Learning Objectives

Recap students' past ideas on how to test for acid rain, and then tell them that you have your own: cabbage tea.  Then, START THE ACTIVITY.  Time may be an issue here, so don't spend a lot of time introducing.  The time to talk in while the cabbage is cooking.

Part 1: Divide students into groups of four.  Distribute 2 cups of shredded cabbage, 1 sauce pan,1 hot plate, and water to each group.  Students should (1) place the cabbage in the pan, (2) barely cover the cabbage with water, (3) bring the water to a boil, and then (4) simmer for fifteen minutes.

Part 2: While you are simmering, discuss the students' findings about aci rain.  Do they think we have acid rain?  Did their parents?  Why or why not?

Part 3: Once the cabbage has simmered, strain and save the liquid.

Part 4: Each group should now have a batch of cabbage tea.  Allow students some time to test a few things -- baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar, soap, etc.  -- by mixing them with small samples of the cabbage tea.  Have students group the items by their reaction with the tea and record their findings in their journals.  (Red is acidic, blue is alkaline.)

Discuss the groups' findings, linking their experiment yesterday (the disappearing statue) with today's findings (the vinegar turned the tea red, so red must be acidic).  Distribute rainwater to every group and allow them to test their predictions from earlier in the period.  Is Roebuck's rainwater acidic?  What does this mean for our city and our level of pollution?  Ask students to journal on this thought for homework.