Oil and Water Don't Mix

Grade Level:
4-6

Subject Areas:
Science, Math, Reading

Setting:
Classroom

Skills:
Organizing, estimating,
calculating, interpreting
(identifying cause and effect)

Prior Preparation: Students
should understand that water
is shared by everyone, as well
as the pollutants carried
within the watershed.
(Students can find out where
used motor oil can be
recycled in your community by
contacting a local government
agency, such as the
Department of Environmental
Quality). Have various
references on oil in the
environment available for
student research. Some very
good sources of information
are: US EPA, the Department of
Environmental Quality, the
Department of Natural
Resources, and the
Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries or a local nature
center.

Vocabulary:
ecosystem, hazardous waste,
pollutants, runoff,
bioaccumulation, crude oil,
bioremediation

South Dakota Education
Standards for 4th grade:
Math
4.A.1.3; 4.A.3.1; 4.N.3.1
Science
4.L.2.1
Reading
4.R.1.1; 4.R.1.2; 4.R.5.1; 4.R.5.2

Objective: Students will be able to calculate the damage done to an ecosystem by improper
disposal of used motor oil.

Materials: paper and pencils, student worksheet

Background: Everyone gets upset when large oil spills occur and contaminate beaches and
harbors. We are horrified and made angry by pictures of oil-soaked aquatic birds and mammals,
however, not all oil spills are publicized disasters. Unnoticed spills occur more frequently and
are more dangerous to human health and aquatic ecosystems.

Did you know that over 40% of oil pollution comes from people who change their own motor
oil? Millions of gallons of used motor oil are dumped in landfills, storm drains, and on the
ground each year. This oil contains harmful pollutants, such as lead and zinc, and is considered
hazardous waste. It makes its way to streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater, where it causes
severe damage to the ecosystem. Used motor oil is a major contributor to the urban runoff
problem.

Procedure:
Conduct a class discussion of marine oil spills versus "land oil spills (disposal of used motor
oil).

After the discussion, have students complete the student worksheet.

Extensions:
Oil and the contaminants it contains cause real problems in the food web of any ecosystem.
Bioaccumulation is one of these problems. Research the bioaccumulation of oil and its
contaminants in the food web of a large lake. Make a poster or mural to illustrate your findings.

Write a skit or play, complete with a song or two, about the benefits of recycling used motor oil.

Investigate disposal methods of used oil from school buses in your school or school district.
Contact the proper officials and discuss the benefits of recycling the oil.

Vocabulary Glossary:
Bioaccumulation: The buildup of a material in the body of an organism
Bioremediation: The use of a living organism to help remedy a problem in an ecosystem
Crude Oil: Unrefined petroleum
Ecosystem: A group of interacting species within a physical environment
Hazardous Waste: Wastes that are dangerous to human health and/or the environment
Pollutants: An impurity (contaminant) that causes an undesirable change in the physical,
chemical or biological characteristics of the air, water, or land that may be harmful to or affect
the health, survival or activities of humans or other living organisms
Runoff: Water (originating as precipitation) that flows across surfaces rather than soaking in;
eventually enters a water body; may pick up and carry a variety of pollutants