Grade level

/subject

Senior Physics SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUE

Context
description

Students will be taught the physics behind Hydraulic Fracturing, they will
then perform research finding the positives and negatives that come with
Fracking, and its effect on the environment.
OSTP Standards:
Standard 1:
Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the
diversity of the students they teach.

Standards
meet

Standard 2:
Teachers know and understand the content area for which they have
instructional responsibility
Standard 4:
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of
each individual student.

Concept
addressed
Objectives

Academic
language

Learning
strategies
Materials
needed

Standard 5:
Teachers create learning environments that promote high levels of learning
and achievement for all students.
The socio-scientific issue of Hydraulic Fracturing is to be addressed. On top
of that, the reasoning for the debate will be covered throughout the class
through student research.
The students will be able to:
Accurately explain the science behind Hydraulic Fracturing
(Fracking).
Perform research on the topic and the processs pros and cons when it
comes to its effect on the environment
Students will need to understand the terms:
Fracture as in cracking or breaking
Shale the layer of rock beneath the earths surface
Water table the level beneath the earths surface that
Hydraulic Fracturing the act of fracturing the shale beneath the earths crust
to allow natural gas to fill a well to be pumped up to the surface for use.
Contamination as in contaminating a water source
Students will learn through a mixture of lecture, video, and through individual
research. Implementing as many styles as possible in a single day in an
attempt to really help them in learning of new material.
Overhead projector for video,
Whiteboard for notes/lecture
Personal laptops for students to perform research
Grade cam materials for class opener
Engagement/Introduction/Hook
Welcome students to class at the door and tell them they need a laptop, let

them perform their Class Opener question for the day on gradecam. (Which
is the correct order of the earths layers starting from the inside and going
outwards? Answer: Inner core, outer core, mantle, crust)
Instructional sequence:
Segment 1:
Instructional
outline

Show opening video

(http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/multimedia/2012/aug/08/what-isfracking) where the individual discusses the science behind
Transition 1: Ask students to pull out notebooks to take some notes.
Segment 2: Give notes on the video, to explain the science behind Fracking.
(at the bottom of this page)
Transition 2: Ask students to open up laptops.

Modifications

Assessments of
learning

Segment 2: On a loose leaf piece of paper, ask for the 5 best pros and 5 best
cons they can find through research on the internet.
Closure:
Last 2 minutes of class, ask students to clean up and put laptops back in their
respective places. Also ask them to turn in their proof of research.
-Students who need more time copying notes will be provided with the
teacher copy to be able to copy down the notes they may have missed.
-Students who need additional time will be afforded it.
Formative assessments: Student research exit slips will show how well theyre
understanding the topic of Fracking
Summative assessments: No Summative Assessment today.

Fracking - also called hydro-fracking or, officially, horizontal drilling coupled with multi-stage
hydraulic fracturing - is a relatively new process of natural gas and oil extraction. Here's a stepby-step look:
1. A well is drilled vertically to the desired depth, then turns ninety degrees and continues
horizontally for several thousand feet into the shale believed to contain the trapped natural gas
and oil.
2. A mix of water, sand, and various chemicals is pumped into the well at high pressure in order
to create fissures in the shale through which the gas can escape.
3. Natural gas and oil escape through the fissures and is drawn back up the well to the surface,
where it is processed, refined, and shipped to market.
4. Wastewater (also called "flowback water" or "produced water") returns to the surface after the
fracking process is completed. This water is up to ten times saltier than the ocean and can pick up

radioactive elements and toxic metals like arsenic. It needs to be stored and disposed of safely in
order to keep these contaminants from polluting our air and our water

Facts about fracking

Fracking wells go thousands of feet deeper than traditional natural wells.
Fracking requires between two and five million gallons of local freshwater per well - up
to 100 times more than traditional extraction methods.
Fracking utilizes "fracking fluid," a mix of water, sand, and a cocktail of toxic chemicals.
While companies performing fracking have resisted disclosure of the exact contents of the
fracking fluid by claiming that this information is proprietary, studies of fracking waste indicate
that the fluid contains: formaldehyde, acetic acids, citric acids, and boric acids, among hundreds
of other chemical contaminants.
The amount of wastewater, or flowback, produced by fracked wells is much greater than
traditional wells.