This lesson will allow students to explore an important role of environmental engineers: cleaning the environment. Students will learn details about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which was one of the most publicized and studied environmental tragedies in history. In the accompanying activity, they will try many "engineered" strategies to clean up their own manufactured oil spill and learn the difficulties of dealing with oil released into our waters.

Blank world map with different filters to see different world use and production of oil.

In this lesson, students take on the role of a county official tasked with spreading awareness of the disaster. Using imagery of the affected area, they create a web mapping application that allows users to easily compare the area before and after the disaster. Users should also to be able to measure the extent of the impact. Lastly, the app should link to additional material about the landslide.

Sixth grade students from Rochester, NY transformed their own community by leading a successful campaign to revitalize the downtown of Rochester through re-watering closed sections of the Erie Canal. Students did original research in other cities, interviewing city leaders, engineers and business leaders who had successfully renewed their downtowns around a waterway. They created a report that helped convince the city to invest in this urban renewal project. This film features news footage of the students and an interview with the mayor.

Students learn about various natural hazards and specific methods engineers use to prevent these hazards from becoming natural disasters. They study a hypothetical map of an area covered with natural hazards and decide where to place natural disaster prevention devices by applying their critical thinking skills and an understanding of the causes of natural disasters.

In this lesson, students will explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they will investigate filtration and aeration processes as they are used for removing pollutants from water. Lastly, they will learn about the role of engineers in water treatment systems.

G5 Explain that the physical environment is modified by human activities, which are
influenced by the ways in which human societies value and use Earth’s
natural resources. . .
G5.1.1 Describe how humans have impacted the environment as a consequence of
population size, level of consumption, and technology.
G5.1.3 Identify ways in which human-induced changes in the physical environment in
one place can cause changes in other places.
E2.3.1 Describe the impact of governmental policy (e.g., sanctions, tariffs, treaties)
on that country and on other countries that use its resources.
E3.3.2 Explain the economic and ecological costs and benefits of different kinds of
energy production (e.g., oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear, biomass, solar, and wind).