| Keyword | Description | Grade Level |
|---|
| Alcohol | Toxicity Testing with California Blackworms: Alcohol
(419KB)
Toxicology is a fundamental component of the scientific study of environmental health. This classroom experiment teaches students about the basic concepts of toxicology, including dose-response and exposure, through observing the effects of a toxicant (ethanol) on the behavior of California blackworms. This teacher's guide provides background information, laboratory instructions, discussion questions, and variations and supplemental activities for conducting the experiment. | |
| Cancer | Good Cells Gone Bad - 2001
(102KB)
This activity teaches students about the cellular changes that lead to cancer. It provides an overview of the prevalence of cancer, cell structure, and function, and a classroom activity and worksheet that reinforce lessons about cellular structure and the differences between cancer cells and normal cells. | |
| Exposure | Lemons and Onions
This entertaining and educational activity gives elementary and middle school students a hands-on lesson in evaluating environmental health problems. In a well controlled activity, students smash lemons and onions to observe what happens when they are exposed to the odors. Then they participate in a demonstration that links together the health problem, the hazard, and the people who are exposed. Afterwards they use the concept of links in a discussion about how scientists reach a conclusion that a hazard is responsible for causing health problems in people. | |
| Nicotine | Toxicity Testing with California Blackworms: Nicotine
(337KB)
Toxicology is a fundamental component of the scientific study of environmental health. This classroom experiment teaches students about the basic concepts of toxicology, including dose-response, and exposure, through observing the effects of a toxicant (nicotine) on the behavior of California blackworms. This teacher's guide provides background information, laboratory instructions, discussion questions, and variations and supplemental activities for conducting the experiment. | |
| Plants | Race to Find the Cure: Isolation of Chemicals from Plant Leaves
(68KB)
Many important pharmaceuticals and other chemicals are derived from plants. This classroom experiment teaches students about the isolation of plant chemicals using chromatography. Students apply different mixtures of spinach extract, beet leaf extract, and food coloring to strips of filter paper; observe the separation of the components of the mixtures; and extract the isolated components from the filter paper using water. This package of materials includes a teacher's guide, student instructions and notes, and discussion questions and answers. | |
| Poison | Name That Poison
(113KB)
This activity sheet raises awareness and provides information about nine different poisonous substances. Users match substances with their common health effects. Background information about hazardous substances is provided. | |
| Tobacco | Chemicals and Human Health Web Site
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Lung Development Activity: Teacher's Guide and Student Sheet | |
