• Collect and assess students’ paragraphs on the importance of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem balance. Students should be able to explain how diversity affects the integrity of ecosystems.
• Observe oil spill simulations and conference with groups and individuals to answer and clarify questions. Assess students’ knowledge and understanding of how oil spills can impact biodiversity.

In preparation for the lesson, collect a few news articles pertaining to the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and make copies of them. Check the reading level of the articles to make sure that they are appropriate for your students. Alternatively, use the two articles provided for this lesson (S-7-7-3_BP Oil Spill Articles.doc).

Read through the lesson and decide whether to conduct Oil Spill Simulation 1 or 2 with the class (S-7-7-3_Oil Spill Simulations.docx). To prepare for Oil Spill Simulation 1, place a funnel in the opening of a balloon. Carefully use the funnel to fill the balloon with oil. Carefully close the balloon and set aside. Prepare one balloon with oil for each lab group.

Day 1

Ask students to brainstorm what they know about biotic and abiotic factors in the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast region of the United States. After students have made the list, define biodiversity as the diversity, or variety, of plants and animals and other living things in a particular area or region.

Tell students that they will be watching a video about how scientists observe and track organisms in marine ecosystems. Give them the following discussion questions first to provide a focus for watching the video.

• Why is marine biodiversity important?
• What are some ways scientists are tracking marine organisms?
• What can we learn about the ecosystem by tracking organisms?
• Humans rely on oceans for what things?

Show students the four-minute Ocean Observations Biodiversity video at http://marinebio.org/Oceans/Conservation/biodiversity.asp. Hold a class discussion on the above questions, keeping the focus on the importance of biodiversity in marine ecosystems.

On the same Web site, beneath the video, there is a list called, “Why Is Biodiversity Important?” Read through the list with students and guide them in creating a concept map with the central theme “Biodiversity Is Important Because….” Include examples of the ecosystem value (e.g., capture and store energy, predator control) and economic value (e.g., food resources, biomedical research). Have students add other reasons that they think of to the concept map.

Have students work individually to write a paragraph about how biodiversity keeps ecosystems balanced. Have students exchange and peer review one another’s paragraphs if time permits.

Day 2

Provide some background information on a previous oil spill by giving students an overview of the Valdez Oil Spill of 1989.

Say: “The Exxon Valdez departed from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline terminal at 9:12 p.m., March 23, 1989. William Murphy, an expert ship’s pilot hired to maneuver the 986-foot vessel through the Valdez Narrows, was in control of the wheelhouse. At his side was the captain of the vessel, Joe Hazelwood. Helmsman Harry Claar was steering. After passing through Valdez Narrows, pilot Murphy left the vessel and Captain Hazelwood took over the wheelhouse. The Exxon Valdez encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and Captain Hazelwood ordered Claar to take the Exxon Valdez out of the shipping lanes to go around the ice. He then handed over control of the wheelhouse to Third Mate Gregory Cousins with precise instructions to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. At that time, Claar was replaced by Helmsman Robert Kagan. For reasons that remain unclear, Cousins and Kagan failed to make the turn back into the shipping lanes and the ship ran aground on Bligh Reef at 12:04 a.m., March 24, 1989. Captain Hazelwood was in his quarters at the time.”

To read more about this oil spill, go to www.eoearth.org/article/exxon_valdez_oil_spill.

Gather a few news articles pertaining to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. If you do not have access to newspaper articles, make copies of the two articles included in the lesson (S-7-7-3_BP Oil Spill Articles.doc). Give each student an article to read independently.

Have groups of two or three students who have read different news articles discuss what they learned about oil spills from the articles. Then, ask students to answer the discussion questions below on chart paper. Have groups share some of their responses and then hang the chart paper around the room.

Discussion Questions for Oil Spill Articles

1.      How would you apply what you learned to develop strategies to clean up an oil spill?

2.      What questions would you ask in an interview with the president of British Petroleum (BP)?

3.      What changes would you make to prevent future oil spills?

Day 3

Two options for oil spill simulations are presented below. The Oil Spill Simulations handout has directions for students (S-7-7-3_Oil Spill Simulations.docx).

Oil Spill Simulation 1

In this part of the lesson, students simulate an oil spill and its effects on animal life. Break students into cooperative learning groups. Have students put on lab aprons and non-latex gloves and tie back long hair before beginning this activity. Cover the work area with newspaper. Give each group two containers of tap water, a variety of feathers and/or fur, a balloon filled with oil, paper towels, and dishwashing liquid.

Give students the Oil Spill Simulation 1 handout and read through the procedure with them (S-7-7-3_Oil Spill Simulations.docx). Monitor student groups as they carry out the simulation and ask them to relate their observations to real-life oil spill situations.

After students have completed the activity, have them answer the closing questions in their science journals.

• What ideas did you come up with on how to best clean up the spill?
• What are some ways we can protect our environment from human-made disasters such as oil spills?
• How does a large oil spill affect the biodiversity of a marine ecosystem?

Oil Spill Simulation 2

Students will simulate an oil spill and its effects on animal life. Break students into cooperative learning groups. Have students put on lab aprons and non-latex gloves and tie back long hair before beginning this activity. Cover work area with newspaper.

Give students the Oil Spill Simulation handout and read through the procedure with them (S-7-7-3_Oil Spill Simulations.docx).

Experimental Set-Up for Oil Spill Simulation 2:

Give each group the following:

• two ice cubes
• two sealable plastic bags
• three plates
• four cotton balls
• vegetable oil

Monitor student groups as they carry out the simulation and ask them to relate their observations to real-life oil spill situations.

Give students time to talk about the lab as a whole class. What ideas do they have on how to clean up an oil spill? Ask students to discuss the following questions:

• “How do human-made technologies affect the ecosystem?”
• “What can humans do to prevent such disasters?”

Record students’ ideas on a chart/poster board labeled, “Cleaning up an Oil Spill.”

Extension:

• Students who might be going beyond the standards can use what they learned from the article and lab activity to write a few sentences on how devastating an oil spill can be and its effect(s) on the environment; how difficult it is to remove oil; the possible time span on the recovery of the animals; and recovery time for the land.
• Students who may need an opportunity for additional learning can find an article or a book related to a human-made disaster and list its effects on the ecosystem.