Solving the Problem Rubric:

After completing the experiment, address the following on your webpage in narrative
(paragraph) form. Your goal is to convey what you have learned by teaching the content to the
readers of your website. You want to explain the limitations of simply removing the phosphates
chemically (such as how you did in the experiment) and advocate for another method to reduce
phosphates in the Chesapeake Bay.

1. Explain the process that you used to remove the Na 3 PO 4 from the simulated Bay water
sample, including what chemical you used to achieve this and why it was selected. Support your
explanation with a balanced chemical equation. (10 points)
10 points:​ The explanation of the process for removing Na​3​PO​4​ from the simulated Bay
water sample was explained step by step and supported throughout. The use of Copper (II)
Sulfate was followed with valid reasoning and explained the double reaction that occurred
with the two reactants.

2. This experiment used a chemical means to remove the phosphates from the simulated Bay
water sample. Conduct research into a nonchemical means to reduce the amount of
phosphates in the Bay. Compare the two methods, including a discussion about effectiveness
and feasibility. Which method is better for improving water quality? Support your answer using
data from your experiment and data related to your nonchemical method from your research.
(10 points)
10 points: ​The research for another method of removing phosphates from the bay was
biological, explaining in-depth how the use of bacteria is an alternative yet effective method
of removing phosphates. In comparing the two methods, the effectiveness of the chemical
method is well supported, but does not undermine the alternative method. Both methods are
supported by data found through an experiment or from a cited article.

3. Organize your responses to be clear and concise. Use correct grammar, spelling, and
citations. Where appropriate, support your responses with multimedia, such as videos or
images, including these items in your discussion. (5 points)
4 points:​ The explanation of “The Process” utilizes a well-created image displaying the
process of double displacement and the collection of phosphate in the bay; Any research
used in finding an alternative method is cited correctly in APA format. However, the page
presents an overuse of commas and broken sentence structures that felt unnatural while
reading through each paragraph.
The broken sentence structures were “...because when…” which could have been “...means of
a double replacement reaction that bond the two polyatomic ions, phosphate and sulfate, to a
new element.” Other broken sentence structures were broken due to an excessive amount of
commas, or the wording could have been better: “The chemical method removes an impressive
95% of phosphates, however, the biological method also manages to leave only 5% of
phosphates in the wastewater.”