Describe
ways to keep water clean
GRADE
LEVEL:Two
SUBJECT(S):Science
2)
OVERVIEW:
Students
will create a water treatment plant, observe how it works
to clean water, and record observations. They will also
compare their model with The Magic School Bus at the
Waterworks model.
3)
FOCUS/ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):
What
are some ways water can be cleaned so it is usable again?
Why
is it important to be able to do this?
4)
TIME
FRAME:
One
fifty minute class period
5)
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Magic
School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole ,
Scholastic, 1990.
Materials
for each group:
1
Two liter plastic soda bottle, cut in half
muddy
water
1
cup clean play sand (purchase at Home Depot or Lowe’s)
- for each group
1
cup clean gravel (aquarium gravel works well) - for each
group
1
half cup activated charcoal (purchase at aquarium store)
- for each group
old
nylon hose, cut into 3" squares
tape
6)
CULMINATING ASSESSMENT:
Students
will record in their Science Logs what they did to create
the water treatment plant, listing materials and steps
they took. They will then choose to either draw or write
about what happened and what they learned. Teachers will
assess the students’ understanding by the following
rubric:
WATER
TREATMENT RUBRIC
| |
CRITERIA |
| 3 |
Pictures
and words are accurate showing an understanding of
the concepts |
| 2 |
Pictures
and words are partially accurate showing a basic
understanding of the concepts |
| 1 |
Pictures
and words are not accurate and do not show an
understanding of the concepts |
| 0 |
Did
not attempt |
7)
INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
PRIOR
TO THIS ACTIVITY, THE TEACHER NEEDS TO HAVE READ THE
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS AT THE WATERWORKS OUT LOUD TO THE
CLASS.
The
teacher will begin the lesson by reviewing what Ms.
Frizzle’s class learned in the story The Magic School
Bus at the Waterworks. Take a short picture walk
through the book to recall what the waterworks looked
like.
Ask
students to predict how we can make a classroom water
treatment system. Record responses on board.
Tell
the students we are going to make a mini water treatment
plant that is different from the one Ms. Frizzle’s class
visited. They will work in cooperative groups of 3.
(Materials manager, task keeper, reporter)
Once
the students are in groups, the materials manager collects
the materials to be used.
The
teacher should have a mini water treatment plant already
completed and several jars of muddy water. Before giving
directions, remind the students that scientists should NEVER
taste unknown substances. They should not taste
the water either before or after the experiment.
The
teacher will model what to do as she is giving the
following directions. While the groups are constructing
the model, the teacher will be circulating to ensure each
group is following along. Any adjustments will be made as
the students are creating their water plant with the
teacher’s assistance.
STUDENT
DIRECTIONS
Tell
the students to take the soda bottle top half and turn it
upside down so it looks like a funnel. Tape the hose
square to the narrow opening to keep any sand from falling
out.
Place
sand in the wide opening to form a layer (1 cup) at the
bottom of the plant. Next, add a half cup layer of
charcoal and one cup layer of gravel.
Students
should place their water treatment plant over the other
half of the soda bottle. Tell them to pour the muddy water
in the water treatment plant and observe and discuss what
happens.
Students
will record observations in their Science Logs. They may
choose either to write or draw what they did and what
happened in the experiment.
Reporters
will share what their groups did and what the results were
in each group.
Teacher
will discuss results with the class as a whole using these
discussion questions:
Where
does this kind of filtering take place besides at a
waterworks plant?
Can
we drink this water? What do we have to do before we can
drink it?
Why
does it matter if we keep our water clean?
How
does our mini water treatment plant compare with the one
in the Magic School Bus at the Waterworks?
EXTENSIONS:
As
a class, create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting
the class mini water treatment plants with the one in The
Magic School Bus at the Waterworks.
Take
a trip to the Columbia Water Treatment plant or ask a
representative to visit your class. The students should
prepare questions for the visit.
Each
student can make a poster of why we should keep our water
clean.
