Exploring air pollution 

As students living in China, it is natural to wonder about air pollution. So during our unit about “The use of resources affect society and living things”, we conducted some experiments that might simulate renewable vs non-renewable energy’s impact on our air quality. We used parafin candles that are made from petroleum products and compared them to soy oil candles, which were our example of renewable energy. 

  
  Students held the glass under the flames and compared the soot. Students were surprised how black the bottoms of the jars got with the parafin candles, and they really understood what is meant by “clean” energy.