Science

Lesson Plan Human Impact/Water Pollution (3)

Teacher: Audrey Allen
Lesson Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Subject: Science
Themes: Human Impact on the Environment, Conservation and protection of the environment as a
social responsibility
Age: 3rd Grade
Time: 60 Minutes

SAS:
Agenda:

Unit Science Standard:
1. Hook: Final observation of pollution in a jar
4.5.4.C Describe how human activities affect the
Mason Jars
environment.
2. I do: Whole Group Instruction - Water
pollution, its sources and how humans affect
Specific Lesson Science Standard:
the environment
4.5.3.C Identify different types of pollution and their sources 3. Inquiry/Experiment Reversing Water

pollution
4. We do: Guided Practice Co-created Pollution
Essential Questions:
Anchor Chart
Overarching Question:
5. You do: Evaluation of understanding and
How do human activities affect the environment?
assessment
6. Closing Brief summary of learning so far, and
Lesson Specific Essential Question:
looking ahead
What is water pollution and how is it produced?


Resources/Instructional Materials Needed:
1. Pollution in a jar Mason Jars from Mondays lesson (7
scholar jars, 1 teacher model jar)
2. Science Notebooks (26)
3. Scientific Observation Journals for pollution in a jar
Mason Jar experiment (26)
4. Observation anchor charts from each lab group (7)
5. Empty Mason Jars used in lesson 2 (7 for scholars, 1
for teacher model)
6. Coffee filters (32/28 for lab groups, 4 for teacher
model)
7. Trash bag to dispose of waste (7 for scholars, 1 for
teacher model)
8. Science Notebook Inserts (26 of each) See Supporting
Materials
9. Pollution PowerPoint (Water Pollution slides)
10. Co-Created Pollution Anchor Chart (1)
11. Blank paper cut into fourths for lab group
illustrations of water pollution (7)
12. Exit ticket (26)
Lesson Learning Target:
I can identify water pollution and its sources and describe how human activities affect the environment.

Goals:
Scholars will understand the key term water pollution and identify sources of water pollution. Additionally,
scholars will use the understanding gained in mini lesson and exploration activity to describe how human
activities can affect the environment.


TIME

7 min

8 min

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE

ASSESSMENT

Engage:
In lesson 1 we added water to the land pollution we collected from our
schoolyard and playground. By doing this, we created water pollution!

Today we are going to observe what happened to the water after the
materials from our environment polluted it.
Note: at this time trash should have deteriorated, causing the water to
yellow (according to observations recorded in teacher test run)

Table captains will get pollution in a jar Mason Jars from windowsill and
return them to lab group for observation. Each lab group will observe
what happened to the water that was mixed with the land pollution,
adding observations to the Scientific Observation Journal from Monday.
Lab groups will add their observations to their Scientific Observation
Anchor Chart started on Monday.

Because we created this water pollution it is our responsibility to fix it.
Just like humans can affect the environment by polluting it, we can also
affect the environment in a positive way by cleaning it up!

Explain - I do: Whole Group Instruction Explicit instruction on
Water Pollution and its sources and how humans affect the
environment.

Before we can reverse the water pollution we created, we need to better
understand what water pollution is.

Distribute guided notes for direct instruction (insert 1).
Remind scholars of the definition of Pollution we learned in lesson 1
and introduce scholars to Water Pollution.

Remember, pollution is any harmful material in the environment (Bell,
M., et. al., 2009, p. 339)

Just like our last two lessons, follow the PowerPoint, using your guided
notes to record the information you learn about water pollution.

The land and air pollution we have learned about this week can also
affect the water in our environment. Rain can carry the harmful
materials in the land and the air into the water in our environment
causing the water to become polluted. This is what we simulated or
created when we added clean water to our land pollution on Monday.

Water pollution occurs when harmful materials enter into the water in
our environment.

In addition to rain carrying air and land pollution into the water, oil,

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are actively
listening to others.
Scholars are recording
their final observations of
pollution in a jar and are
actively engaged in their
lab groups discussion.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are following
along in their guided
notes.
Are scholars participating
in Think Pair - Share?














