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Standard - 3.4.4.C2
Define a problem. Generate ideas. Select a solution and test it. Make the item. Evaluate the item. Communicate
the solution with others. Present the results
Learning Targets/Objectives:
Students will discover how water is polluted and filtered by completing an inquiry
experiment.
Students will be perform the engineering design process by defining a problem,
brainstorming, testing a solution, and sharing their results with their peers.
none
Subject Matter/Content:
Not all damage to the environment can be reversed
Prerequisites:
An ecosystem is all living and non-living things interacting together
Most ecosystems have stability
o Ecosystems usually have stability or balance
o Over long periods of time, changes in climate, populations, and erosion can
cause big changes in the ecosystems
Succession- one community is replaced by another until a stable
community occupies the area.
succession is an orderly change that happens slowly over time.
o Ecosystems can also change quickly
One event can cause a huge change in an ecosystem
Example: Storms tournedos, earthquakes, fires
o People can cause changes in ecosystems as well
o People effect the earths ecosystem more than any other species
Example: Destroying the environment
o People can repair the ecosystem
Reclamation- repairing some of the damages to the ecosystem
Not always possible
Key Vocabulary:
Filter- to remove (something unwanted) by using a filter
Content/Facts:
People can cause changes in ecosystems as well
People effect the earth’s ecosystem more than any other species
o Example: Destroying the environment
People can repair the ecosystem
o Not always possible
Water is polluted by
o Soil from farms
o Sand/ dust from construction
o Fertilizer makes algae grow (green food coloring)
o Trash
o Oil- Oil or syrup
Stem Design
o Define a problem
o Identify what is needed
o Brain storm what is needed
o Make and test the best solution
o Evaluate results
o Share results
o Repeat
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
Group students
Have students collect the materials for the group
o Warn students that if do not follow directions, they will have to
watch and can’t participate
Hand out guided notes
Today we will be talking about pollution
Have student record each pollutant as the teacher introduces them.
Pick up the soil
o Explain that soil can come from farms when they are planting their
crops. When it rains, loose soil will wash into the stream
o Have students dump soil into the water.
Pick up the sand
o Explain that when there is construction work, there is a lot of extra
dust and soil that is loose and will wash into the water
o Have students dump the sand into the water
Pick up the fertilizer
o Ask students what fertilizer is and what it does?
It has nutrients that help plants grow
o Where is it used?
Laws, gardens, golf courses
o Explain that fertilizer help algae grow
o Ask if students know what algae is
What color is it?
Algae is actually a plant that lives in the water it is usually
green. It looks like this
Show pictures of algae
Just like plants, fertilizer can make algae grow, some algae is
good but too much algae can actually hurt the animals like
fish that live in the water.
o Have students dump green water into the water
Pick up the oil
o How do you think oil can get into our water?
From oil spills, cars leaking etc.
o Have students dump oil into the water
Trash
o How can trash get into the water?
o Pour paper into the water
Development/Teaching Approaches
Look at your water, remember this is what polluted streams, rivers, pond,
and lakes all look like
What is the problem here, why should we care if our water is all dirty?
o I want you to write the problem on your worksheet
“Polluted water is a problem because……”
o Ask students to share their problem
Observe the water and draw what you see in the next space.
Can we find a way to clean the water?
o What is another word for cleaning water
Filtering water, filter; means to get all of the dirt and extra
stuff out of the water
I gave you a bunch of tools, I want you brainstorm way that you can clean
your water using one or more of those tools
o Take this time to brainstorm with your group write down/ draw what
you will use and what pollutant you think it will help you remove
o Have a teacher check your design before you try to clean the water
Now try to clean the water using the ideas that you came up with.
As the students are doing the experiment, have them try to look back at
their design and see if they can revise it to get more pollutants out of the
water
Warn students that there is about 5 mins left so they should be wrapping up.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
Teacher cue to get students attention and stop their experiment
Ask the students to share the process of how they filtered their water.
Give students a minute to reflect on how clean their water is
o Would you drink that?
o What do you think is an important take away from this experiment?
Humans can have a negative effect on the environment. We
can do things to fix the damage, but sometimes we cannot fix
it completely.
Is there a perfect design?
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Follow all IEPs
Translate sheet into Spanish
Materials/Resources:
Inquiry Sheets
Sand
Gravel
Water
2 liter bottles
Bowls
Cup
Cup with holes in the bottom
Soil
Water with green food coloring
Trash (paper)
Syrup
rubber bands
Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels
Additional reflection/thoughts