owner: SA Grace Baldwin) [Courtesy: U.S.

   Coast Guard]

CLICK HERE TO SEE OIL SPILL BURNING AND SKIMMING VIDEO:

Offshore Offensive. (The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard battle the  

Gulf oil spill using burning and skimming procedures.) 

[Used with permission, U.S. Coast Guard ]

 

 

Hypothesis

On this day, I had the students separate into their specified

groups. For each of my classes, I had the students divided

up into five groups. Here they began their construction of a

hypothesis on chart paper. I had each group present their

hypothesis that they constructed to the entire class. As a

class, each hypothesis was critiqued, and from there, it was

decided which hypothesis we would go with:

"If an oil spill is simulated and we compare the methods

of skimming and absorbing to clean up the oil, then we

will find that absorbing is a more effective method

because absorbing soaks up the oil and this is the most

common method used in the history of oil spill clean-ups.”

Having the students do this in front of the class works

really well. It allows the students to see what they forgot or

didn’t need and allows other groups to be aware of and

recognize what they need to fix.

 

Together as a class, we began designing the Research

Investigation Process study that would be used to test their

hypothesis on the eighth day. Here the students identified

the subjects and the materials that would be used to

conduct the study. These items were written on the

board at the front of the classroom.

 

Subjects

The subjects in this study were simulated (model) oil spills.

Each class conducted their own oil spill investigation and

had five groups of students. Each group had their own oil

spill model.

 

          Student-made oil spill models. [Each model contained

a shoreline with rocks and feathers (to simulate

effects of the oil and clean-up method on wildlife).]

Study Materials and Equipment

• Chart paper for recording class observations
• Water
• Used motor oil
• Beakers for collecting, measuring, and pouring water

          and oil

• Plastic trays to contain the ocean-oil spill simulation
• Cotton balls to absorb oil from the surface of the water
• Spoons to skim oil from the surface of the water
• Gloves for safety and protection
• Bucket for oil disposal
• Rocks to compose a shoreline
• Feathers to assess impact of spill on wildlife

 

                A worker installs "pom poms" to soak up oil at the

                Pensacola inlet Sunday, June 6, 2010, in Pensacola

            Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, George Skene)

 

Study Materials and Equipment (continued)

• Camera for collection of qualitative shoreline data
• Fish tank air pump with tubing to simulate currents

  and water surface agitation from waves

• Soap for cleaning the oil off of the equipment
• Data tables for recording, organizing and summarizing

the amount of oil collected using each of the clean-up

methods and documenting qualitative data in the form of photographs

• Bar graphs to enter data and statistics for determining

whether the students' hypotheses were supported

or not

 

Developing the Procedure for the Study              

The students separated into their groups and began

developing their procedures onto chart paper. After all the

groups were finished with this, I had each group bring up to

the front of the classroom their chart paper with their procedure

written on it to present it to the class. Here each procedure

was critiqued, and a class procedure was established taking

the best ideas from the groups' proposed procedures. Again,

having the students present this in front of the class was a

great way for the students to recognize what was missing

or wasn't necessarily needed.It also helped students with

speaking in front of an audience.

              Students carefully pour used motor oil from the beaker into their

   simulated ocean water.  

 

                                 Drilling for oil in New Mexico.

                                                                                                                         The Procedure

 

1. The materials were obtained in quantities that would

    permit 5 groups of students in each of my classes to

    make their own oil spill model.

2. Students built a shoreline made of rocks and a few

     feathers inside towards one end of the plastic model

    tray. This would be useful for assessing the impact of the

    oil spill and clean-up efforts on shoreline ecology including  

    the substrate and wildlife.

3. The ocean portion of the models was formed by measuring

    300 ml of water in a beaker and pouring the water into

    the tray.

4. A photograph was then taken of each model to document

    the condition of the simulated ocean and shoreline prior to

    the oil spill occurring. This photograph was entered as

    qualitative data into Table 2 for each group.

