Water Pollution
Lesson Title - Water Pollution...Current Issues
Lesson Overview - Students discover and reflect on the provided content and through investigation and analysis write a Blog on the reasons for the oil spills, effects on marine life and consequent effects on Humans (ecological imbalance).
Curriculum Subjects - Science, Math , Geography and Language Arts.
Estimated Duration - 4 days
Grade level - 5th grade
Curriculum goals
Idaho State Standards for 5th grade
Science
Lesson Objectives
ISTE standards for students
Pre-requisite skills/ Key concepts:
Students should be able to
Lesson Procedure:
Part 1: Motivational/Preparatory Activity
Activity I - What is pollution?
Share ideas about examples of pollution. Then try to come up with a definition. Help them see that pollution is making something dirty or unsafe for life. Lead into thinking about water pollution. Talk about our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. What have they heard or read about pollution in these water bodies? Do they ever think about whether or not the water they swim in is safe? Have they ever been concerned about the fish we eat being poisoned and harmed from living in polluted water?
Suggested resources for understanding: Pollution- Wikipedia, Water Pollution,
Students could then be shown the following image and document from the past to determine whether water pollution and sanitation laws have improved from then to now.
Lesson Overview - Students discover and reflect on the provided content and through investigation and analysis write a Blog on the reasons for the oil spills, effects on marine life and consequent effects on Humans (ecological imbalance).
Curriculum Subjects - Science, Math , Geography and Language Arts.
Estimated Duration - 4 days
Grade level - 5th grade
Curriculum goals
Idaho State Standards for 5th grade
Science
- Standard 5 – Personal and social perspectives
- Goal 5.3: Understand the importance of natural resources and the need to manage and conserve them.
- Goal 5.1: Understand Common Environmental Quality Issues, Both Natural and Human Induced
- Standard 2
- Goal 2.1: Analyze the spatial organizations of people, places and environment on the earth’s surface
- Goal 2.2: Explain how human actions modify the physical environment and how physical systems affect human activity and living conditions
- Goal 2.1: Acquire Strategies and Skills for Comprehending Text.
- 5. LA.2.1.3 - Draw valid conclusions based on information gathered from text and cite evidence to support the conclusion.
Lesson Objectives
- Students discover and reflect on what is water pollution, current issues on water pollution such as oil spills, reasons for oil spills, effects on marine life and consequent effects on Humans (ecological imbalance). Students will create a short power point presentation using Google docs that presents their research and views on any one of the following What is an Oil spill? What are the causes? What are the environmental effects? Clean up and recovery, Prevention or Largest oil spills.
- Using Skype students will speak to an Expert( Environmental specialist) to learn more about current issues faced with regard to water pollution
- Students will understand visually the geographical location of countries facing water shortage, the devastating impact of Humans on our planets water bodies and the effects of recent Oil spills through Google Earth presentations.
- Students will review and analyze the given primary resources and choose three specific historical spills.They will post a blog Using Edmodo Comparing the similarities and differences in cause and effect of Oil spill, How some of these Oil spills are directly linked to World history, Personal views on how these events could have been prevented and Ecological imbalance caused by these Oil spills.
ISTE standards for students
- 1a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
- 1b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
- 1c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
- 2a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environment and media.
- 2b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
- 3b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
- 3c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
- 3d. process data and report results.
- 4c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
Pre-requisite skills/ Key concepts:
Students should be able to
- Perform basic computer tasks
- Navigate through the Internet and research on required information
Lesson Procedure:
Part 1: Motivational/Preparatory Activity
Activity I - What is pollution?
Share ideas about examples of pollution. Then try to come up with a definition. Help them see that pollution is making something dirty or unsafe for life. Lead into thinking about water pollution. Talk about our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. What have they heard or read about pollution in these water bodies? Do they ever think about whether or not the water they swim in is safe? Have they ever been concerned about the fish we eat being poisoned and harmed from living in polluted water?
Suggested resources for understanding: Pollution- Wikipedia, Water Pollution,
Students could then be shown the following image and document from the past to determine whether water pollution and sanitation laws have improved from then to now.
Water Pollution image 06/1974 – Image of untreated sewage in Manhattan flowing into the Hudson river
City life in early 1900s- Provides a brief insight into how initially homes didn’t have proper sewage systems or indoor plumbing and how later scientist brought in sanitation laws to improve the situation
Part 2: Informational activity The above GIZMO simulation would help students
Links for Tutorials and Steps for Using Skype in the Classroom
http://edtechteacher.org/skypetutorial.html
http://cnx.org/content/m32566/latest/
Part 3: Application Activity
Activity I - What are oil spills?
