BP
OIL SPILL ENVIRONMENTAL TRAGEDY WEBQUEST
Introduction:
Several
things happen that tend to serve as benchmarks in our lives. Some of your
grandparents may remember when JFK was assassinated or when man walked on the
moon for the first time. Many of you remember the events of September 11, 2001.
April
of 2010 saw an event that will unfortunately be one of those negative impact
events that mark this era and your lives. The explosion and sinking of the
off-shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon killed 11 and injured some others, which was
tragic enough. However, the escape of many thousands of barrels of oil each day
for months has created an environmental oil spill disaster that is unprecedented
in this country, and maybe the world. Not only will wildlife be drastically
affected for many generations to come, but the way of life and even health of
many hundreds of thousands of people will come into play.
Tasks:
In
class we watched a video presentation to briefly discuss the BP tragedy. Over
the next few days you will use the Internet to explore further and learn more
about the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that occurred in the Gulf Of Mexico. You
will use the questions and information from provided Web links to guide your
exploration to come up with responses to the questions. When completed, you will
submit the completed assignment in the correct period folder on the EETT2 drive
in the Unterreiner folder. Be sure to title your document correctly with the
format of period#_BP_Lastname For example, if you are in 2nd
period
and your last names is Winston, you will submit your assignment as
2_BP_Winston
Procedure:
Complete
the responses where required using the Web links provided. Some responses can be
directly found in the sites, while some responses will require you to
synthesize or create the response by applying information found on several
sites. If you do not have Internet access to work on the assignment out of
class time, you may want to download some of the Web pages to your computer
while you are at school. When completed, submit your work document with the
correct name (see above) by the designated due date and time.
Evaluation:
Your
assignment, completed on time, will be submitted and then evaluated and you will
then receive a grade.
BP
OIL SPILL ENVIRONMENTAL TRAGEDY WEBQUEST Questions and Exploration Guide
TYPE
YOUR RESPONSED AFTER EACH QUESTION USING RED FONT. Use as much
space as you need to completely answer the questions. Some answers will be
several sentences or even longer. The next question will move down as you type
to allow for space.
Use
the following link to answer the first Webquest questions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/08/bubble-of-methane-trigger_n_568842.html
1.
Under
the high pressure found under the ocean floor, what form is methane found in?
2. We often feel a very uneasy pain
in our ears while in a plane as it rises. This is due to the imbalance of air
pressure inside and outside the ear drums. When the plane starts to rise it is
going from an area of high pressure where your ears are accustomed to, to an
area of low pressure. As the inside pressure of your ears increases with
altitude compared to your surroundings, the air inside increases in volume which
strains your eardrums. Therefore it is necessary to swallow hard in order to
clear passage for the opening tube located in your throat, allowing the excess
pressure to escape. This is an example of one of the gas laws and is called
Boyle’s Law. It states that if temperature remains constant, as pressure
decreases, the volume of a gas increases. This happens under water as well.
We've all seen movies showing scuba divers breathing under water and bubbles
growing as they rise to the surface. We know that the deeper we go in the sea,
more the pressure. Therefore as the bubbles rise to the surface the pressure
decreases and accordingly the volume increases. What does Boyle’s Law have to do
with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig? Explain.
For
further exploration of Boyle’s Law, go to
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/boyle.html
3.
Note in the still diagrams that as the volume decreased, the pressure went from
1.00 up to what figure?
4.
In the animation, what does the pressure go up to when volume decreased?
BP
tried several things to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf. The overall goal was
to drill relief wells to begin pumping oil out of the underground reserve and to
be able to pump material into the damaged well to plug it from the bottom.
However, that is a long process and they needed to try to stop the pouring oil
into the Gulf on a temporary basis. They tried different things for two months
before having success getting a tighter fitting cap on that held against the
pressure.
