Environmental Risk Analysis

An Activity Using Spreadsheet and Databases




Overview/Introduction:

In a democracy, the members of a community have a right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, their property, and the things they value. A community's perception of the risks posed by hazards often differs from those of experts. In these activities, students will use a spreadsheet to identify their perception of environmental risks associated with chemical hazards and then develop a database to research and evaluate these hazards.

This module utilizes the first two steps in preparing a community risk analysis. These are the identification and researching of risks. In this module, students will use a spreadsheet and develop a database to evaluate the perception of environmental risks in their community.

Purpose or Objective:

The primary goal of this module is develop students' abilityto become involved, thoughtful, informed, and solution oriented membersof their community. Students will meet these objectives by learning to:

  1. utilize a spreadsheet to identify their perception of risks associated with environmental hazards in their community.

  2. access information on the Internet to develop a database on the chemical hazards in their community.

  3. evaluate their perception of risks and the hazards as identified by Environmental Protection Agency.

Time Required: 5 to 7 class periods

Materials, Tools, and Resources Needed: Student Survey and Database Templates, Spreadsheet and Database Software, Web Access and Web Browser.

Teacher Preparation:

The instructor should be familiar with the process of risk analysis and the common hazards that might affect the student's community. An introduction to risk analysis can be found at National Center of Environmental Assessment and The Hampshire Research Institute

Activity A: Identification of Risks

The instructor should determine the depth of content thatthe students need to know about each hazard. The survey and spreadsheettemplate included in Activity A is based on common biological, physical,chemical, and cultural hazards that may poise risks to a community. Theinstructor should determine the hazards most relevant to the course curriculumand community. The development of the spreadsheet based on the student'sperception of risks can be used to facilitate a class discussion on thehazards in their community.

Activity B: Research and Evaluation of Risks

This activity will produce a database that can be used to complete an environmental study of the student's community. The database included with this activity is based on information readily available on the Environmental Protection Agency web site. This web site has an incredible wealth of information. Information provided by the EPA database will be use to produce a community database. The scope of this module has been limited to the sources of chemical hazards identified by the EPA. The instructor can easily modify the database template to emphasis the hazards in their community and to expand the research portion of this module.

Part C: Assessment:
The assessment of students' understanding of environmental risks will depend on the student's ability to apply the information from the research and database to evaluate their perception of risks and hazards in their community.

Prerequisite Student Knowledge:

Science: California Science Content Standards

Technology: Basic spreadsheet, database, and web browser skills

Activity A. Perception of Community Hazards and Risks
Handout: Student Survey,
Spreadsheet Templates: Microsoft Excel, Appleworks

The instructor will introduce the unit by discussion on hazards, risks, and risk analysis. After the discussion, each student will individually complete the Student Survey. This will record the student perception of the hazards in their community and the risk-level associated with each risk. The teacher can give a short explain of each hazard, but the level of risk associated with each hazard should not be included in the discussion. This survey will quantify the hazards on a scale of 0 to 3.

The hazards are to be based on the following scale:

  • 0 means this hazards does not adversely affect your community.This is a no-risk hazard.
  • 1 means this hazard adversely affects a few members of thecommunity but causes insignificant harm. This is a low-risk hazard.
  • 2 means that this hazard adversely affect some members ofthe community. This is a medium-risk hazard.
  • 3 means that this hazard poises a significant risk to mostmembers of the community. This is a high-risk hazard.
After completing the Student Survey, the students will entertheir responses in a spreadsheet. This activity can be completed as a classactivity using one computer or having students work in pairs. The instructormay choose to have students modify the template or create their own spreadsheets.This will depend on the number of computers and the time available forthis activity. The spreadsheet template will calculate the average for eachresponse. The spreadsheet template was created with Microsoft Excel. Afterentering the student data, the spreadsheet should be used to create a barchart. The each student should be given a copy of spreadsheet and the barchart before answering the questions.

