Lesson 2

Lesson 2

UNIT TOPIC:  Water Pollution

LESSON TOPIC: Forms of pollution

AGE/GRADE: 3^rd grade

LESSON ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are different forms of water pollution and how can it affect us?

RATIONALE AND CONTEXT: After learning about the water cycle in the last lesson, I wanted to now move into learning about pollution. With our background information we learned about water, we can start to see the different effects water pollution would have on our lives and different ecosystems. This lesson is important because it has my students start off with learning the basics about water pollution and different forms that might be, and their effects.

TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: For creating my lesson, I had to have basic knowledge about different forms of water pollution and the different effects water pollution can have on our lives. I am able to help my students form a list including, surface runoff, untreated sewage, oil spillage, suspended matter (litter), microbiological (unclean drinking water) and ground water pollution, with each of these, I will help form a list with my students coming up with different ways those would affect our daily life. Some are unclean drinking water, diseases, disrupted ecosystems and food chains, etc. Also when my students observe their terrariums, I will be able to give them feedback on what they are observing and help them understand the importance better.

DESIRED RESULTS:

Common Core/Vermont Standard GE(s)/National Arts Standards:

1. Students conduct research by… Referring to and following a plan for an inquiry, locating relevant materials such as print, electronic, and human resources. Describing evidence and recording observations using notecards, journals, or databases (e.g., taking notes while interviewing the principal).

2. Students make connections to research by… Explaining the relevance of their findings to the research question, proposing solutions to problems and asking other questions. Identifying what was easy or difficult about following the research plan

Learning Objective(s): I want my students to learn about different forms of water pollution and be able to understand why it’s important to know and understand how each of them can affect our lives. With also completing their terrariums, they will be able to relate the current topic, to the water cycle and how it can affect our ecosystem. With all of the activities in this lesson, they will be able to observe their terrariums and gain more knowledge about how the water cycle works; with this knowledge, they will be able to better understand the effects of water pollution, which is the goal for this lesson and unit.

Focusing Question(s): What is water pollution and how does it affect our lives and also the ecosystem. Along with this question, I will also be asking questions about their terrariums, such as, what did you observe in your terrariums?

Language Objectives: Concepts my students will be able to understand at the end of this lesson are, types of water pollution, which include surface runoff, untreated sewage, oil spillage, suspended matter (litter), microbiological (unclean drinking water) and ground water pollution. They will also learn effects of water pollution, such as death of aquatic animals, disruption in food-chains, diseases, unclean water for drinking and destruction of ecosystems.

ASSESSMENT:                   

Strategies:  The students will participate in creating lists to demonstrate their thoughts about the topic at hand, they will also create hanging terrariums to use as an example of the water cycle and be able to observe how water pollution can affect the ecosystem they have created. They will be taking several notes and logging any changes and differences they will witness.

Process: I will mostly be looking for participation in my lesson, to see if my students are listening and participating enough to be able to understand and grasp the lesson topic. I will also see by their notes of the observation of the terrariums, to see if they are thinking enough about what is happening in their terrariums.

Criteria: For the criteria, I will be checking my student’s notes on observing their terrariums as a reference to see that they are understanding the assessment and following the standards I have set for them. They will also be challenged to create different lists of what different types of water pollution there are and their different effects. I will also expect them to be able to reflect on their findings.

Reflection to Students: I will see how well my students are learning the topic, by how well they participate in creating the two lists we will be forming, also how well they reflect on the adding to their drawings, I want my students to really understand how water pollution can affect their lives. Also at the end of the lesson, I will be asking my students to bring in a form of water pollution, I will see how well they have participated by bringing something in to class the next day.

LEARNING PLAN:

Hook and Introduction:  Since we haven’t started to learn about water pollution yet, I think it will be interesting to jump into after learning about the way water works. One of the first things we would do to start this lesson is to make our terrariums, this will give the students a fun and interactive way to start.

Instruction:

1. First we will start this lesson off with creating our terrariums, by doing this each student will be given a gallon plastic bag, dirt, moss, and a seed. They will be filling their bags with each of these materials. They will next write their name on the bag and spray the inside of the bag with water before sealing it. After we will be hanging them up in front of the window to watch and observe the seed growing.

2. Next we will create a list as a class of different forms of water pollution

3. After we will next create another list, listing the different effects of each of these different forms of pollution.

4. From these lists, the students will be asked to find their drawing of their favorite body of water off the wall, and add pollution to this picture.

5. After doing this, they will be asked to reflect on how the picture makes them feel, we will share these ideas and thoughts with the class. I will guide them in this group discussion to help them realize how important it is to not pollute the waters, and the different effects it can cause on OUR lives.

6. To wrap up the lesson, I will be reading the book, Tracking Trash to the class. This book is about how a man is interested in finding out how the ocean tides carry different trash.

7. From the book I will ask my students to bring in any form of water pollution to the next class.

Closure and Connections: They will demonstrate their knowledge by how well they participated, also by our group discussion I will get an idea of how well they are understand the effects of water pollution, on their daily lives and the ecosystem. By the end of this lesson, I hope they will be able to answer the essential question by learning different forms of water pollution.

Extensions: My students will extend their learning by bringing in forms of pollution to the next class, by doing this it will help them remember and think about different forms of water pollution.

ACCOMMODATIONS: The first way my students can demonstrate what they are learning is from making their terrariums and understanding them and their importance by observing them and taking notes on what they are witnessing. This will give my students a chance to explore the water cycle and its importance in a different way, by actually watching it happen and watching how it effects the ecosystem they have created. I will be challenging my students by having them then reflect on what they saw to have them fully understand the importance that our ecosystems still clean. Along with creating lists of different forms of water pollution, I am asking them to bring in an example to the next class, this will help them think about eat different forms are.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS: The materials for the lesson will include, the book we will be reading, which are Tracking Trash, a notepad (large), markers, drawing materials, and different forms of pollution for examples (plastic water bottles, plastic toys, rope, water jugs, etc.) They will also be creating terrariums, so gallon plastic bags, dirt, moss, seeds, and spray bottles filled with water.