For
study on the attempts to stop the flow of leaking oil into the Gulf, use the
following links:
General
overview of the attempts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill#Efforts_to_stem_the_flow_of_oil
Day-By-Day
Timeline of the BP Oil Spill: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/29/bp-oil-spill-timeline-deepwater-horizon
Specific
attempts:
BP
unable to attach and turn off valves on 3 leaks:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/05/bp-stems-oil-leak-deepwater-horizon
May
4 article“Containment Box Attempt”:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/92851729.html?elr=KArksDyycyUtyycyUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
May
9 article“Containment Box Fails”
http://www.examiner.com/x-40861-SF-Top-News-Examiner~y2010m5d9-Top-News-BP-containment-box-suffers-setback-ice-crystals-photos-video
May
9 article“Smaller Containment Box”: http://cbs4.com/national/oil.rig.explosion.2.1683516.html
May
26 article: “Top Kill Attempt”: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/05/bp-attempts-top-kill-to-stop-oil-leak/
May
31 article “Top Kill Fails”: http://www.dailytech.com/BP+Top+Kill+Effort+Fails+to+Stop+Gulf+Oil+Leak/article18565.htm
June
1 article “Cut and Cap” procedure: http://www.examiner.com/x-27431-World-News-Examiner~y2010m6d1-BP-oil-spill-BP-attempts-risky-cut-and-cap-procedure
July
13 article “Leak capped”:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/13/bp-oil-spill-containment-cap
Long-term
/ permanent solution to the leak – Relief wells:
http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7061778
Aug.
2 CBS News video: Static Well (part
1 of the CBS video – Part 2 on “static kill” used below): http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6734891n&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CBSNewsVideoUS+(CBSNews.com%C2%A0Video%3A+US)
5.After
not being able to use robots to stop the leaking oil, BP attempted to use a
containment box. Explain what this was and why it did not work.
6.
Explain what the“Top Kill” attempt that also did not work was.
7.
Explain how the relief wells are going to be the solution to the oil leak and
damaged well. What is the purpose(s) of them and how will they help?
8.What
is a “Static Kill” and how is it different than the “Top Kill” method?
One
of the topics that hasn’t had as much of the news headlines is the use of
dispersants to combat the oil that is in Gulf. The following links will guide
you through your exploration of dispersants.
YouTube
video on oil and dispersants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzaznBkT0ic
CBS
News Video (Part 2 of the video link from above): http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6734891n&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CBSNewsVideoUS+(CBSNews.com%C2%A0Video%3A+US)
Standoff
over dispersants:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/science/earth/25disperse.html?ref=usll/cleanup.html
Dispersants:
what they do and what they might do:
http://www.propublica.org/article/bp-gulf-oil-spill-dispersants-0430
Dispersants
getting into the food chain:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/scientists-find-evidence_n_664298.html
http://www.bnet.com/blog/food-industry/gulf-oil-spill-how-bp-8217s-dispersants-may-contaminate-seafood-for-years/932
Excessive
use of dispersants?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/31/AR2010073102381.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0801/New-Gulf-oil-spill-mystery-How-much-dispersant-did-BP-use
9.By
watching the YouTube video and reading the articles, what are dispersants and
why are they used on oil spills?
10.Write
a paragraph explaining the environmental concerns associated with dispersants?
(you might need to look at a few different articles to get all the information
to completely answer that)
11.What
proof is there that the dispersants are finding their way into the food chain?
And – Why is that a concern to us?
12.Briefly
explain the controversy around how much dispersant was used by BP on the Gulf
oil spill.
Cleanup
of the oil that is already in the ocean is done in various ways. Over time the
Earth will clean itself, but it will take a long time and some ecosystems may
never fully recover to the way they were. BP hired several boats to help skim
and boom with absorbent materials the oil from the water. Dispersants are also
used. There are bacteria in the oceans who also help break down the oil.
Oil
degrading bacteria: (scroll down to that section)
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2010/07/gulf_oil_spill_cleanup_complic.html
Bacteria
help clean up the Gulf:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18971-bacteria-help-to-clean-up-deepwater-horizon-spill.html
About
Oil-Eating Bacteria
http://scienceblogs.com/oscillator/2010/06/oil_eating_bacteria.php
13.Explain
why bacteria are useful in fighting oil spills? And why is the Gulf finding
bacteria to be more helpful than it was for the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
14.What
are the issues of debate about genetically engineered bacteria?
Oil
spill containment boom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containment_boom
Oil
spill boom failures
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0611/Containment-boom-effort-comes-up-short-in-BP-oil-spill
15.Briefly
explain what a containment boom is.
16.While
the containment booms may have helped keep some of the oil from reaching some of
the coast, there were issues to the effectiveness of the booms. Why is that?
How
they burn the oil off the water:
CNN
Video: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/17/velshi-remarkable-smoke-flames-during-gulf-oil-burns/
Burning
oil and concerns
http://paghingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/17/should-you-worry-about-burning-the-oil-spill/
17.Give
a brief explanation of how they burn the oil off the surface of the ocean.
18.What
are some concerns associated with the burning of oil?
