What's actually in Detroit's water, batteries, and walls.
Detroit sits on the Detroit River, the strait that links Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie as the upper Great Lakes drain downstream, and is home to a growing EV battery industry and thousands of pre-1978 homes. This unit covers reactions, conservation of mass, and solution chemistry using real water, energy, and housing systems.
NGSS Standards Addressed High School
- HS-PS1-2 Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms.
- HS-PS1-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
- HS-PS1-5 Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of reacting particles on the rate of a reaction.
- HS-PS1-7 Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.
NGSS Standards Addressed Middle School
- MS-PS1-1 Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
- MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after they interact to determine if a chemical reaction occurred.
- MS-PS1-4 Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
- MS-PS1-6 Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
Bell-Ringers
Project one at the start of class. Each has a click-to-reveal discussion note. More formats (Notice and Wonder, CER, Fact or Fiction, and more) are in the Bell-Ringer Bank.
The Great Lakes hold about 20% of the world's surface freshwater. Detroit's drinking water is drawn from the Detroit River and treated before reaching homes. Why does water need treatment even from a source that looks clean?
Discussion notes
Detroit's Factory ZERO plant builds electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries. In a battery, why does current flow when a reaction happens at the electrodes, and why does the reaction eventually stop?
Discussion notes
Many Detroit homes were built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned. Lead doesn't break down into something else over time the way an organic stain might fade. Why not, and what does that mean for old buildings?
Discussion notes
Detroit's water treatment plant adds chemicals that make tiny dirt particles clump together into bigger, heavier clumps so they sink and can be filtered out. Has a new substance been created, or have the particles just grouped together differently?
Discussion notes
Michigan road crews spread salt on icy streets in winter because salt makes ice melt at a lower temperature than 32°F. What is happening to the water molecules when salt is mixed in?
Discussion notes
Old iron radiators and pipes in some Detroit homes slowly turn orange-brown over decades. Is that color change a physical change or a chemical change? How can you tell?
Discussion notes
Labs
Testing Our Water: pH, Hardness & Clarity
Students test pH, hardness, and turbidity of tap water and one or two comparison samples using indicator strips, then evaluate results against EPA drinking water guidelines and connect their findings to how municipal treatment systems adjust water chemistry.
Battery Build: A Simple Voltaic Cell
Students build a lemon or saltwater battery, measure its voltage with a multimeter, and relate the electron flow they observe to the lithium-ion chemistry used in EV battery packs built at Detroit's Factory ZERO.
Rust Race: Corrosion on Aging Infrastructure
Students expose iron nails to different environments (plain water, saltwater, vinegar) and track corrosion rate over several days, connecting results to why Detroit's bridges and water mains need protective coatings and regular inspection.
Simulations
Water Treatment pH Lab
Add acid or base to a water sample, switch natural buffering on and off, and see if the pH lands in the EPA guideline range.
Launch Simulation →pH Scale
PhET Interactive Simulations — test the pH of common substances and dilutions before running the water-quality lab.
Open Simulation →Balancing Chemical Equations
PhET Interactive Simulations — practice conservation of mass by balancing real reaction equations.
Open Simulation →States of Matter
PhET Interactive Simulations — visualize particle behavior and intermolecular forces across solids, liquids, and gases.
Open Simulation →Project Ideas
Great Lakes Water Chemistry Report
Research publicly available Great Lakes water quality data and present a short report on one contaminant of concern, its chemical behavior, and how treatment addresses it.
Next-Gen EV Battery Pitch
Compare lithium-ion to an emerging battery chemistry (e.g. solid-state or sodium-ion) and pitch which one Detroit's auto industry should invest in next, and why.
Lead-Safe Renovation Plan
Design a step-by-step, chemically sound plan for safely testing and abating lead paint in a pre-1978 home, citing the chemistry behind each step.
Build a Water Filter
Layer sand, gravel, cotton, and activated charcoal in a bottle to build a simple filter, then test how well it clears muddy water compared to a classmate's design.
Build a Hand Warmer
Design and test a simple chemical hand warmer (iron filings, salt, and water) suited for a cold Michigan football game, and explain where the heat comes from.
Physical vs. Chemical Change at Home
Find and photograph five examples of physical or chemical changes around your home or neighborhood, and label which is which with a one-sentence explanation.
Show What You Know: Exit Ticket
Three quick questions to close the lesson. Answers are hidden until you click. Use Project Mode to display them full-screen.
A tap-water sample tests at pH 5.8. Is that inside the EPA secondary guideline range of 6.5–8.5? What risk does it raise for pipes?
Answer
In a zinc–copper voltaic cell, which metal is the anode and which direction do electrons flow in the wire?
Answer
Why might an iron nail rust faster in warm saltwater than in cold fresh water?
Answer
Classify each as a physical or chemical change: (a) ice melting, (b) iron rusting.
Answer
Road crews spread salt on icy streets. What does the salt do to the ice, and why does the street stay wet below 32°F?
Answer
A coffee filter removes coffee grounds but not the brown color of the coffee. What does that tell you about what a filter can remove?
Answer
Chemistry, built on Detroit
Detroit draws drinking water from the Detroit River and the Great Lakes system — a real, testable supply that makes pH, solubility, and water treatment chemistry concrete instead of hypothetical, and connects to the region's history of water affordability and safety debates.
Detroit's push into EV manufacturing — including GM's Factory ZERO — puts battery electrochemistry directly into the local economy, turning oxidation-reduction reactions into a conversation about jobs and technology.
With a large stock of pre-1978 housing, Detroit's lead-paint and renovation challenges are genuine applications of element chemistry, solubility, and material safety — not textbook abstractions.
Corrosion chemistry on bridges, overpasses, and water mains — including the aging infrastructure crossing the Detroit River — shows students why materials chemistry matters for public safety.
Who works on this in Detroit?
Real roles and organizations in and around the city where this science is part of the job.
Water quality analyst / treatment operator
Tests pH, hardness, disinfectant levels, and contaminants, and adjusts treatment chemistry before water reaches homes.
Battery / materials engineer
Develops and tests electrode materials, electrolytes, and cell designs for electric-vehicle battery packs.
Lead-safe / environmental health inspector
Tests homes for lead hazards and oversees safe abatement of older paint and plumbing.
Corrosion / materials engineer
Predicts and slows corrosion in bridges, rail, and water mains using coatings, inspection schedules, and rate data.
Research chemist
Runs analytical and medical chemistry research, from drug development to environmental testing.