Students READ an article about several chemicals that are common pollutants, such as lead, mercury, benzene, phthalates, PCBs, and more. Students will then ANSWER QUESTIONS on a related worksheet using the information they’ve read.
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This lesson is applicable to several different units:
- Properties of matter
- Classification of matter
- Human impact on the environment
- Natural vs. synthetic materials & impact on society
Students will learn about:
- Properties of each chemical
- If each chemical is a compound or an element
- Why these chemicals are in the products we use
- If these chemicals are lab-made (for example PCBs and phthalates) or originate in nature (for example the elements mercury and lead)
- How each chemical affects human health and the environment.
Teacher Notes:
- Please note: this resource is not editable.
- No prior knowledge is required – all information in the questions comes directly from the information provided.
- Go paperless! This activity includes a digital version in Google Slides.
- Answer key included.
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Related Standards:
- NGSS MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
- NGSS MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
- NGSS MS-PS1-3: Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