General
oil spill information that may be helpful.
http://www.absorbentsonline.com/oilspillbasics.htm
Delicate
wetlands:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/21/bp-oil-spill-wetlands-louisiana
Oil-soaked
birds: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/10/oiled.birds.rescue/index.html
Oil-soaked
mammals:
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/what-we-do/rescue/oil-spill-response.html
19.What
damage does oil cause to birds? What type of birds have been effected?
20.What
type of damage does oil do to mammals? Name some mammals that have been
affected.
21.How
are wildlife cleaned after covered in oil?
Difficulty
determining the ecological damage:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/04/AR2010070403990.html
22.This
is a 2-page article that you are to read. Highlight or take some notes on the
main ideas. Then, below, summarize the article and explain the points it makes
as to why it is hard to determine the ecological damage from the BP Gulf oil
spill.
Dead
Zone / Oil Spill– Double Whammy or will the spill actually make things better?
http://suite101.com/article/will-the-gulf-of-mexico-become-a-big-dead-zone-a257751
23.Every
year there is a dead zone that is created near the coast that is the size of New
Jersey. It happens when fertilizer from fields flows down the Mississippi River
to the Gulf. It causes an algal bloom. When all the abundance of algae dies, the
bacteria that decays it uses up so much oxygen that life can’t exist in the
waters. But, the oil spill and dispersants may change that this year. Will that
be good or bad? Maybe we won’t know yet. Briefly summarize the short article
below.
Caution
required to clean up the Gulf:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/dbnl-crf050410.php
24..
Here is a twist to the Gulf spill many people don’t realize could be an issue.
What are some issues to consider during the Gulf cleanup?
25.Application:
How does our lifestyle and way of life contribute to oil spills? (Note: there is
no article provided that directly answers this. You need to take info that you
have gathered in this exercise, as well as your own knowledge and experiences.
Analyze that info and construct a response, giving examples to support your
view.)
1.
Extra
Credit Essay: Imagine
that a train derailed on tracks in Minnesota. Several oil tanker cars ruptured
and dumped many thousands of gallons of oil into the Mississippi River. The
local and Federal government both want to use large amounts of the dispersant
Corexit to try to break the oil down quickly before it damages critical
ecosystems and water supplies elsewhere in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and
Illinois. It has been determined that by the time the river flows south of
Illinois and Missouri the concentrations of oil will be so small it won’t be an
issue. However, the mentioned states will likely suffer ecological damage as
well as contamination to water supplies that rely on the river if the oil is
just left alone. You have been asked by the “Quad Cities First” commission to
guide them in their discussions with the government. They will take your
suggestion as to whether or not high quantities of the dispersant should be
used or if instead you have other ideas. Explain your point of view and support
it with data or other information that you have found.
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5005103_glue-bond.html
http://explainthatstuff.com/adhesives.html
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2257/how-does-glue-work
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/mats05/mats05107.htm
1. What
are considered to be among the earliest adhesives?
2. What
animals, or parts of animals were used to make glues?
3. What
is the “technical” name for “super glue” type adhesives?
4. What
are the two requirements for glue to “work” (form a bond between two
materials.)
5. Explain
the difference between adhesion and cohesion.
6. It
is thought that bonding of adhesives occurs at the molecular level. What is the
technical name of the force which holds glue to its bonding materials?
7. What
type of molecule is important for this “force” to be effective in bonding?
8. Why
do “super glue” adhesives bond to skin?
9. List
three types of “adhesives” that do not resemble traditional liquid or
semi-solid adhesives.
10. Explain
one of the theories on how Post-It® notes work?
11. How do
geckos climb on everything?
Activity
1.1.5f Engineering Careers Online Magazine Questions
Procedure
In this activity you will read an online magazine called Engineering, Go For It! You will
select“read the magazine”, then “pick a major” to explore an engineering career
that interests you.
A.
Select one of the careers from the
Engineering, Go For It! online magazine to explore from the website eGFI – Dream
Up the Future. http://www.egfi-k12.org/
B.
Explore the career by clicking on the many
links that will appear. Meet an engineer, find out where they work, and learn
cool facts about the job. On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions 1-3
below then continue with Procedure step C.
C.
Choose a different engineering career from
the Explore Engineering link. http://students.egfi-k12.org/category/explore-engineering/Read a news article and watch a video if
available. Answer the questions on the Activity
sheet.
D.
Read or watch a video about one event from
the news event link: http://students.egfi-k12.org/category/e-news/events-e-news/.
Answer the questions on the Activity
sheet.