Discussion Questions:
Pre-Survey Questions

  1. What is the best thing about your community? What is theworst thing about living in your community?

  2. What is a hazard?

  3. What is a risk?


Questions for Spreadsheet
Based on the bar chart created from your spreadsheet:

  1. According to the spreadsheet, which type of hazards; biological,chemical, physical, or cultural does the class believe poses the greatestrisks to you and your family? What do you think is the source of theserisks?

  2. Which hazard do you believe poses the greatest risk to youand your family?

  3. Which hazard do you think could be mitigated?


Activity B: Research and Evaluation of Risks

Handouts: What is the Environmental Protection Agency?

Database Template Download: Appleworks 5 , Microsoft Access

    Tutorials:

    Appleworks

    Microsoft Access

After completing Activity A the students should have an awareness of the perceived hazards in their community. It is important to discuss the role that public perception and opinion play in governmental action and policy. The database template is based on the information in the Environmental Protection Agency web site.

Students should work in pairs to create a database. To begin this activity, students should go to the Environmental Protection Agency web site at http://www.epa.gov and click on the Your Community button. At this page, students will type in the zip code for their school and select Envirofacts. This query will create a database on the business that have registered with the EPA and the type of hazards they produce. The instructor may modify the information that the students are to collect. The completed database can be used to determine the type of hazardous compounds are being released in their community.

After completing their databases, students should return to the EPA Search Your Community page at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/comm.htm. At this page, students should type in their zip code and select EnviroMapper. This will create a customized map of the registered sites in their community. The students should print out a copy of the map to include in their assessment.

Student Discussion Questions:

  1. Is your school an EPA-regulated site?

  2. What kind of material does your school produce?

  3. What facilities are located close to your school? What kind of hazardous materials do they produce?

  4. What type of chemical hazards are being produced in your community?

  5. Are there any Superfund sites in your community?

  6. What facilities are producing water pollution?

  7. What facilities are producing air pollution?

  8. What facilities are producing hazardous waste?

  9. Which facilities have management plans?

Activity C: Assessment

Students can evaluate their perception of chemical hazardsto the information in their database on chemical hazards.

Student Discussion Questions:

  1. What was the class's perception of chemical hazard in your community?

  2. After completing this activity, do believe that chemical hazards in your community pose a risk to you and your famility?

  3. What is source of chemical risks in your community?

  4. What do you believe should be done to reduce the risks form chemical hazards in your community?

  5. Write a letter to your city council person concerning the chemical hazards in your community. In this letter you should identfiy source the hazards, the risk these hazards pose to you and your family, and what you believe should be done to reduce these risks.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


Grade 9-12

California Science Content Standards Addressed:

Grade 9-12 ES 9a ,b, d*

9. The geology of California underlies the state's wealth of natural resources as well as its natural hazards. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know the resources of major economic importance in California and their relation to California's geology.

b. Students know the principal natural hazards in different California regions and the geologic basis of those hazards.

d.* Students know how to analyze published geologic hazard maps of California and know how to use the map's information to identify evidence of geologic events of the past and predict geologic changes in the future.

Investigation and Experimentation

1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spread sheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.

d. formulate explanations using logic and evidence.

g. recognize the use and limitations of models and theories as scientific representations of reality.

j. recognize the issues of statistical variability and the need for controlled tests.

m. investigate a science-based societal issue by researching the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings. Examples include irradiation of food, cloning of animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy sources, and land and water use decisions in California.


National Education Technology Standards for Students Addressed:

5. Technology Research Tools

  •  
    		• Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

  •  
    		• Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

  •  
    		• Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

    The Integrating Technology into Science Instruction webpages project is partially funded by grants from The Boeing Company and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Integrating Technology into Instruction is a project of Target Science (target@laep.org) and is displayed on the Los Angeles Educational Partnership Learning Exchange. Target Science is an initiative of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership.
    Updated August 2000