5. While wearing gloves, the students measured 50 ml of oil

    in a beaker.

6. The oil was then poured into the tray with water and

    allowed to sit for 3 minutes.

7. Waves were then created in each oil spill model using an

    aquarium air pump connected to an air tube turned on for

    3 minutes.

8. Using the spoon, students skimmed the oil off the surface

    of the ocean for 7 minutes. The collected oil was placed

    into a beaker.

9. The amount of oil collected (in ml) was then recorded onto

    a separate data table (Table 1) for each group. These data

    represented the quantitative (number) data for this study.

10. Students then made observations of the ocean and

      shoreline to see the impact of the oil, if any.

11. The students then took a picture of their simulated

      oil spill following the cleanup procedure.

12. These qualitative (picture) data were then entered onto

      Table 2 for each group.

  

          Two vessels skimming oil off of the water surface in the

          Gulf of Mexico. (Courtesy United States Coast Guard)

 

 

13. The water and oil from the oil spill models were

      discarded into the disposal bucket and the rocks and

      tray were thoroughly washed.

14. Each group repeated steps 2-13 for the skimming

     method two more times so that they would have data

     to summarize as medians for the three replicates.

15. Following the completion of the skimming method, the  

      students began the procedure for the absorbing

      method of cleaning the oil up from the oil spill.

16. The identical simulated shoreline was built with the

       rocks and feathers and 300 ml of "ocean" water

       added to the plastic trays to again produce the

       oil spill model. The model ocean was photographed.

17. 50 ml of oil were added to the plastic trays in the 

      same manner as before to again produce the oil spill.

18. This time, the students used the cotton balls to absorb

      oil from the surface of the water.

19. When the cotton ball was saturated, the students

      squeezed out the collected oil from the cotton into

      a beaker.

20. After 7 minutes of oil collection using the absorbing

      method, the amount of oil collected (in ml) were

      recorded onto Table 1 for each group.

21. Waves were then created in each oil spill model using

      the aquarium air pump in the same way as before.

22. Students then made their observations of the ocean

      and shoreline to see the impact of the oil, if any.

    

23. Each oil spill model was photographed for qualitative

      data and the photographs added to Table 2.

24. Steps 16-23 were repeated two more times by each

      group of students for the absorbing method.

25. After all the students completed their absorbing

      procedure, everything was cleaned up and the oil

      prepared for proper disposal.

Coast Guard cutter Aspen skimming oil in Gulf.  (Courtesy United

States Coast Guard)

 

 

                                          

                                                           Student using the air pump to make simulated wave action in the oil spill model.              

                                                                                 

             Collection of oil using the skimming method (left) and placing the collected oil

               into the beaker (right).

                U.S. Coast Guard cutter Aspen skimming oil off of the surface of the

                   Gulf waters. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

 

The students began the actual procedure part of their

inquiry on the twelfth day. Each method was tested

three times; that is why the actual conducting of the

study continued on for six days. During the first three

days they tested the skimming method, and during the

last three days they tested the absorbing method.

After each testing trial, the students recorded their

quantitative (#) data onto Table 1.

 

 

                  Students recording the collected oil data from the beaker.

 

They also recorded their qualitative (picture) data. They

took a before picture of the water before the oil was

dumped in and record the picture into Table 2. They

also took one picture after each cleaning method was

complete and recorded those pictures into Table 2

as well. So, all together, they had three pictures:

one before and two after pictures (one following

skimming & one following absorbing the oil from

the surface of the "ocean").

 

 

                      United States Coast Guard skimming oil in the Gulf.

                              (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

                 Close-up of  absorbing the oil with cotton balls and squeezing it out into a

                 beaker for measurement.

                           Students using cotton balls to collect the oil

                                 through absorption.

                         Squeezing absorbed oil from the cotton balls

                                  into a beaker.

                   Structure of data table used by each group of students for writing

                   down the amount oil collected for each of the three trials using the

                   two methods.

