LESSON TITLE:
Control Experiment- Soil Remediation
GRADE LEVEL:
10-12
PREPARED BY: Samanthia Long
TEACHER NAME, SCHOOL
Samanthia Long graduated from Florida A&M University in 2003 with a B.S. in Physics. She is a
ninth year teacher at East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Florida. She has taught AP Physics, Physics
Honors, Physical Science and Chemistry Honors as well as writing the curriculum for the Physics Honors
Course in Hillsborough County, FL. Her mentor, Dr Jeffrey Cunningham, is an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Civil Engineering at the University of South Florida. Cunningham’s current students are
working on projects related to remediation of soil contaminated by hazardous chemicals. Samanthia’s
goal is to produce self-motivated students that possess strong problem solving and research skills by
providing real-world applications of science and technology. She hopes this will
generate student interest in pursuing careers in science and engineering .
GRADUATE MENTOR NAME, DEPARTMENT, USF
(50 WORD BIO)
FACULTY MENTOR NAME, DEPARTMENT, USF
(50 WORD BIO)
Version: July, 2012
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Subject Area(s)
Chemistry
Associated Unit
Nature of Science/Experimental Design
Lesson Title
Soil Remediation Control Experiment
Series 3910 Shaker Hydrogenation Apparatus Parr Instruments
Grade Level
High School (9-12)
Lesson Dependency
Computer with Internet Connection
Time Required
50 min
Summary
The remedial extraction and catalytic hydrodehalogenation (REACH) technology was developed to analyze the
conditions that will remediate soil while reducing the amount of hazardous waste produced by traditional
methods. This technology treats the soil by solvent extraction and catalytic hydrodehalogenation. The
students will use a computer simulation to perform a control experiment to test for the disappearance
of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB) using nitrogen gas with varying solvent compositions of water
and ethanol spiked with TeCB. TeCB can concentrations can be detected using gas chromatography
(GC) with an electron capture detector. The student will then analyze data to determine whether the
disappearance is due to hydrodehalogenation, volatilization, or adsorption.
Engineering Connection
Students will observe the connection between chemistry and engineering through analyzing a control
experiment of the effects of solvent composition and nitrogen pressure on the catalytic conversion of
1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene.
Engineering Category
Relating science and/or math concept(s) to engineering
Keywords
1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB), Soil remediation, hydrodehalogenation (HDH), halogenated hydrophobic
organic compounds (HHOC), soil clean-up, control experiment, scientific report
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Educational Standards
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)
Science
SC.912.N.1.3: Recognize that the strength or usefulness of a scientific claim is evaluated through
scientific argumentation, which depends on critical and logical thinking, and the active consideration of
alternative scientific explanations to explain the data presented.
SC.912.L.17.15: Discuss the effects of technology on environmental quality.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and
mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.
Engineering Design
HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and
constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
ELA/Literacy
RST.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
RST.11-12.9: Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations)
into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information
when possible.
Mathematics
MACC.K12.MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
MACC.K12.MP.4: Model with mathematics.
ITEEA Educational Standard(s) ITEEA
(Standard 1, Grade Band 9-12, Benchmark L) Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and
scope of technology. In order to comprehend the scope of technology, students should learn that inventions
and innovations are the results of specific, goal-directed research.
Pre-Requisite Knowledge
1. Students should know the factors that affect solubility.
2. Students should be able to calculate chemical quantities like molar mass.
3. Students should be able to analyze and interpret data.
Learning Objectives
Understand
The importance of control experiments
in goal directed research.
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Know
How to use data obtained from an
experiment to answer a question
and test a hypothesis.
Do
Write a scientific report to
communicate results to others.
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Engage
(5 min)
Goal: Students will use a video to form an opinion on the importance of the
citizens of China to know the results of the soil pollution test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ynayvSy9I
Suggested Strategy: Think-Pair-Share(-Write)
Do you think it’s important for the citizens of China to know the results of the
Soil Pollution test? Do you think soil contamination is a problem we need to be
concerned about? Explain.
Explain
(10 min)
Goal: Students will use a power point lecture to define and describe soil
remediation.
Lecture Topic
What is the connection between chemistry, engineering, and soil remediation?
Soil Remediation Power Point
Student Handout
Soil Remediation Experiment Notes
Explore
(5 min)
Goal: Student will use http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0676.htm to
research the hazards (human and environmental) of 1,2,4,5 tetrachlorobenzene.
