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Lesson Planet
How can chemical products be made in a less wasteful manner? Part one of a series of 12 videos discusses the principles of green chemistry and shows pupils how polystyrene manufacturers have stepped up to the challenge world-wide. Rather than expanding the polymer using harmful CFCs, the industry now makes use of carbon dioxide byproducts from other reactions.
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Instructional Ideas
- Have the class jot down what they know about polystyrene (Styrofoam) containers and how they interact with the environment prior to viewing the video
- Show the video to kick off a unit on green chemistry or as a tool to demonstrate green initiatives being practiced by the chemical manufacturing industry
Classroom Considerations
- Learners should have some prior knowledge of the ozone layer and how it is altered by chlorofluorocarbons
Pros
- The narrator makes the topic relatable by comparing keeping a tidy room to producing less waste — a little more work on the front end saves a lot of work down the road!
- A list of the 12 principles of green chemistry is displayed early in the video — a great time for the class to create a graphic organizer for note-taking
Cons
- None