Taylor Yazzie

February 12, 2020

Science Lesson Plan
Title of Lesson:
Who Polluted the Rillito River?

Grade Level:
3rd Grade

Subject:
Science

Purpose:
The histories of local rivers provide insight into the effect population growth has on a natural
resource and the cumulative impact of individual actions.

Standards Integration:
3.L2U1.8 Construct an argument from evidence that organisms are interdependent.
Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, Cause and Effect, Scale, Proportion and Quantity;
Systems and System Models; Energy and Matter; Structure and Function; Stability and
Change.
Appendix 4: Equity & Diversity in Science
The science and engineering practices have the potential to be inclusive of students who
have traditionally been marginalized in the science classroom and may not see science as
being relevant to their lives or future. These practices support sense-making and language
use as students engage in a classroom culture of discourse. The science and engineering
practices can support bridges between literacy and numeracy needs, which is particularly
helpful for non-dominant groups when addressing multiple "opportunity gaps." By
solving problems through engineering in local contexts (gardening, improving air quality,
cleaning water pollution in the community), students gain knowledge of science content,
view science as relevant to their lives and future, and engage in science in socially
relevant and transformative ways. Science teachers need to acquire effective strategies to
include all students regardless of age, racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic,
and gender backgrounds.

Essential Questions:
Who polluted the Rillito River? Many of the pollutants were the result of an individual person’s
action. Is an individual the only person impacted by his or her decision? Does something added
to the river in one location, stay there? Where does it go and what does it impact?

Time:
1 Hour
  Discussion of Pollution K/L Chart (10 minutes)
 Reading of the Story (15 minutes)
 Students Create Inventions (15 minutes)
 Students Share (5-10 minutes)
 Closing Discussion K/L Chart (10 minutes)

Materials:
 Gallon of Water
 Clear Bowl
 Canisters to hold “pollutants”
 Canister labels
 Canister Ingredients
 Story: Who polluted the Potomac?
 Invention Worksheet
 K/L chart
 Post-its
 Pencils

Content Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 List three pollutants that can impact rivers.
 Draw connections between individual actions and the pollution of a water source.
 Develop strategies for minimizing and counteracting water pollution.
 Explain how population growth impacts the health of our nation’s rivers.

Language Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Share ideas through collaborative conversations and in writing.
 Define pollution from the discussion and story.

Key Vocabulary:
 Pollution
 Water
 Population
 Invention
 Water sources

Lesson Sequence:
Preparation
 1. Create Invention Worksheet
2. Make copies of Invention Worksheet
3. Write Objectives on the Board
4. Prepare “pollutants” in canisters with labels
5. Make Adjustments to Student Seating Arrangements

Anticipatory Set (10 minutes)

1. Students will move to the back carpet to participate in a short discussion about
what pollution is and how it relates to water.
2. I will pass out post-it notes to the class and they will need their pencils.
3. On their post-it note, I want students to write what they already know about water
pollution.
4. I will prompt students with questions like what is pollution? Can water, like a
river or the ocean, be polluted? What is water pollution? What kinds of things
pollute the water? Who pollutes the water? And what can be done to remedy or
fix the polluted water?
5. Students will post them on the K (know) side of the K/L Chart. Students who
would like to share, may do so.
6. Students will then transition from the carpet to their desks. I will center the bowl
of water in the center of the classroom for the students to see.
7. I will inform the students about the activity that we will be doing. I will be
reading a story and calling the students up based on what container they have. The
containers will be on the projector for students that are unsure. The student will
then come up and dump the contents into the bowl. Overtime the bowl will get
more disgusting and dirty. Students will participate in short discussions during the
story.
8. I will call the group tables up one at a time to collect one of the canisters.

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

1. Students will leave their canisters on their desks and listen to the story as it is read
aloud.
2. Students will actively listen for their canister to be called. They will quietly dump
their contents into our “river” or clear bowl.
3. Each student will be given a canister to dump, there will be doubles.
4. Students will participate in the short discussions that happen throughout the story
about how the river looks at that time.
5. After the story, the “go getter” will pass out the invention worksheets.

Independent Practice (25 minutes)

1. Students will draw back on their ELA textbook and think about inventions and
what they could create that would clean the river.
 2. Students will draw their invention and write a short paragraph about their
invention to explain what it does and how it works.
3. Solutions can be realistic or far-fetched but the invention should alleviate one of
the pollutants and its subsequent impact on the river.
4. Students can share their invention and how it works.

Closure (10 minutes)

1. Students will come back to the back carpet to participate in a closing discussion.
2. I will prompt them with the question of who polluted the Rillito River? Students
should respond with “everyone.” Everyone had an impact on the river.
3. Students will then answer the next series of discussion questions. “Many of the
pollutants were the result of an individual person’s action. Is an individual the
only person impacted by his or her decision? Does something added to the river in
one location, stay there? Where does it go and what does it impact?”
4. Students will then be given a post-it note to share what they learned.
5. Students will post the notes on the L (Learned) side of the K/L chart.
6. Students who are willing may share their post-its.

Assessment:
During the Lesson
Students will be assessed during the reading by being asked about the river and what it
looks like at that time. They will be asked questions like “would you drink this water?
Would you swim in the water? Would fish be able to live in the water?” Students will
have to answer the questions and critically think about the pollution that is occurring and
who it is effecting during the story.

After the Lesson

Students will come up with an invention to solve the problem of the water pollution and
make it better. Students will write a paragraph explaining what and how the invention
works. Students will draw their invention. Students will also have the post-its that they
will write what they learned throughout the lesson about water pollution, pollutants, and
who pollution effects.

Accommodations:
 Students will have the directions posted on the slides in front of the classroom and for
those that cannot see from their seat, they will move forward to the front carpet.
 Students will have the directions read aloud for them by myself.
 Students who need extra time will be given more time to work on their worksheets during
the closure activity.
 Students can work with table group members if they need additional support or have
questions.