History of Chemicals in the Environment
Provided by: Project Look Sharp|Published on: September 29, 2025
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Biology, Civics, English Language Arts, Health
Authors: Project Look Sharp
Region: United States, Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this lesson from Project Look Sharp, students will analyze several examples of media spreading conflicting messages about various toxic chemicals throughout history.
- Students will learn about the changing public perception of chemistry, DDT, GMOs, and other chemicals throughout history, demonstrating their understanding with a document-based question and short-answer questions.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Considering who stands to benefit from the spread of certain sentiments and information is a critical skill for navigating situations inside and outside of the classroom.
- Many questions are open-ended, allowing for nuanced classroom discussion.
Prerequisites
- It might help to introduce students to examples of current or past chemicals of concern, such as glyphosate, 2-4D, atrazine, PFAS/PFOAs, benzine, and organophosphate pesticides.
- Students should know how to cite evidence from a source to support their claims.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Art students can analyze the artistic elements present in the media examples and hypothesize the reasoning behind the design choices.
- After this lesson, teachers can have students apply the skill of considering the motive behind advertisements and endorsements to sponsored posts on social media platforms.
- After viewing the greenwashing book cover, students can play this game to view ads that may include examples of greenwashing and evaluate how these ads may influence their shopping choices.
- To expand on the examples of sacrifice zones and the concept of environmental justice, teachers can use this lesson to take a closer look at Louisiana's Cancer Alley.
- Teachers can connect this lesson to many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 3, Good Health and Well-Being, and Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities.
This resource explores how media and marketing messaging have shaped public perception of environmental chemicals. The history of both chemical production and marketing is presented, with a focus on messaging versus science. An extensive list of supplemental resources is included, though a few links to source materials were broken. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Project Look Sharp
Project Look Sharp is a nonprofit, mission-driven outreach program of Ithaca College. Their mission is to help K-16 educators enhance students' critical thinking, metacognition, and civic engagement through media literacy materials and professional development.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
