Your Community's Scorecard

How much is your community a part of the global warming problem?

BASIC LEVEL
If you live in the United States, put your zip code in at Scorecard: The Pollution Information Site and explore pollution information in your own community.  (If you don't, perform a web search and find out whether your country has a similar application for determining community contributions to global warming.  Tell us what you find and be sure to send us any worthwhile links you discover!) 

Do you see a relationship between pollution in your community and global warming?  Tell us what you learned in your eFolio.  

Next, choose one of the chemicals identified as a threat in your community to look at more closely. Try this Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. site for information about your compound or look for other resources on the web.  Include answers to the following questions in your eFolio.

1. Which one did you choose and what is its chemical formula?
2. Draw a picture of it.  (Show its chemical structure.)
3. Have you ever heard of it before?
4. Is it an organic or inorganic compound?
5. Describe it!  What does it look like?  What is its molecular weight?  What are its properties and how does it behave? (i.e. what is its density, when does it boil, freeze, etc.)
6. Why is it of concern in the environment?
7. Is it dangerous to humans?  Why?
8. How does it move through the environment?  (air? water?)  Can you relate this to its properties?  (i.e. a chemical that is very volatile is probably transported by air.)
9. Add anything else you'd like to share.

  GRAB YOUR POINTS!

1. Log into eFolio. The link below will place your work into the eFolio and give you the Mini Survey.

If You Need Help

If you have specific questions about this exploration, please contact your STEM Mentor.  If you still have questions, please email Susan Hull Grasso, GCA Director of Curriculum Development; or "Skype" her: