Human Impact on the Environment: Pollution Chemicals Reading and Worksheet

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.