Science Projects for Fifth Grade: Removing Oil from Ducks and Birds

Teach:

Oil spills leave ducks and birds covered in oil. Ask the students, "What might happen to a bird or duck if it was covered in oil?" How would it fly? The ducks and birds would need help from a rescuer to be cleaned of the oil and to survive. Rescuers have tried different formula's to remove the oil the best. Try this experiment to teach about environmentalism, and to find a solution that may successfully take the oil off of a duck or bird's feathers.

Materials:

1. Oil
2. Water
3. Feathers
4. Dawn dish soap
5. Shampoo
6. Rubbing Alcohol
7. Washcloth
8. Paper towels
9. Notebooks
10. Pencils

Procedure:

1. Begin by having students make a hypothesis about, which of the three solutions they think will remove the oil the best and why. Record in science journals.
2. Place the students into groups of four. Have one student in each group, wet a few feathers and dip them into a bowl of oil. The feathers can be purchased at any craft store.
3. Have another student in each group use the rubbing alcohol to remove the oil. Gently rub the feathers in one direction with a washcloth.
4. A third student should try using the shampoo to remove the oil from the feathers. Again, gently rub the feathers in the same direction as before with a washcloth.
5. A fourth student should take the Dawn dishwashing liquid and attempt to remove the oil using a washcloth.
6. Have students write down the results and come to a conclusion. The conclusion should state whether their hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

Review:

Ask the children if they were surprised by the results. Have the students share which of the three solutions they though would work best and why? Ask them if they can come up with any other solutions that would be safe to use on ducks and birds that could possibly remove the oil. Offer them extra credit to complete that project for homework over a weekend.