In this 11th grade chemistry project, students in Brooklyn, NY consider issues of environmental racism, with implications for their own community, as they investigate the drinking water crisis that occurred in Flint, Michigan. They design and conduct experiments to determine the best corrosive inhibitor for lead pipes, and get feedback on interpreting the results from local experts who visit the classroom. Finally, they write scientific papers which they send to graduate students at the University of Virginia, and write letters to officials in Flint.

Learning goals include the chemical pathways and bonding properties of the pollutant (both within the body and in the environment), along with chemical reactions that can effectively neutralize the pollutant in the environment; how to design an experiment; how to write a scientific report.

Check out a version of this project that you can implement in your own classroom.