Suggested Strategy: One-Sentence Summary
Elaborate/Extend
(30 min)
Goal: Students will analyze a control experiment to determine whether the
disappearance of TeCB is due to HDH, volatilization, or adsorption.
Lab Topic
Is the disappearance of TeCB is due to HDH, or some other mechanism such as
volatilization or adsorption?
Soil Remediation Control Experiment Simulation Power Point
Soil Remediation Control Experiment Notes Rubric
Evaluate
(Homework)
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Students will use analyzed data from a control experiment to write a scientific report.
Soil Remediation Control Experiment Report Rubric
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Introduction / Motivation
Students will use the REACH technology to analyze the conditions that will remediate soil while
reducing the amount of waste produced.
Lesson Background & Concepts for Teachers
Soil pollution is the degradation of soil caused by mining, industrial, agriculture and livestock waste.
Some causes of soil pollution are: heavy metals, acid rain, and organic contaminants. More specifically,
Halogenated hydrophobic organic compounds (HHOCs). These compunds are not soluble in water and
do not evaporate into the air completely. It can take years for these contaminants to break down.
Traditional methods , such as incineration and solvent extraction, produce hazardous waste, the
REACH technology hopes to remediate the soil and eliminate the waste by recycling the solvent.
Vocabulary / Definitions
Word
Adsorption
Catalyst
Concentration
Control Experiment
HHOCs
Hydrodehalogenation
Hydrophobic
REACH
Soil Pollution
Volatilization
Definition
The accumulation of molecules on the surface of a sold.
A substance that increases the reaction rate while remaining unchanged.
The mass of a dissolved substance in a specific volume of solvent; measured
in grams/mL.
Allows you to observe the effect of one variable by holding all the others
constant.
Halogenated hydrophobic organic compounds; organic compounds with
halogens attached to the ends.
Hydrodehalogenation ; The conversion of the harmful HHOCs by removing
the halogens from the organic compound and replacing them with
hydrogen.
A compound that does not mix well with water.
The remedial extraction and catalytic hydrodehalogenation of organic
compounds with halogens attached to the ends.
The degradation of soil caused by mining, industrial, agriculture and
livestock waste.
Evaporization of substances at normal temperatures and pressure.
Associated Activities
Students will be given a handout, Soil Remediation Control Experiment Notes, to help guide them through the
activity. These two column notes will be used to help the students write their scientific report.
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Assessment
Activity Embedded Assessment
1. Students will use a video to form an opinion on the importance of the citizens of China to know
the results of the soil pollution test. (RST.11-12.7)
2. Student will use http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0676.htm to research the hazards
(human and environmental) of 1,2,4,5 tetrachlorobenzene. (RST.11-12.7, HS-ESS3-2)
3. Students will use a power point lecture to define and describe soil remediation. ( RST.11-12.7,
HS-ESS3-2)
4. Students will analyze a control experiment to determine whether the disappearance of TeCB is due to
HDH or adsorption. (SC.912.N.1.3, RST.11-12.8, HS-ETS1-1)
Post-Activity Assessment
5. Students will use analyzed data from a control experiment to write a scientific report. (SC.912.L.17.15,
RST.11-12.9, MACC.K12.MP.2, MACC.K12.MP.4)
References
1. H.-Y. Wee, J.A. Cunningham, Palladium-catalyzed hydrodehalogenation of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene in
water–ethanol mixtures, Journal of Hazardous Materials 155 (2008) 1–9
2. Wee, H-Y. and Cunningham, J.A. (2013) ‘Soil treatment by solvent extraction and catalytic
hydrodehalogenation’, Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp.59–74.
3. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/students/wastsite/soilspil.htm
Attachments
1. Soil Remediation Control Experiment Notes
2. Soil Remediation Power Point
3. Soil Remediation Control Experiment Simulation Power Point
4. Soil Remediation Control Experiment Notes Rubric
5. Soil Remediation Control Experiment Report Rubric
Contributors
Jeff Cunningham, Margaret Cone, Bobby Panczer
Supporting Program
Water Awareness Research and Education (WARE) - Research Experience for Teachers (RET) at the University of
South Florida (USF) is funded by the NSF (proposal #1200682). This project is a proactive and well-structured
research, education and professional development experience for middle and high school science and math
teachers in Hillsborough County Public Schools and pre-service teachers in secondary science and math
education at USF.
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