Lesson Title:

Name:

Who Polluted the Nanaimo River?

Christine Dalman

Lesson #
Subject:

Date:

Language Arts/Social Studies

Nov.14/2016
Grade(s):

5/6

Time: 45 mins
Rationale: (lesson context and reasons why lesson matters)
Students will be able to see visually the impact they have on a natural resource. The will be able to analyze the cause and
effect of pollutions as I read them an interactive story.
Curriculum Connections: (which can be: big ideas / learning standards /curricular competencies/core competencies)
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

*Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others, and to the world.
* Natural resources continue to shape the economy and identify of different regions of Canada.
*Personal choices and social environmental factors influence our health and well-being.
*Engaging in creative expression and experience expands peoples sense of identity and (belonging) community.

Learning Intentions- (learner friendly language such as: I can ..)

*I can learn from storytelling, and make connections to real world problems.
* I can identify objects, and services that contribute to community waste issues.
*I can recognize the impact I have on my community, and worlds water source.
*I can recount simple experiences and tell something I learned.
Prerequisite Concepts and Skill :( for student success)
*Students able to follow along during storytelling.
*Students able to understand terminology relating to Natural resource such as water
*Students can already make connections from storytelling to their own self.

Materials and Resources with References/Sources:

Teacher

Students

*Who Polluted the Nanaimo Rive Story

*1 Clear container filled with water
*6 Canisters per table
*Canister Labels
*Canister Ingredients:
Dry- Leaves, Soil, Fishing line or dental floss, Baking Soda,
Litter
Wet- water, coffee granules, dish soap, food colouring,
toilet paper, vinegar
-Poster Paper (for Classroom River)

*Paper
*Pencil

Differentiated Instruction (DI): (accommodations)

-Students may only have one person coming up to the container filled with water, this would depend on classroom behavior.
-Students may answer all questions individual instead of group if any student has issues working in a group style setting Ex. disrupt
behavior.
-Classroom noise level: If classroom noise level becomes a problem, students will answer question on their own.
-Students will answer one question as a group to use collaboration skills, and come to an agreement (consensus) about what
answer is the best choice. OR The class as a whole may raise their hands to answer each question as a whole group. (Best
option for this class is to have students in their groups to come up with the best answer and have one person from each
group share their answer when called upon)
Assessment and Evaluation: (formative and summative possibilities related to curricular connections)
-Pre learning activity before we start the lesson. Brainstorm up on the board- What do we know about pollution already?
-Formative use of assessment will be made with classroom discussion activity towards the end of the lesson.
-Complete river chart with the classes answers up on it.
-During the lesson a whip around will be used to check for understanding and connections during the storytelling,
-Questions to think about while reading the story will be up on the board and I will say them out loud.
Organizational/Management Strategies: (anything special to consider?)
-Groups are already set up in the classroom. (This saves time)
-All materials are prepared before class. (Canisters have lids on them to prevent spill)
-Materials are in a tray, or bin.
-One person from each group will come to table to grab tray to avoid students touching things in the tray before they are given
instruction.
-Groups will be given paper to write their answer to their question -It will go directly onto our river.
Possible Aboriginal Connections / First Peoples Principles of Learning
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/principles_of_learning.pdf and
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/aboriginal_education_bc.pdf
Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.- This is done through story telling.
Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.- This is
supported through this lesson plan. Students are reflecting on their impact they have on one of their communitys natural
resources.(water)
Lesson Activities:

Teacher Activities

Student Activities

pacing

Introduction (hook/motivation/lesson overview)

Prediction/Hook: Container filled with water is at the front
of the classroom, which will draw students attention. It
will begin their thought process of: I wonder, I think, I
know.
A short discussion will be started. I will ask students what
they already know about water. What do they already
know about pollution. Using a KWL chart, then put the
questions in the wonders chart, adding news ones, put
what they learned in after. Gives an opportunity to go
back to the learning intentions at the end and compare.
A quick brainstorm on the board will start off the lesson
to use prior knowledge to make connection to our lesson
today.

Students will have questions. I will give students the

opportunity to have their questions answered after
looking at the big container of water.
Students will participate in a short discussion.
Students will share what they already know about
pollution, and water as one of our natural resources.
Students will participate in a classroom brainstorm
that will go up on the board. Students will be able to
use prior knowledge, and be able to make
connections to other experiences and learning.

