Teacher Guide: Water Crisis: Stoichiometry

STEM Case and Handbook

Grade Level: 10th-12th
Subjects: Chemistry
Versions: High and AP
Time: High 45-50 mins; AP 55-60 mins
STEM Role: Environmental Chemist
Preview Video: Water Crisis Preview Video

Introduction: There has been an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in a small town. This
disease is caused by legionella bacteria that proliferate in contaminated water supplies.
Students take on the role of an environmental chemist to investigate the source of legionella and
use stoichiometry to decontaminate the water supply and remediate the disease outbreak.

Learning objectives: STEM Cases are designed to help students learn the core concepts and
practice critical thinking skills (data analysis, data interpretation, hypothesis and reasoning,
predictions and communicating findings). Students are assessed on each of these and student
progress can be monitored in real time by teachers. The following concepts are addressed in the
Water Crisis: Stoichiometry STEM Case:

● Stoichiometry, Stoichiometric Coefficients

● Avogadro’s Number, Mass, Moles and Molar Mass

● Concentration and Molarity

● Expanded Handbook Only: Significant Figures

Vocabulary: Every STEM Case and Handbook contains

a glossary containing all of the vocabulary needed for the
activity. As new vocabulary is introduced, the words are
presented as orange text - clicking the orange text opens
the glossary page for that term. The glossary can also be
opened at any time throughout the case.

Lesson summary: At the start of the Water Crisis case

study, students review the data pertaining to the
contamination of the water supply. They are asked to find a way to treat the water to make it
safe. Students then use stoichiometry to apply the treatment.

Before they start their investigation, students enter the Stoichiometry Handbook to learn the
science needed to solve the problem. The Handbook is an interactive guide that introduces
students to the concepts of stoichiometry and units.
Once the handbook is complete students return to the lab.
They then analyze the water quality data to identify what is
wrong with the water supply. The students then
propose a solution to treat the water supply and make the
water safe again.

After testing their hypothesis, students use stoichiometry

to calculate the amounts of reagents to be added to the water. Students then conclude their
investigation by writing a case summary. This case summary lets students practice the scientific
writing skills needed to communicate their findings.

Recommended Stem Case Order: The Water Crisis (Stoichiometry) case is a case designed
for students who are ready to learn about stoichiometry. The handbook goes over the basics of
stoichiometry including unit conversions and stoichiometric coefficients to equip them with the
concepts needed to solve the case.

Follow Up: Your students can learn more about the real-world applications here:
1. Legionnaires’ Outbreak Caused By Low Chlorine In Flint Water
2. Aging Pipes Are Poisoning America's Tap Water
3. CDC - Health Effects of Lead Exposure
4. EPA - Drinking Water Regulations

Scientific Background:
Stoichiometry is one of the most difficult and transferable
skills covered in introductory Chemistry courses. The
dimensional analysis taught by learning stoichiometry is
required to understand the meaning behind numbers and to
use them to equate varying units of measurement.
Understanding units is a requirement for scientific literacy,
allowing one to distinguish meaningful data analysis from
misleading information. The relative dangers of global
catastrophic risks like global climate change and mineral resource depletion have quantitative
aspects that can be understood using the skills learned from stoichiometry.
Stoichiometry as it applies to water quality is also extremely relevant to daily life. The
Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for various toxic materials have changed as analytical
capabilities have increased. From newly formulated pesticides to well-known toxins like lead and
arsenic, a solid understanding of units of measurement is necessary to interpret PELs to
evaluate
the safety of different substances. The modern world is ever changing, but can always be
understood using the immutable, fundamental quantitative reasoning skills.

Teacher Preview Version: We highly recommend

teachers complete the teacher version of a case study
before assigning a case to their class. In the teacher
version, the pages are “unlocked” which means that you
are able to move from page to page without answering
questions. You can use this version to familiarize yourself
with the activities that students will complete. You can
also use it to review concepts with your class by
presenting it via a projector or smartboard.

Handbook: The Expanded Handbook that accompanies the High School version of this case
also covers significant figures in addition to the concepts covered in the handbook section of the
high school case.

The Expanded Handbooks can be used as an introduction to the concepts prior to taking the
case, as a review of concepts before exams, as homework, or extra credit. If class time is
limited, the expanded handbook could also be used as a replacement for the case as it only
takes 20-25 minutes to complete.