Distilling mouthwash to understand refining

Michael Bass is an Environmental Science teacher at Dublin Coffman High School. Bass attended a workshop for educators sponsored by the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP). As part of an Energy Resource unit, students performed distillation lab with mouthwash.

Bass said, “The goal for this activity was to show students what happens to crude oil at a refinery and how it is broken down into various products. The students liked this activity and were able to connect it to real-life oil refining through the related activities. They gained a better insight into all the different products that are refined from crude oil.”

Bass said that the OOGEEP workshop gave him a better understanding of the oil mining process and provided classroom resources to engage students on various topics of the oil and gas industry. “I left the workshop with a much better understanding of the content behind this industry and business. Better understanding of the content, coupled with various teaching tools and lessons, made the experience one I’d recommend to any colleagues.”