by the
Mercury in Schools Education Team

Steve Brachman, Waste Reduction Specialist, University of Wisconsin - Extension
Benjamen Jones, Project Assistant, University of Wisconsin - Extension
Steve Skavroneck, Environmental Consultant
Al Stenstrup, Environmental Educator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Mary Thiry, Youth Development Educator, University of Wisconsin - Extension

This project is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Wisconsin - Extension

March 2002

Table of Contents

Introduction

• Why Mercury Education
  
• Correlations to National Standards

Focus on Mercury - General Information

• Mercury In Our World
  
• Mercury Health Issues
  
• Cultural and Religious Uses
  
• Special or Unique Properties of Mercury
  
• Activity 1: Mercury I.Q
  Students take a short general information quiz about mercury to see what they know

School Information

• Mercury Awareness for School Teachers
  
• Activity 2: Case Study of Mercury Contamination in a School
  Students are provided with a mercury case study and some additional information on health effects. A series of questions is provided for the teacher to stimulate discussion.
• Activity 3: School Mercury Audit
  Students conduct a mercury inventory of their school or another school in the area.
  Guidance on what to look for and questions to ask is provided, along with a reporting form.
  
• Mercury at School: Where to Look and What to Look For (information packet)
  
• Mercury Audit Form: Assessment Checklist for Schools

Household Information

• Household Mercury
  
• Activity 4: Home Mercury Audit
  Each student conducts a home mercury inventory. A chart showing what to look for and where is provided, along with a reporting form.
  
• Sample Letter to Parents
  
• Hunt for Mercury at Home (Information packet)
  
• Hunt for Mercury at Home-Inventory sheet
  
• Mercury in Fluorescent Lights and the Environmental Impacts
  
• Activity 5: Trade-Offs Exercise
  Students evaluate the pros and cons of two alternative technologies.

Mercury in the Environment

• Mercury in the Environment
  
• The Mercury Cycle and Bioaccumulation
  
• Activity 6: Mercury in the Food Chain
  Students reinforce their understanding of food webs while gaining a new understanding of bioaccumulation.
  
• Activity 7: Atmospheric Mercury
  Students will practice critical thinking skills as they examine data.

Mercury In Our World and Community

• Mercury through the Ages
  
• Mercury in Medicine
  
• Industrial Mercury
  
• Mercury in the Twentieth Century
  
• Activity 8: Mercury through the Ages
  Students relate the unique properties of mercury to its historical uses, and offer suggestions for non-mercury alternatives
  
• Activity 9: A Local Survey about Mercury
  Students conduct a community survey about mercury, either using the sample provided in the package or one that they develop. They also develop a plan for communicating the results.
  
• Activity 10: Mercury Community Action Projects
  Students develop and implement an action plan for their community concerning mercury