Download Lesson: Clean It Up! Summary Students learn about a special

Lesson: Clean It Up!
Summary
Students learn about a special branch of engineering called bioremediation, which
is the use of living organisms to aid in the clean-up of pollutant spills. Students
learn all about bioremediation and see examples of its importance. In the
associated activity, students conduct an experiment and see bioremediation in
action!
Engineering Connection
Bioremediation is a part of the environmental engineering field. It is a commonlyused practice that takes advantage of a natural process — living organisms. By
using the pollutant as a food source, engineers can identify exactly which
microorganism can help to break down a certain pollutant.
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, students should be able to:
-Define bioremediation.
-Explain why bioremediation is a useful process for cleaning up pollutants.
Introduction/Motivation
Imagine for a moment that you are an environmental engineer. There has just
been a huge oil spill off the coast of California, and oil is spreading everywhere.
The spill is causing a lot of damage to the ecosystem and to the animals that live
in the area. How might you clean up the spill? (Give the students a few minutes to
talk about a solution with their classmates. Some ideas they may come up with
are: scoop up the oil in a net, absorb it on a paper towel, use bioremediation.
After a few minutes, write down the ideas on the board. Maybe one of the
students will have suggested bioremediation, even if they are not sure how it
would work.) Great job everyone; these are excellent ideas!
Another way that environmental engineers clean up pollutants is through a
process called bioremediation. Who knows what this process means? Let's break
it down. (Write the word "bioremediation" on board.) Who knows what "bio"
means? (Solicit answers. For hints, have them think about the words "biology,"
"biography," etc.) Good! The prefix "bio" means "dealing with life." How about
"remediation?" That reminds me of a different word that you all might be more
familiar with: "remedy." Who here has heard of a cold remedy or allergy remedy?
What do you think that means? (Wait for answers). A remedy is something that
makes you feel better, right? It is something that cures or controls an illness or
disease. So, does anyone have a guess of what bioremediation might be?
(Answer: Bioremediation is the process of using small living things called
microorganisms to clean up pollutants in the environment. Bacteria is an example
of a microorganism.)
Now let's think about that oil spill again. Engineers can add oil-eating bacteria to
an oil spill, and those bacteria break down the oil and clean up the pollution. Why
do you think that bioremediation would be a good process to use over other
available technologies for treatment? (Possible answers: Lower cost, better for
the environment, etc.)
Vocabulary/Definitions
Bioremediation: The process of using microorganisms to clean up an
environmental hazard.
Microorganism: A life form that is so small, it can only be seen with a microscope.
Pollutant: A chemical that causes harm to the environment.
Lesson Summary Assessment
Where Else? Where else could bioremediation be used? Have the students think
of other possible uses for bioremediation in their everyday lives. (Have them think
about where in their lives chemicals or processes are used. Are there ways to do
this naturally using bioremediation?)