Oil Spill

{Let's Read and Find Out Science: Stage 2}

By: Melvin Berger

This week the kids learned about oil spills.  We discussed the causes of an oil spill, how hard it is to get the oil out of the water and the affects the oil spill has.  We also talked about (and looked at pictures of) the recent oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.


For our experiment we used:
* Tub with sand on one end and blue {colored} water
* Oil 
* Feather
* Flowers
* Small Plant 
* Pipe Cleaner 
* Cotton Balls
* Sponge
* Paper towels
* Liquid Dish washing Soap

 

 

Putting a 'boom' {made out of a pipe cleaner} around the oil spill to try and keep it contained

Trying to get oil off of a small plant

Examining a flower after it had been caught in the oil slick...

Touching a feather that has oil all over it

Trying to clean off the feather with liquid dish washing soap 


Attempting to 'scoop out' the oil...

 

Using a sponge to try and get the oil out of the water...

The kids also used cotton balls and paper towels to try and remove the oil from the water.  The end conclusion is that while there are methods for removing oil from water it is NOT easy and takes a lot of work.