25 min

trash, and other harmful materials are being dumped into our water can
also cause water pollution. (Bell, M., et. al., 2009, p. 346)

Think Pair Share:
What are some examples of water pollution you have seen in your
neighborhood or community?

Possible responses:
The pollution we created in our Mason Jars.
Trash in the Schuylkill river.
Oil in puddles at the gas station.

Exactly! The sources (trash, oil, etc.) of water pollution you just shared
are all great examples of water pollution in our environment. By putting
these sources of pollution into water human activities can affect the
environment by harming our water.

However, just like our right to clean land and air, we also have the right
to clean water and we can help limit the water pollution in our
environment.

Explore - Inquiry/Experiment Reversing water pollution

Today we are going to perform an experiment using our pollution in a
jar materials from Monday, empty Mason Jars, and coffee filters.

While it is difficult to clean water pollution, filtering the harmful
materials like trash and other types of waste and treating the water can
reverse some water pollution.

Today our experiment will help see how we can reverse water pollution
by filtering harmful waste out.

Distribute (1) empty Mason Jar, 4 coffee filters to each lab group, a trash
bag, and 4 copies of the Scientific Observation Journal: Reversing Water
Pollution (insert 2) to each lab group.

Experiment steps:
Step 1: Place 1 coffee filter at the mouth of the empty Mason Jar. Have 1
person from your lab group hold the coffee filter in place and another
person in the group hold the empty Mason Jar still. Teacher will model
with lab group 1 at the front of the room.

Step 2: Have a third member of the lab group remove the lid from the
pollution in a jar Mason Jar and slowly pour the contents through the
coffee filter into the empty Mason Jar. Teacher will model and assist any
lab groups that struggle.

Step 3: Study the water after going through the first filter. Respond to
the questions listed on the Scientific Observation Journal: Reversing

Informal Assessment:
Are scholars following
directions throughout the
experiment?
Are scholars actively
engaged in the activity and
supporting their lab group
throughout the activity?

Water Pollution (insert 2). Teacher will think aloud and model recording
observations for filter 1.

Step 4: After recording their observations, scholar will place the second
coffee filter at the mouth of the now empty pollution in a jar Mason Jar.
Have 1 person from your lab group hold the coffee filter in place and
another person in the group hold the empty Mason Jar still. Teacher will
model again using lab group 7s materials.

Step 5: Have a third member of the lab group slowly pour the contents in
the full jar through the coffee filter into the empty Mason Jar. Teacher
will model and assist any lab groups that struggle.

Step 6: Study the water after going through the second coffee filter.
Respond to the question listed on the Scientific Observation Journal:
Reversing Water Pollution (insert 2) using observations from the second
filter.

Step 7: Repeat steps 1 6 using the next two filters.

After passing through 4 coffee filter the water will be rid of any waste
and be relatively clear, demonstrating how waste and harmful materials
can be removed from water to reverse water pollution.

Elaborate - Small Group Practice - We do: Co-Create Pollution
Anchor Chart (complete throughout unit)

You all did an incredible job removing the harmful materials and trash
from the water, reversing the water pollution we created.

10 min

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are actively
engage in lab group
conversation.
Are scholars contributing
to the illustration with
ideas and artwork?

Today we are going to use what we learned about water pollution in our
mini lesson and experiment to finish the pollution anchor chart we
started on Monday!

Just as we have done all week, your will work with your lab groups to
create your own definition of water pollution and come up with one
source of water pollution. This can either be a source that we removed
from the water in our pollution in a jar experiment today, or a source we
discussed in our mini lesson. When you have chosen your source of
pollution, draw a picture to represent it on our anchor chart.

Comprehension check: We are going to go around the room to share out
our collaborative definitions of water pollution and the picture we
created to represent water pollution on the pollution anchor chart (look
for: harmful materials such as trash and oil) As scholars share, place
illustrations representing air pollution sources next to sources of water
pollution on the anchor chart.

Wow! Look at how incredible our poster looks with all three types of
pollution represented with pictures that will help us remember each
4


5 min.

5 min

type of pollution we have learned about this week and their sources.

Like we said in our mini lesson, land and air pollution created by people
can also cause water pollution in our environment.

Think Pair Share: After looking at our poster, how do you think air,
land, and water pollution are related?