Provide the given resource Oil Spills- Wikipedia, Effects of oil spills (ITOPF) and NOAA Ocean Service Education
for students to read and analyze. This could be followed by a discussion where students are divided into groups and each group chooses one of the following topics under oil spills such as
Activity II - Using Google to better understand Water Pollution in general and essentially the recent Gulf Oil Spill.
Step 1- http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=176576 – Please view the following tutorial links for using Google Earth
Step 2- Teachers are required to open Google earth and download the latest version onto their computers. Once this is achieved students can be shown or use the following link Human Impacts to educate students on effects of human impact on the water bodies of our planet.
Step 3- Following this use the given resources found under http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/oilspill/ for students to explore the most recent and devastating Gulf of Mexico Oil spill.
Step 4 - Encourage students to discuss their opinions and views on information they have viewed and ask them what they would do differently to prevent such disasters as future leaders of our country.
Activity III - A closer look at the History of oil spills.
Step 1 - Using Edmodo to post Blogs.
Create an account in Edmodo using the following link Edmodo-getting started as a guideline. Once you have created an account and set up a group, invite students to sign up using the guideline above and join the group by providing the required code. Once this is established students can post blogs, view and provide feedback with regard to the same.
An Edmodo account has been set up for students to Blog on Step 2 of this activity. Students need to sign in and use the provided code to join the group-water conservation team. Once students have posted their Blog they are required to comment 2 other blogs and respond to any questions on their posts.
Group name: Water conservation team
Code: ycekvi
Step 2- Students are asked to review and analyze the given primary resources and choose three specific historical spills. They need to write a Blog in the account created in Edmodo
Primary resource links
Part 4: Closure Activity
Students will reflect on the Power point presentations and Blog Entries created during the lesson plan and summarize the various issues faced with regard to water pollution, its consequences and what needs to be done to in order to save our planet for future generations.
Technology Enhanced Accommodations
Students with Cognitive Difficulties
iThoughts- iThoughts is a mind mapping tool for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Mind-mapping enables you to 'see the big picture' - freeing you to concentrate on how your thoughts and ideas relate to each other.This would be very helpful for students who need to visualize information that they need, to create a power point presentation and to understand the overall topics on water pollution better which are required in the given lesson plan
Students with Physical Disabilities
HippoRemote Hippo Remote Pro (HRP) is an iPhone application that allows you to use your iPhone as a trackpad for your computer. It supports single hand function and would benefit students with physical disabilities. It is highly customizable and makes using a computer without using a keyboard extremely easy. With regard to my thematic students with related physical disabilities can use the computer to contribute and participate in the learning process.
Students with Sensory Disabilities
Eyeglasses
The Eye Glasses app is ideal for farsighted individuals, those with reading glasses or bifocals, senior citizens and anyone that just needs to see more clearly. Students who have visual difficulties will find this tool very beneficial in researching and utilizing the different web based resources for the thematic unit.
At Risk Students
Sentence Builder
Sentence Builder is designed to help elementary aged children learn how to build grammatically correct sentences. Explicit attention is paid to the connector words that make up over 80% of the English language. Sentence Builder offers a rich and fun environment for improving the grammar of all children. Students with difficulty in writing skills will benefit from this to write an effective Blog in Edmodo.
Gifted Students
Think Quest This site provides a platform to create projects that provide a flexible framework for engaging students in exploring curricular topics and developing important 21st century skills, such as communication, teamwork, and technology skills. The Think Quest International Competition challenges students to solve a real-world problem by applying their critical thinking, communication, and technology skills. It helps preparing students with real world skills that would help them succeed globally. This site could be used for gifted students to create a project involving innovative methods to conserve water or any topic of their choice related to current issues on water, water conservation or the properties of water.
Assessment
City life in early 1900s- Provides a brief insight into how initially homes didn’t have proper sewage systems or indoor plumbing and how later scientist brought in sanitation laws to improve the situation
Part 2: Informational activity The above GIZMO simulation would help students
- Understand how human ways can have an adverse effect on the environment
- Learn about the different kinds of water pollutants
- Learn how to prevent and reduce certain kinds of water pollution
- Understand real life examples of the same
- Using Skype to connect with expert
Links for Tutorials and Steps for Using Skype in the Classroom
http://edtechteacher.org/skypetutorial.html
http://cnx.org/content/m32566/latest/
Part 3: Application Activity
Activity I - What are oil spills?
