Teachers are able to demonstrate how oil affects different substances. Fill a clear cup halfway with sand, another cup halfway with water and a third cup halfway with salt water. Add approximately 20 ml of vegetable oil to each cup. Allow students to observe each cup and notice how the oil affects each substance. Discuss with students problems that will arise from an oil spill in each substance and the challenges that might arise when removing the oil.
Educational science companies allow teachers to purchase Enviro-Bond 403 polymer. This polymer is designed to clean up crude oil. Polymer kits come with a type of oil that closely resembles crude oil and the polymer for teachers to use for in-class demonstration purposes. Teachers add the oil to a beaker full of water, sprinkle some of the polymer on top and watch it work to form a sponge-like material that can be easily removed from the water.
After modeling an oil spill for students by adding oil to water, demonstrate different methods for cleaning up oil spills. Allow students to test various cleanup methods, using rubber bands to represent booms, cotton balls to soak up the oil as adsorbents, eyedroppers to represent skimmers and dish soap to represent cleaning chemicals. Discuss the pros and cons of each method with students and then share articles on real-life examples, such as liquid detergent being used to help clean birds after an oil spill.
Prepare a demonstration to show students how oil spills affect animals. Use fake feathers and cover each feather with chocolate syrup, corn syrup or vegetable oil. Allow students to feel the feathers and note how the oil affects them. Have a few students place the liquids on their hands and arms to experience the feeling first-hand. Mild dish-washing liquid is commonly used to clean birds covered in oil and may be used in this experiment to help students see how difficult it can be to clean oil off both feathers and their skin.