KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Ms. Emily Palermo

Date:

Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Varano

Coop. Initials

Group Size:

1 hour Grade Level 2nd grade

5 groups

Subject or Topic:

Allotted Time

Oil Spill

Section

Water Pollution

STANDARD:
S.K-2.B.3.2.1: Identify natural events (e.g., fire, flood, extreme weather) and human
actions (e.g., road construction, pollution, urban development, dam building) that can
impact an ecosystem.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
The second grade students will investigate the effects of an oil spill by cleaning up a
simulated oil spill.
II. Instructional Materials
In advanced, make black oil by adding 8 teaspoons of powdered black tempera paint to
a gallon jug half full of vegetable oil. With the lid tightly in place, shake the jug to mix
the powder with the vegetable oil. This will make enough oil for 8 teams.
Newspaper
Disposable aluminum pie pans (3 per team)
Rocks no bigger than a deck of cards (3 per team)
Plastic aquarium plants (3 per team)
Pipe cleaners
Water
3 cups for collecting removed oil for measuring
Zipper baggies filled with (1 per team):
Spoon
Fork
Yarn
10 cm strip of nylon stocking
Disposable pipettes
Cotton ball
Coffee filter
5-cm-wide strip of paper towel

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Fine motor skills
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Pollution- the introduction of contaminants into the natural
environment that causes adverse change.
2. Oil- a viscous liquid from petroleum, especially for use as a fuel or
lubricant.
C. Big Idea
1. The students will explore the effects of oil spills on plants, animals,
and the environment and investigate clean up methods.
D. Content
1. Oil spills have a negative effect on both the environment and the
wild life that lives in the area contaminated.

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. To introduce this lesson, the teacher will read a book, Oil Spill! by
Melvin Berger, to the class to get them motivated for the lesson.
2. The teacher will have the students jot down the methods and
materials used by oil spill cleanup crew.
a. What methods and materials were described in the book?
b. Which method do you think works the best? Why?
c. Are there any disadvantages to any of these methods?
B. Development
1. The teacher and students will use their acquired knowledge from the
book to preform the oil spill cleanup inquiry.
2. The teacher will divide the class into four-person teams and
everyone will get a copy of the Oil Spill Cleanup Checkpoint Lab.
(See attached)
3. The teacher will explain exactly what to do at each check points in
the lab worksheets.
4. Each member of the group is responsible for recording data and
writing responses.
5. Before the students can move forward in the lab the teacher will
evaluate each groups understanding of the lab by asking them
questions and looking over their written responses using a checklist.
6. After the inquiry, the teacher will show the class a chart that
represents the oil spills and that have occurred from the year 2000-

present. The students will get a copy of this chart after they have
completed the inquiry.

C. Closure
1. To close the students will complete an animal rescue worksheet. (See
attached)
2. The students will imagine that they are an animal rescuer. Than they
will draw a picture to illustrate what they would do as an animal
rescuer and write a caption for the picture.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. Guided notes and detailed instructions will be provided to all
students.
2. Sarah, a second girl will ADD, will have the option of working in a
small group to keep her on track with the lesson and it will help her
with issues such as attention and clarification.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
a. The teacher will float around the classroom while the
students are working on the lab to make sure they are
on task by checking off topics on the teachers
checklist.
b. The teacher will be able to answer any questions the
students may have.
c. The data sheets and lab check points will be collected at
the end of the inquiry.
2. Summative
1. The students will be assessed with a unit test at the end of the
unit.
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective

answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
How could this lesson be improved?

After the lesson, did the students comprehend the material presented to
them?
VI. Resources (in APA format)

Ansberry,K.R.A&Morgan,E.M.(2005).PicturePerfectScienceLessons
UsingChildren'sBookstoGuideInquiry.Virginia:David
Beacom.
Berger,M.B.(1994).OilSpill!(LetsReadandFindOutScience).
HarperCollins.

Second Grade Science Inquiry Rubric

Name:________________________

With minimal support, can

use tools presented to them
for the inquiry.

With prompting and

guidance, can use tools
presented to them for the
inquiry.
With prompting and
guidance, uses data to
construct reasonable
explanation learn what
constitutes evidence and
reflect the evidence they
have obtained.
With prompting and
guidance, uses tools to
gather data and use the data
to construct reasonable
explanations
With prompting and
guidance, can communicate
orally, through writing or
through drawings.

Is engaged, skill/concept is
emerging, or skill has not
developed yet.

With minimal support, uses

data to construct reasonable
explanation learn what
constitutes evidence and
reflect the evidence they
have obtained.
With minimal support, uses
tools to gather data and use
the data to construct
reasonable explanations
Can communicate orally,
through writing or through
drawings

Total __________

Is engaged, skill/concept is
emerging, or skill has not
developed yet.

Is engaged, skill/concept is
emerging, or skill has not
developed yet.
Is engaged, skill/concept is
emerging, or skill has not
developed yet.

Oil Spills
2000-Present
Date
Nov. 28, 2000

Cause
Ran aground

Dec. 7, 2004

Ran aground

Dec. 25, 2008

Collision

April 20, 2010

explosion

Source
Tanker
Westchester
M/V
Selendang Ayu
(tanker)
Unnamed
barge
Drilling
rig/Deepwater
Horizon

Location
Port Sulphur,
La
New Orleans,
La

Spill Volume
567,000
gallons
337,000
gallons

New Orleans,
419,00 gallons
La
Gulf of Mexico Estimated
200,000
gallons per
day