MR HOWLEY | CHEMICAL SCIENCE | YEAR 6

OPERATION:
OIL SPILL
Time Frame Lesson 1: Introduced the Design Brief.
Lesson 2: Brainstorming ideas for your chemical mixture.
Lesson 3: Planning
Previous Lessons: Students would have Lesson 4: Designing
completed an experiment on solubility and oils Lesson 5: Creating
solubility in water. (First Design Brief lesson Lesson 6: Finalising (Trial and Error)
introduced after students have completed their Lesson 7: Evaluating
presentation on oil in oceans.) Lesson 8: Creating your presentation.
 Introduction
There has been an oil spill in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! Oh No!

Your task is to create a substance that can increase the solubility of the oil in the water resulting in less destruction within
the local marine life.

1. Brainstorming
Brainstorm ideas for the following criteria:
a. What happens when materials are mixed.
b. Investigating the solubility of materials in water.
c. Investigate a change in state caused by heating/cooling.

2. Planning
Planning solutions to the brainstormed problems:
a. What chemicals will you use?
b. What needs to happen to the oil?
c. How soluble is the Oil when mixed with water?
3. Designing
Design the mixture of chemicals - considering:
1. Chemicals that are not harmful to the environment.
2. How and Where will the chemical be stored?
3. Chemicals that will change the solubility of oil in water.
4. Removing the oil from the water (e.g. scooped into a
bucket)

4. Creating 5. Finalising
Trial the chemical mixture during this lesson.
Create the chemical mixture that has been brainstormed and
designed, including a list of what chemicals are used within A tub of water and oil will be provided for trials
the mixture. of the designed chemicals to be tested.

6. Evaluation
After seeing the results of the first trial (your designed
chemical in the oil spill) evaluate whether you are happy with
the result or if you need to change the chemical mixture.
Consideration Questions:
1. Does the chemical mixture increase in high solubility in oil?
2. Does the chemical mixture eradicate the oil from the water?
3. What other ways have you removed the oil from the water?
7. Presentation
Now you have a final product, work on a way you can
persuade people who work on a boat to buy your product.
1. What descriptive words are you going to use?
2. What form of persuasive text are you going to use (e.g.
speech, advertisement.)