E.
Select an engineer from “Meet More Students”
and read the description. Answer the questions on the Activity
sheet.
F.
Pages 18-41 contain several articles related
to emerging technologies in engineering fields. Select one article that
interests you, read the article, and summarize it on the Activity
sheet.
G.
Read the Good Advice pages. Answer the
question on the Activity sheet.
H.
From the “What’s New” section of the Online
Magazine read about a trailblazer and if possible watch the YouTube video about
that person.
I.
Complete the conclusion questions and submit
the activity to your teacher for assessment.
Questions: Use
complete sentences and neatly answer the following
questions.
1.
WhicheGFI Magazine career
did you choose to read about? Why?
2.
Where do people with this engineering career
work?
3.
List four interesting facts that you
discovered about this career.
4.
What is the title of the Explore Engineering
article that you chose?
5.
Summarize what you learned in the
article.
6.
What is the title of the video that you
watched?
7.
Summarize what you learned in the
video.
8.
Which engineer did you read
about?
9.
Describe the engineer’s job and their
accomplishments or goals.
10.
List ten examples from the eGFI magazine to
answer the statement “Engineering is . . .”.
11.
Summarize one of the articles about an
emerging technology in an engineering field.
12.
List five ideas from the good advice page
that you think would help you prepare for engineering
school.
13.
Describe the invention or innovation that
the trailblazer you read about engineered. What problem are they trying to
solve?
Vocabulary List
You need to find the definitions for each word using www.dictionary.com
1. adverse - unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect: adverse criticism
2. arid - being without moisture; extremely dry; parched: arid land; an arid climate
3. assailant - a person who attacks
4. billow - a great wave or surge of the sea
5. Confront - to face in hostility or defiance
6. contemporary - existing, occurring, or living at the same time
7. depict
8. disinterested
9. encompass
10. groundless
11. hypocrite
12. incomprehensible
13. manipulate
14. maximum
15. mimic
16. ruffle
17. serene
18. sheepish
19. stamina
Completing the sentence:
From the words for this unit, choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences. Write the word in the space provided.
You need to find the definitions for each word using www.dictionary.com
1. adverse - unfavorable or antagonistic in purpose or effect: adverse criticism
2. arid - being without moisture; extremely dry; parched: arid land; an arid climate
3. assailant - a person who attacks
4. billow - a great wave or surge of the sea
5. Confront - to face in hostility or defiance
6. contemporary - existing, occurring, or living at the same time
7. depict
8. disinterested
9. encompass
10. groundless
11. hypocrite
12. incomprehensible
13. manipulate
14. maximum
15. mimic
16. ruffle
17. serene
18. sheepish
19. stamina
Completing the sentence:
From the words for this unit, choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences. Write the word in the space provided.
- The brisk breeze caused the sheets on the line to _______________ like the sails on a yacht that is running with the wind.
- The hot, ______ climate of Arizona is favorable for many people suffering from various diseases, such as arthritis.
- The skyscraper is one of the best-known forms of ___________architecture.
- Although I may hurt your feelings, my conscience _______________ me to tell you exactly what is on my mind.
- Since Tom is both smart and _________, I think he is just the person to decide which of us is right in this long and bitter quarrel.
- Fortunately, I was able to fight off my ________, even though his attack took me by complete surprise.
- You talk so fast and in such a low tone of voice that you are going to be completely _________ to most people.
- Held back by _________ winds, the plane arrived at the airport two hours late/
- Parrots and a few other kinds of birds can _______ sounds, particularly human speech.
- Under the law, the ______ number of people who may ride in this bus is seventy-five.
- For a long time, I thought that he was a good and sincere person, but I finally saw that he was no more than a(n) ___________.
- The ______ expression on her face showed that she was totally undisturbed by the confusion and turmoil around her.
- The basic textbook ________ all the information you will have to master for the entrance examination.
- Using the entire east wall of the new Post Office building, the painter tried to ______ the founding of our city.
- The jury found the defendant “not guilty” because they were convinced that the charges against her were ______.
- I was so embarrassed by my blunder that I could do nothing but grim in a(n) ______ and self-conscious way.
- You and Lucy will never settle your quarrel unless you _______ each other directly and listen to what the other person has to say.
- Very few pitchers have the _______ to pitch well for nine innings.
- A breeze sprang up and began to ________ the smooth and tranquil surface of the water.
- As you become a more skillful driver, you will be able to ________ all the controls of the car while keeping your eyes on the road.