Environmental Education/Water Pollution

Unit Theme/Topic
Environmental Education
Focus
Water Pollution

Types of Knowledge – Declarative

CONCEPTS

*Individual, community, state, country & global responsibility

*How is water polluted

Ex. Garbage dumping, factories, acid rain

*An awareness of future problems related to water pollution

*How will recycling efforts help in the area of water pollution?

TOPICS

*Effects of water pollution on animals and humans

*Recycling

Types of Knowledge – Procedural

• explore
• experiment
• research
• list
• discuss
• write
• read
• listen
• role play
• graph
• share
• illustrate
• separate/categorize
• speeches in school
• speakers bureau in community

Learning Experiences

• Use of available technology: Research paper from Internet and Encarta dealing with water pollution
• Exploration of library for related information from books, magazines, newspapers
• Congruence with effective communications teacher on speech writing and delivery
• Art related activities to reinforce knowledge of environment/water pollution
• Classroom experiment on water pollution
• Visit to Water Filtration Plant

Essential Questions

1. Why is is important for you to know about the effects of pollution on the environment?

2. Can anything be done about pollution?

3. Who is responsible for recycling?

4. What is currently being done to solve the water pollution problem?

5. How does recycling help the community and your friends?(the state, the world, etc.)

Initiating Activity

1. A - Z Environment Game Children will list as many environmental issues or terms they can think of using the alphabet.

2. Save the Environment Yarn Game - a ball of yarn is tossed to different students situated in a circle. When they receive the yarn, the student must give a way he/she can save the environment.

Culmination Performance

A wall mural will be displayed in the hallway. Included will be:

• Newspaper articles
• Art work by children
• Magazine pictures related to environmental issues
• A - Z lists of environmental issues
• Pictures and information gathered from research from Internet and Encarta

Assessment

• Peer Evaluation of speeches
• Rubric to evaluate research paper
• Community response to speakers bureau
• Science exam on knowledge and concepts learned on water pollution

New York State Learning Standards

Math, Science , Technology

Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard5: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Standard 7: Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Arts Standard #1: Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts(visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts

LESSON PLANS

Save the Environment Yarn Game

Objective:To make students aware of ways that they already help the environment and of new ways that they can save the environment.

Materials: One ball of yarn

Procedure: The class will sit on the floor in a circle. One student will begin by holding the ball of yarn and stating one way that they help the environment. Holding the end of the string, he/she will toss the ball of yarn to another student, who also states how he/she helps the environment. The game continues until all students have had a chance.

Outcome: Children will see that by working together as citizens in a community that we could help to help our environment clean.

A - Z Environment Game

Objective: To make students aware of a multitude of environmental terms using brainstorming.

Materials: file cards, marking pens, chalkboard

Procedure: The class will be divided into groups of 4 or 5 students. Each group will be given 26 file cards and a marking pen. One designated student in each group will write one letter of the alphabet on each card. The groups will be given 15 minutes of time to write one environmental tern on each card beginning with the designated letter. At the end of 15 minutes, information will be shared collectively by compiling an alphabetical class list of environmental terms on the chalkboard. File cards will be displayed

Outcome: Students will broaden their vocabulary.

LESSON PLANS

Speech Writing:

Objective: To expose students to the elements of basic speech writing and delivery.

Materials: Paper, pencil and/or computer

Procedure: Using rules for Effective Communication, students will prepare and oral report on issues dealing with water pollution.

Evaluation: Students will be required to deliver their oral report/speech in front of the class. Effective communications teacher, classroom teacher and student evaluators will select appropriate students for a speaker’s bureau.

Field Trip to Water Filtration Plant

Objective: To expose children to the Utica Water Board and to help them understand the procedures for purifying and filtering water.

Materials: Local water filtration plant and tour guide

Evaluation: Class will have follow-up group discussion on facts and information learned on field trip.

Exploration of Library

Objective: To expose students to available information on water pollution found in the school library from books, magazines and newspapers.

Materials: Books, magazines and newspapers from school library, community library and homes

Procedure: During library periods and after school, children will access appropriate information on water pollution using research strategies previously learned in the library. Information will be used for unit research paper.

Evaluation: Ongoing teacher assessment and congruence with library teacher.

Use of Available Technology

Objective: To expose students to available information on water pollution by using the computer’s Internet capabilities and also the Encarta program.

Materials: Computer with Internet capabilities and Encarta program

Procedure: Students will work in small groups with Technology teacher and classroom teacher accessing appropriate sites dealing with water pollution. They will also use the latest version of Encarta and select appropriate issues dealing with this issue.Using this information and previous knowledge of writing a research paper, children will write their own research paper.

Evaluation: The student will be evaluated on the successful completion of the research paper. Also, teachers involved will congrue periodically on progress of each student.

Cleaning Water – Activity

In doing this activity, students will become aware of the various contaminants which affect our water supply and understand how difficult a task it is to clean up water. In their own attempt to purify water or in watching your demonstration, the students will discover that some methods of water purification, such as skimming and filtering, do little to remove dissolved pollutants.

Materials needed: Pollutants - each to be put into one two cups of water.

• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil- to represent motor oil
• 1 drop of food coloring - to represent toxic chemicals
• 2 t. sand/gravel - to represent grit and sediment
• 5 drops of dish detergent - to represent phosphates and foams
• 1 tblsp. of vinegar - o represent acid rain
• 1 tblsp. of leaf litter - to represent organic wastes.
• A few small solid objects- to represent solid wastes.

Cleaning Apparatus:

• 1 piece of 15 cm screen - 6’ square
• some cheesecloth or cotton
• a funnel
• eye dropper
• a shallow pan (if there is no sink to work over)
• two small jars (one with tapwater, the other empty)
• a container for wastes removed in the clean-up process

Steps:

1. Have students discuss and list common water pollutants. List them on the chalkboard.

2. Conduct the activity as a demonstration or divide the class into groups of four or five. Set up work stations for for each group. To simplify the experiment, you may want to select only two or three of the "pollutants".

3. Have the students identify what each "pollutant" might represent. Have each group select one or two of the pollutants to filter. Follow the directions on the student sheet.

4. Have the students compare the results for each. Ask questions. What filtered out the best? Would it be safe to drink the filtered water?.

Cleaning Water - Activity (Student Response Sheet)

Group Members:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Instructions: Follow these steps for the activity.

1. Write down the pollutants that your group will be filtering out.

a.

b.

c.

2. Set up your filter. The teacher will help you. Put the funnel into the empty jar. Put a piece of cotton or cheesecloth in the funnel. Then place the screen over the funnel.

3. Mix your first pollutant with two cups of water in the other jar.

4. Pour the mixture into your filter. What happens. Did it work? How well?.Write your observations below.

5. Rinse out each jar and the funnel. Set up your filter again. Follow steps 3 and 4 again with your next pollutant. And so on, until all of your pollutants have been filtered.

OBSERVATIONS

Pollutant #1: _________________________________________________________

Pollutant #2: _________________________________________________________

Pollutant #3: _________________________________________________________