Possible responses:
They are all created by human activities.
Land and air pollution can create water pollution.
They are all made of harmful materials.

Absolutely!
Evaluate - You do: Individual Understanding and Assessment

You all have done a fantastic job learning about three different types of
pollution and how humans affect our environment.

In order to show what you know you will each respond to todays exit
ticket independently.

Exit Ticket:
Answer each question in a complete sentence.
Describe in your own words what water pollution is.
List at least two sources of water pollution you discovered in todays
experiment. ________________________________________________________________ .
According to our lessons, class discussions, and experiments, how are
land, air, and water pollution related?

Closing:
For the past three days we have learned about the air, land, and water
pollution and their sources. We have also discussed how human
activities can affect the environment.

Tomorrow we will learn ways we can help the environment.

Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching/Accommodations:
Instructional Modifications:
Provide sentence starters throughout the lesson
Pair below grade level readers and ELLs with strong readers in
lab groups.
Repeat directions and expectations for those that require
clarification or need to hear them more than once.
Allow scholars to respond to exit ticket questions with drawings.
Scholars will be permitted to dictate their responses for the exit
ticket.
Provide photographic representations of key terms.

Formal Assessment:
Scholars will respond to
the exit ticket provided.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are following
directions for supply clean
up.
Scholars are recording
observations for pollution
in a jar experiment.

Sources:
Bell, M., DiSpezio, M., Frank, M., Krockover, G., McLeod, J., Brink, B., Valenta, C., & Van Deman, B., (2009).
HSP Pennsylvania science. N. A. Bryant, Jr., T. Howard, R. M. Jones, M. P. Lang, & J. D. Valdez (Eds.).
Orlando, FL: Harcourt School Publishers.
Experiment adapted from:
N Van Zyl. (2014, October 5). Our week: Pollution theme 2 [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.teachme-mommy.com/2014/10/our-week-pollution-theme-2.html











































6

Supporting Materials
Insert 1:

Guided Notes: Water Pollution

The land and air pollution we have learned about this week can also ________________ the ____________
in our environment. ________________ can carry the harmful materials in the land and the air into the water
in our environment ____________________ the water to become polluted.

Water pollution occurs when _________________ __________________ enter into the water in our
__________________.

In addition to rain carrying air and land pollution into the water, _______________ , _____________ , and other
harmful materials being dumped into our water can also cause water pollution.


Draw a picture that represents water pollution in our environment or community:


































7


Insert 2:

Scientific Observation Journal: Reversing Water Pollution

After pouring the water through each filter, record your observations in the following boxes.

Observations

Questions to consider:
What happened to the trash after it went through the filter?
What happened to the water after it went through the filter?
Compare and contrast the water after going through 1, 2, 3, and 4 filters to the pollution in a jar water
from our experiment on Monday.

Use the following sentence starters to help you record your observations:
After passing through the filter the trash ________________________________________________________________________.
After passing through the filter the water _______________________________________________________________________.
The water looks ____________________ than the water from the pollution in a jar water because
______________________________________________.

Filter 1
Filter 2
Filter 3
Filter 4


Materials from previous lesson:

Pollution in a jar Land

pollution

Pollution in a jar Land

pollution + clean water

Pollution in a jar Water

Pollution

Scientific Observation Journal:

How does trash affect the environment?

Describe the trash (What is
Use your observations to
inside the Mason Jar/What does describe what would happen to
it look like?).
the trash if it were left on the

schoolyard?
The trash inside the Mason Jar

looks like
I predict that the trash
______________________________________ would_______________________________
______________________________________ _________________________________ if it
___________________________________.
were left on the schoolyard.

Describe the trash (What is
Predict what will happen to the
inside the Mason Jar/What does water now that it is mixed with
it look like with the water
the land pollution.
added?).


I believe the water will
The trash inside the Mason Jar
______________________________________
looks like
______________________________________
______________________________________ ___________________________________ .
______________________________________
___________________________________
now that there is water in the jar.



Record your observations: What Revisit your predictions from
has happened to the water that
Monday, did your predictions
we added to our land pollution? occur? Explain.


The water is
My predictions
______________________________________ ______________________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________
_______ .
___________________________________ .