                           Structure of Table 2 for descriptive (qualitative data)

                    Absorbent material collects oil near the base of a Gulf Shores

                    fishing pier June 14.

                     (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)[Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/   

                     ynews_sc2694ylt=Alm89rTMrl0_Kj1th6Y.b.vZa7gF;_ylu=X3o DMTB

                     2djk2ZDM1BHBvcwM3BHNlYwN5bl9mZWF0dXJlZARzbGsDaW1hZ2U]        

 

The two methods had been tested, and now it was time

for the students to analyze their data. Each group needed

to come up with the median amount of oil collected for

each of their methods (skimming and absorbing) and

record them into their Table 1.

 

 

     One group's data table used for writing down the amount oil

     collected for each of the three trials using the two methods.

     The median amounts of oil collected for skimming and

     absorbing over three trials are shown on the bottom row.

 

 

Then together as a class, the students came up with a

class data table (Table 3, see below). In this particular

table, each group’s median amount of oil collected for

each method was recorded and a class mean then

calculated for each method.

 

 

Table 3 displays the data my 5th hour class. Skimming and absorption

medians were entered for each of the five groups and then means and

error [standard deviation and standard error of the mean (SEM)] calculated.

 

 

    

      This is one student's handwritten Table 3 from my first hour class.

 

 

After table 3 was completed, a graph was constructed.

Then the standard deviation and standard error of the mean

were calculated and placed on the graph so that students

could show the error that occurred in their data and use

this error measurement (standard error of the mean or

SEM) to make their decision about their hypothesis.

 

 

  Figure 1 containing the mean-median quantity of oil collected by students

  in my fifth hour class using the absorbing and skimming methods.

  [Note that the standard error bars for the two means do not overlap.]

 

 

The students in all but my 6th hour class found that their graphs of mean-medians with standard error bars showed a statistically significant difference in the amount of oil they were able to collect using the two different methods of collection—absorbing and skimming. In all cases, they were able to collect more of the oil off of the water using the skimming method than the absorbing method [see the graph  above (Figure 1, above) for my 5th hour class's data].

                   Washing the glassware to remove the oil at the completion of the study.

As part of their inquiry experience, my students were

expected to exhibit the behaviors of responsible scientists

for safety and laboratory maintenance. After the investigation

was completed, the students pitched in to clean up laboratory

benches, desks, and all equipment and tools used.

                              DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Now that all the data had been recorded and analyzed, it

was time to discuss the results and make some conclusions.

All but one class had the same outcome: skimming appeared to

be the more effective method in removing the oil.

Their hypothesis was, "If an oil spill is simulated and we

compare the methods of skimming and absorbing to

clean up the oil, then we will find that absorbing is a

more effective method because absorbing soaks up the

oil and this is the most common method used in the

history of oil spill clean-ups.”

          Because their findings showed that more oil was collected

          and the water appeared clearer following skimming, they

          decided that the data did not support their hypothesis.

Their successful completion of their research investigation

had enabled them to answer their research question,

"When cleaning up an oil spill, which method, skimming

or absorbing, is most effective for removing the oil?"

Skimming was the most effective means for cleaning up

the oil from the water in their simulated oil spills.

Some of the students were really surprised at the results

of their investigation—they truly believed that absorbing

would collect more oil. But that wasn’t the case in their

research investigation.

One of the possible reasons they discussed for their findings

that did not support their hypothesis was that the absorption method for collecting the oil resulted in too much water being

collected along with the oil. As was mentioned earlier in the background information section, the structure of natural

 

    

           Close-up of oil collected from skimming method. 

       As you can see from the picture there was quite a bit of water

       that was collected with the oil. The water and oil separated

       from each other leaving the oil sitting on top of the water.

 

cotton makes it hydrophobic (repels water) and oleophilic

(attracts oil). However, we used processed cotton balls in

our investigation and these structural characteristics found

in natural cotton have likely been altered.