5-8
Mins

Guiding Question(s):
How do we contribute to water pollution in and around
our community?

Students will be able to see these questions up on

the board. As well as I will read them out loud.
Students will have an opportunity to ask about the
questions we are going to work towards answering.

5 Mins

How can we make a positive impact in reducing

(Commitment)(Co-operation) pollutions?
What can we change in our daily activities to make a
difference in our world? (Compassion)

Learning Intention:
I will pre write them on a poster or paper that I can
easily hang on the board. This will avoid wasting
time.

Students will be able to see what they will be able to

say about their learning at the end of the lesson.
Students can see the purpose of the lesson before
we start it.

*I can learn from storytelling, and make connections to

real world problems.
* I can identify objects, and services that contribute to
community waste issues.
*I can recognize the impact I have on my community,
and worlds water source.
*I can recount simple experiences and tell something I
learned.

Script:
In order for this activity to work we will need to
have our thinking caps on and our listening ears.
As I read this story called Who Polluted the
Nanaimo River, you will hear your groups name.
Some groups will have two different names.
Please listen carefully so we dont miss any
groups. ONLY when you hear your groups name
will you come up and pour your pollutant into our
Clean Fresh Water, our natural resource.
Body (lesson flow/ management):
Students will participate in an interactive storytelling.
-During the storytelling I will pause in chunks and give
some questions for students to think about. I will also
post them on the board for visual learners.
-I will ask students to raise put their thumbs up or down
for yes or no questions.
Each group will be assigned a pollutant (canister) that
will contribute to our clean water resource.
-Some groups will have to have two different pollutants to
break them pollutants up.
-Students will have to listen for their canister group to be
called.
At the end of the lesson students in each group will be
assigned a discussion questions.
Discussion Questions are:
1.Who polluted the Nanaimo river?
2.What are some things that contributed to pollution to
the river?
3.Could something be done to prevent those types of
materials in our canisters from entering the water? How?
4.How can we get pollutants out of the river?

Students will be listening to instruction about the

activity we will be doing today. Students may have
questions, which can be addressed at this time.

15-20
Mins

Students will participate in an interactive storytelling.

Students will think about some questions asked
during the story. Students will be able to see the
questions on the board as well as hear them. When
asked yes or no questions students will be able to
answer with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Students will bring up their pollutant when called on
in the story. Some groups will have two pollutants to
bring up. Students will have to listen carefully for
their pollutant group to be called.

Students will be given a question for each group. As

a group they will come up with some answers.
Students will choose what they think is the best
answer.
One student from each group will share what their
answer is for their question and will bring it up to put
on our classroom river.

58
Mins

5.Do you think it is easier to prevent pollution, or to clean

it up later?
6.What could each of us do to help improve the health of
our river by preventing some of this pollution?
In the groups students will discuss possible answers to
each question. There answer will be put onto a piece of
construction paper handed out.

Students will listen to each groups answers

respectfully.

One person from each group will share out loud the
answer, that will be then glued/taped on our class river
poster.

Closure (connections within lesson or between

lessons, sharing successes, summaries)
*Classroom recap. As a class we will go over our river
that we made with the different answers we have from
our questions.
*Using our community of Learners: (Communication,
Compassion, Co-operation, Commitment).
Ask students to go home and think about one
Commitment they could make to change in their daily
lives that would help improve pollution to our water in
our community.
(Students will be given a piece of paper where they
can write down their commitment that will be added to
our river.)
*Next activity is our Butter tubs/Field Research.
This will allow for student initiative, and be able to
be out in the community and making a difference.
Students will do a garbage clean up when on the
field research.*

5 Mins

Students will have an opportunity to ask questions

and share their ideas. Using our community learners,
students will be asked to think about one
commitment that they could do to improve our water
in our community when they go home today.
Students will have a piece of paper that they will put
their commitment on. Students will be able to see
their commitment that they made in improving our
communitys pollution towards water up on our
commitment poster/board.

*Remind Students to be prepared for our Field

Research day, where they will get to go on a trip to
Butter tubs.

Reflections: (over)
Things to think about at the end of the lesson are:
-Where students able to make those real world problem connections to the lesson?
-Was the lesson engaging?
-Do students believe they can make a difference?
-Did flow easily?
-What could have been done better?