COSMOS Episode 7: The Clean Room Worksheet (2014)

Description

COSMOS Episode 7: The Clean Room (2014) links civilization’s impact on the environment to our abilities to make drastic changes in the way our society’s consumerism functions. Neil DeGrasse Tyson uses lessons from Ancient Rome to examine the impact of toxic material in the environment and our society. He also tells the dramatic story of Pat Patterson who, at great personal cost, used scientific research to change laws regarding the use of lead in gasoline.

In this episode, Tyson discusses radioactive dating methods, radioactive decay, element ratios, law of superposition, sedimentary rock layers, the age of the solar system, heavy metal poisoning, lead toxicity, business ethics, lead pollution, air pollution, lead in the body, and political lobbying.

This episode is appropriate for the following classes: environmental science, geology, ecology, biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, physical science, general science, political science, or history.

The runtime is 44 minutes. The video guide is designed to last an entire class, with some time left over to answer questions or facilitate a classroom discussion.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Pat Patterson radioactive dating methods, radioactive decay, element ratios, law of superposition, sedimentary rock layers, age of the solar system, heavy metal poisoning, lead toxicity, business ethics, lead pollution, air pollution, lead in the body, and political lobbying, environmental science, geology, ecology, biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, physical science, general science, political science, history