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Real World Examples of Chemistry - The Flint Water Crisis

Real World Examples of Chemistry - The Flint Water Crisis
a photo symbolizing toxic drinking water
Summary
This ACS ChemMatters Teachers Guide uses the real-world case of the Flint, Michigan water crisis to explore how chemistry concepts—particularly corrosion, redox reactions, water treatment processes, and public health chemistry—apply to municipal water systems. Students investigate how changes in water chemistry led to lead contamination and analyze the chemical principles behind the crisis.
There are supplemental activities in the guide.
Additional resources are added here including The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint From the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, a video about systems thinking and the flint water crisis, an introductory video on environmental justice and an open access paper: "A Case Study of Environmental Injustice: The Failure in Flint."
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
1. Understand the Chemical Causes of the Flint Water Crisis
2. Relate Chemistry Concepts to Real-World Environmental and Public Health Issues
3. Reinforce and Apply Core Chemistry Vocabulary and Concepts
4. Critically Think and Communicate About Scientific Information
Object Type
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Case studies
Small resource sets
Videos (e.g., tutorials, presentations)
Audience
High School (Secondary School)
Introductory Undergraduate
Green Chemistry Principles
Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Good Health and Well-Being
Clean Water and Sanitation
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
none
NGSS Standards, if applicable
HS-PS1-6. Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.
HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

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