OBIS Oil Spill

In this outdoor activity, learners simulate an oil spill using popcorn (both oil and popcorn float on water), and estimate the spill's impact on the environment. Learners role play environmental impact experts who have been rushed to the scene of an oil spill. They must estimate how long it will take the spill to reach the shoreline of the body of water. This activity was developed for the seashore but may also be done at a lake, river or stream. One extension is to have learners try and keep the spill from spreading, using logs or floats, scooping the popcorn out of the water, or herding the oil into a pen with a giant squeegee.