Another possibility they discussed was that that since the oil

floated on the surface of the water, it may have been easier to

collect using the skimming method.

 

The students were also able to see how sample size and

differences in data among the samples can impact whether

or not a scientist will find a difference in the data collected

in an investigation. One out of 5 medians was relatively high

for the absorbing data for the 6th hour class and the mean

and error were influenced by this data point.

This discussion also easily leads to a review of when to apply

the mean and median as the measurement of the center of a

group of data. The mean-median data typically provide the

smoothest data in science. However, the class mean-median

for a small sample size (5 groups) can still be impacted by an

outlier as was seen for the 6th hour class.

My students discussed what they had learned about how

difficult it was to collect oil from water, especially after it

was mixed together with the simulated waves and currents

produced from the air pump. They had learned about and

were able to discuss and debate in a responsible and

knowledgeable way the different technologies and methods

available for collecting and eliminating oil from the

environment. It was easy for this discussion to relate

directly to what they had learned about the Exxon Valdez

and Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spills and how difficult it is

to clean up the environment following these calamities.

 

             

 

In addition to the process of using scientific inquiry as an

investigation tool, student discussion and conclusions about

their data also included content they had learned previously

in my class and through this inquiry about ecology, man's

impact on the environment, and environmental stewardship.

The students also discussed improvements they would make to

their procedures. In their procedure, the students collected their

data following only about 10 minutes after they had placed the

oil (mixed with water) in the beaker. While they conducted their investigation, a number of students had observed that the oil

continued to separate out over time. Thus, not all of the oil

collected was being included in the data and the period of

wait-time before measuring the amount of oil was very important

or the accuracy of the study! The students decided that they

needed to allow the beaker of collected oil to sit for 24 hours

before measuring the amount of oil in the beaker. The reason

for this is the oil needs some time to separate from the water.

While collecting oil, there will always be some amount of water

collected with it; to ensure a more accurate measurement,

the collected oil needs to sit for longer than about ten

minutes, which is the amount of time that my students had.

 

Also, coloring the water blue with food coloring to try and

resemble the ocean produces a blue tint and made it hard to

decipher where the water and oil are exactly separated from

each other in the beaker. Just plain clear water works the best.

                               THE NEXT STEP

After my students had fully completed the investigation with their discussions and conclusions, they planned what they would do next. The following were the different possibilities that arose.

Replication of the study with improvements:

• Improving the methods by using natural cotton in place of the processed cotton balls.

 

• Improving the procedure by increasing the amount of time to let the oil and water separate before measuring the amount of oil collected.

 

• Reduce the influence of error by increasing the sample size by having more groups of students within each class, or by pulling the data from all of the groups in all of the classes and then analyzing it.

 

 

Conduct a further investigation:

• Compare natural to processed cotton to see whether natural, unprocessed cotton will work better than the cotton balls to absorb oil.

 

Gather more background information: about the causes of

oil spills, the environmental damage they can cause, and

clean-up and prevention methods.

 

 

                                              An oil pipeline (Sudan Tribune-Kenya).

• Science as Inquiry
  CONTENT STANDARD A:
  As a result of activities in grades 5-8,
  all students should develop

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understanding about scientific inquiry

• Life Science
  CONTENT STANDARD C:
  As a result of activities in grades 5-8,
  all students should develop understanding of

• Populations and ecosystems

• Science and Technology
  CONTENT STANDARD E:
  As a result of activities in grades
  5-8, all students should develop
  
• Abilities of technological design
• Understanding about science and technology

• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives 
  CONTENT STANDARD F:
  As a result of activities in grades
  5-8, all students should develop understanding of
  
• Populations, resources, and environments
• Risks and benefits
• Science and technology in society

 

                                                                              NEW MEXICO CONTENT STANDARDS, BENCHMARKS, & PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

                                                                                                                   SCIENCE Benchmarks Directly Addressed

  Students measuring their collected oil and entering the data into

  their data table.                                    

