Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution |Published on: December 20, 2022
Videos Grades 6-8, 9-12
Synopsis
This video demonstrates the concept of PPM and how very small changes in concentration can affect the look, smell, taste, functioning, or quality of an entire system.
The examples in the video relate to all five of our senses, connect to greenhouse gas emissions, and help them resonate with students.
The length of this video makes it readily usable for typical class times, making it easy to integrate into a variety of lessons.
The explanations are understandable enough for younger students, and the concepts are subtle enough for older students to take deeper implications.
Additional Prerequisites
Students need to understand multiplication, division, and powers of ten.
Differentiation
There is more detailed information included in the examples (such as chemical formulas) that older students can use for practice with substrates, products, and converting units.
Classes can replicate some of the examples in the video as a lab or do similar experiments to explore ppm.
Biology classes can connect this topic to the evolutionary reason for our sense of smell being so powerful or why small differences in molecular weight can make a big difference in processes such as photosynthesis or cellular respiration for some organisms.
Chemistry classes can examine why these small changes in greenhouse gas concentrations can make such a large difference in global climate conditions.
Younger students can focus on the main ideas presented and use it as a guide for classroom lab experiments.
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About the Partner Provider
Paleontological Research Institution
Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is a national leader in Earth systems science education. They strive to help make sense of the present and potential future climate change, while also increasing understanding of global change in Earth’s past. Their programs focus on systems thinking, understanding scale and learning in your own backyard.