Difficult Solutions: How to Resolve the Controversies over Fracking

The purpose of this curriculum unit is to develop students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills as they approach a realistic chemistry problem. Students will focus on the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, their properties in regards to solubility, how they are being used and how they affect the environment.

This unit is designed for students in an introductory chemistry class at the high school level, over a period of three weeks. The curriculum of this unit is built around the chemistry curriculum outlined by the School District of Philadelphia in Unit 10: Properties of Solutions.

Some of the strategies that will be incorporated in order to increase motivation and curiosity include hands-on activities, personal inquiry, the gradual release of responsibility model, ongoing formal and informal assessments, and problem-based learning.