                              MATHEMATICS Benchmarks Covered or Directly Addressed

             One student group's expected data graph with estimated statistics (standard error) for    

             comparing the skimming and absorbing methods for cleaning oil off of the surface of

             the water.

This RIP scientific inquiry was meant to help my students understand what oil spills do to the ecosystem and how hard it is to clean them up. Within this framework, I expected  my students to achieve a number of benchmarks in science and mathematics shown in the national and state standards tables presented above. At the same time, I wanted to stimulate student interest in a topic that would make them want to know more about the science content involved in their inquiry.

From start to finish, this STEM research investigation took about

four weeks. Engaging in this RIP was a rigorous experience

for the students. However, the gains achieved were well

worth it.

It allowed them to see just how disturbing and detrimental oil

spills are, and helped them to understand that oil spills affect

the environment in many ways. It helped them to realize that

cleaning up an oil spill is not an easy process, but actually a

difficult and time-consuming process that involves many hours

and dedication of hard work. They also found out that when

oil does spill and contaminates water; it cannot be cleaned

up 100% and the aftereffects last for years.

The students developed a profound understanding of the

meaning of environmental stewardship and the impact of

humankind on both aquatic and terrestrial ecology. Completing

this STEM oil spill inquiry has helped open their eyes to what was happening in the Gulf of Mexico due to the oil that is leaking

from an underwater wellhead. They had come to realize that

the oil spill in the Gulf might become the worst oil spill that our nation has ever experienced. They recognized what the

oil is doing to the waters and the wildlife of those creatures inhabiting that environment. They are also aware of the great impact this disturbing oil spill will have on people’s livelihoods

all around the nation and maybe even around the world.

Two important outcomes from my implementing this STEM inquiry

into my curriculum were: students began "thinking out of the

box," and the concepts to which my students were exposed

came alive with meaning. The oil industry is and its consequences are found across environments. Every day in this area of our

state, we are exposed to reminders that oil fields and drilling

are not just in the ocean. This, along with the Gulf oil spill

media coverage, really highlighted the relevance of this

STEM scientific investigation.

Incorporation of the RIP education model into my classroom

has allowed my students to be engaged in their learning,

Oil spills are a tragedy whenever and wherever they occur because of their impact on our environment and its ecosystems. However, inquiry-based instruction in elementary and secondary education can capture valuable learning opportunities from such catastrophic events that result in positive outcomes. These have immediate impact on student learning and possible future impact on how these students understand and handle environmental stewardship. Equally important, seizing such opportunities to imbed STEM into the classroom learning experience may well lead to motivating students to pursue further education in STEM fields.

Students from this middle school level Featured RIP-Based Inquiry as well as from our previously Featured kindergarten RIP-Based Inquiry were motivated to action by the occurrence of and devastation caused by oil spills. They learned more about these events by applying the four STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in their investigations. In this seventh grade RIP inquiry, students explored the impact of a simulated oil spill that they made occur in their model oceans with shorelines. They compared two methods (technologies) to determine which would work the best for trying to clean the oil off of the surface of the water. In the kindergarten RIP inquiry, the students compared various methods (technologies) for cleaning up a simulated oil spill and applied what they learned in their research investigation by designing and building their own model technology for cleaning up ocean oil spills. Students are not only learning about the use of models in describing scientific concepts, but also are using models to conduct their own investigations into concepts about the natural world.

The creativity that resulted from student interest in this topic is obvious, as is the fervor in which they tackled a project that involved a high level of rigor in the designing of the investigation, the conducting of the study, and the mathematics involved in the data analysis used to provide the evidence they needed to support their decisions about their hypotheses. And although the investigations were challenging and really made students apply their thinking, they still enjoyed them immensely. Anonymous assessments were given to Ms. Miller’s seventh grade students at the end of the year to determine their attitudes towards learning science through RIP scientific inquiry. At the end of  the school year, 97% of Ms. Miller’s students wrote ONLY positive statements