Provide the given resource Oil Spills- Wikipedia, Effects of oil spills (ITOPF) and NOAA Ocean Service Education
for students to read and analyze. This could be followed by a discussion where students are divided into groups and each group chooses one of the following topics under oil spills such as
- What is an Oil spill?
- What are the causes?
- What are the environmental effects?
- Clean up and recovery
- Prevention
- Largest oil spills
Activity II - Using Google to better understand Water Pollution in general and essentially the recent Gulf Oil Spill.
Step 1- http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=176576 – Please view the following tutorial links for using Google Earth
Step 2- Teachers are required to open Google earth and download the latest version onto their computers. Once this is achieved students can be shown or use the following link Human Impacts to educate students on effects of human impact on the water bodies of our planet.
Step 3- Following this use the given resources found under http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/oilspill/ for students to explore the most recent and devastating Gulf of Mexico Oil spill.
Step 4 - Encourage students to discuss their opinions and views on information they have viewed and ask them what they would do differently to prevent such disasters as future leaders of our country.
Activity III - A closer look at the History of oil spills.
Step 1 - Using Edmodo to post Blogs.
Create an account in Edmodo using the following link Edmodo-getting started as a guideline. Once you have created an account and set up a group, invite students to sign up using the guideline above and join the group by providing the required code. Once this is established students can post blogs, view and provide feedback with regard to the same.
An Edmodo account has been set up for students to Blog on Step 2 of this activity. Students need to sign in and use the provided code to join the group-water conservation team. Once students have posted their Blog they are required to comment 2 other blogs and respond to any questions on their posts.
Group name: Water conservation team
Code: ycekvi
Step 2- Students are asked to review and analyze the given primary resources and choose three specific historical spills. They need to write a Blog in the account created in Edmodo
- Comparing the similarities and differences in cause and effect
- How some of these Oil spills are directly linked to World history
- Personal views on how these events could have been prevented
- Ecological imbalance caused by these Oil spills.
Primary resource links
- 10 famous Spills (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Oil spills throughout history (The Washington Post)
- The Gulf Oil Spill (The Washington Post)
- Gulf Oil Spill’s Animal Victims (The Washington Post)
- Oil spill from year 1910 still visible (CNN)
Part 4: Closure Activity
Students will reflect on the Power point presentations and Blog Entries created during the lesson plan and summarize the various issues faced with regard to water pollution, its consequences and what needs to be done to in order to save our planet for future generations.
Technology Enhanced Accommodations
Students with Cognitive Difficulties
iThoughts- iThoughts is a mind mapping tool for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Mind-mapping enables you to 'see the big picture' - freeing you to concentrate on how your thoughts and ideas relate to each other.This would be very helpful for students who need to visualize information that they need, to create a power point presentation and to understand the overall topics on water pollution better which are required in the given lesson plan
Students with Physical Disabilities
HippoRemote Hippo Remote Pro (HRP) is an iPhone application that allows you to use your iPhone as a trackpad for your computer. It supports single hand function and would benefit students with physical disabilities. It is highly customizable and makes using a computer without using a keyboard extremely easy. With regard to my thematic students with related physical disabilities can use the computer to contribute and participate in the learning process.
Students with Sensory Disabilities
Eyeglasses
The Eye Glasses app is ideal for farsighted individuals, those with reading glasses or bifocals, senior citizens and anyone that just needs to see more clearly. Students who have visual difficulties will find this tool very beneficial in researching and utilizing the different web based resources for the thematic unit.
At Risk Students
Sentence Builder
Sentence Builder is designed to help elementary aged children learn how to build grammatically correct sentences. Explicit attention is paid to the connector words that make up over 80% of the English language. Sentence Builder offers a rich and fun environment for improving the grammar of all children. Students with difficulty in writing skills will benefit from this to write an effective Blog in Edmodo.
Gifted Students
Think Quest This site provides a platform to create projects that provide a flexible framework for engaging students in exploring curricular topics and developing important 21st century skills, such as communication, teamwork, and technology skills. The Think Quest International Competition challenges students to solve a real-world problem by applying their critical thinking, communication, and technology skills. It helps preparing students with real world skills that would help them succeed globally. This site could be used for gifted students to create a project involving innovative methods to conserve water or any topic of their choice related to current issues on water, water conservation or the properties of water.
Assessment
- Evaluate the group Discussion using the following rubric
- Evaluate the Blog using the following rubric
Materials Resources and Equipment
Computer with Internet access
Online resources
- 10 famous Spills (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Oil spills throughout history (The Washington Post)
- The Gulf Oil Spill (The Washington Post)
- Gulf Oil Spill’s Animal Victims (The Washington Post)
- Oil spill from year 1910 still visible (CNN)