Exploring Solutions for Global Issues
As high school students learn about major global issues for their generation, they seek to find solutions to the issue on a smaller scale using tools from their STEM courses.
Written by Mrs. Rachel Hartnell, Lead Teacher
Students recorded the particulate matter collected from the air before and after their experiments to identify the effectiveness of their design. Particulate matter is too small to see by the naked eye making it the perfect size for us to breathe in!
This semester, our high school students were challenged to consider current global issues and design solutions for how to address these problems according to the word of God. In the Lab Science class, high school students have learned the process of research, experimental design, and data analysis. Utilizing these universally applicable skills, they were given various case studies on major environmental issues that are affecting their generation. After learning about negative outcomes to people both in the third world and here in the United States, they researched sustainable solutions and designed experiments in groups to prove a solution’s viability. Each lab group produced their own unique solution and competed with the other groups to see who had the most effective outcome.
The most recent environmental issue they addressed was air quality by looking at how air pollution has contributed to the spread of disease globally. Based on their research, students designed experiments to decrease indoor air particulate matter in order to slow the spread of bacteria and viruses. One group experimented with decreasing possible particulate carriers or emissions. Another group looked into how to make consideration for ventilation using dry ice. Others designed experiments that tested natural methods for air purification and the effects of plant life on reducing air particulates. Each experiment reduced the level of air particulates, and the group testing plant life reduced particulate matter by 100%.
After each unit, when students analyse and share their success, we celebrate as a class. We take some time to dream of all the ways we as a people of God can come up with biblically rooted, ethical responses to the issues that exist today. Students are inspired and ready to tackle the next issue presented to them!