An interdisciplinary environmental project, based on natural chronologic archives, suitable for upper secondary school students

• Published in: Physics education Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 25016 - 25023
• Main Authors: Törnquist, Per, Carlsson, Marie, Pettersson, Håkan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brecon IOP Publishing 01.03.2023
• Subjects: caesium; Cesium 137; Cesium isotopes; Chromium; Copper; Environment; Environmental impact; environmental pollutions; history of pollution; Human influences; interdiscipinary; Interdisciplinary aspects; Lead; Manganese; Mercury (metal); outdoor lessons; Peat; peat bog; Political factors; Pollution; Secondary School Students; Secondary Schools; Students
• ISSN: 0031-9120; 1361-6552
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6552/acb037

This article describes an ongoing interdisciplinary project involving both the natural and social sciences. Based on the intact chronology of the layers in a peat bog, students create a history of pollution after WWII, for several toxic elements. Within this project the students collect samples which are analysed for; As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Zn, and 137 Cs. Caesium is used to roughly date emissions. The results allow students to gain a holistic picture of the mechanisms underlying airborne pollution. The project is comprehensive and involves several school subjects, that normally are separated. The student’s task is to explain the time-related changes in pollution for one of the above-mentioned elements in a scientific report. The students’ report must also explain, when possible, the underlying political mechanisms or other factors, for the change in pollution. The finding of the above-mentioned elements in the local environment promotes discussions about the human impact on the environment. Most importantly, the results show that it is possible to change emission patterns in the future to achieve a better environment.