Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
[Water Filtration]
[Randy Simpson]
[7/17/14]
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON
Grade Level and Subject Area
Grade Level (6-8).
Time Frame
4 lessons or days (40-45 min/day)
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Students will have a better understanding of the factors required for water filtration and its necessity.
Next Generation Science Standards
MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of
gravity. models can be conceptual or physical
MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and
groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
Standards for Technological Literacy
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and
constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best
characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
MP.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (MS-ESS3-2)
Common Core State Standards in English and Language Arts
WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS3-1)
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (MS-ESS3-1)
Prior Learning: Everyday students need water for many reasons. This activity focuses on water for drinking but can be adapted for
other water uses. Students should understand the water cycle and where most students get their drinking water from. Students may
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
not realize where they get their drinking water from which may be a misconception.
Materials
Teachers will need to set up a materials station, and a water station. The material station is the area where the filtration materials
are obtained by the group (connectors, filters, filter chambers, imhoff cones) on a table.
Connectors: glue, rubber
bands, pipe cleaners, masking
tape.
Filters: nylons, window screen,
canvas, coffer filters, sand,
clay, soil, river rocks, any
material you think can act as
a filter. (Materials should be
cut into 4” squares if possible).
Filter Chamber: a 20 oz.
plastic sods bottle with the
bottom cut off and the cap
off. One per group.
Imhoff Cone: A clear plastic
martini glass to simulate an
Imhoff cone with a stand.
Have students label their cone base with group name on a piece of masking tape.
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Have a better understanding of the factors required for water filtration and its necessity. Students will also realize
the need to conserve water whenever possible and relate this to why it’s necessary or helpful to the process.
Pre-Assessment
I would have, in prior lessons discussed terms such as porosity and permeability and thus students should have some
prior knowledge on these terms.
I would start by posing several questions to the students to check for understanding of filtration. Questions such as
“Have you ever thought about what goes into making your drinking water clean and safe to drink? How would
someone get dirty water from lakes, streams, or the ground and turn it into the clear, safe water we use for drinking,
bathing, and cooking? These can be discussed in open format in front of the class or individually somewhere such as
the student’s scientific notebook.
As an alternative you may have students individually free write into their scientific notebook for 5 minutes, putting
down what they know about filters and their uses or take a short quiz on water and filters.
Lastly I will tell them that this is going to be their chance to find out about the above questions by constructing a water
filter in groups and then test it.
Procedures Day 1
Lesson 1
Time:
40min.
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
1.
Have students discuss or write in notebooks answers to the
following questions. Question #1, Why is filtration
important?(So our bodies absorb the water without having to
fight harmful or fatal bacteria or viruses such as dysentery. #2,
What might happen to humans as a species if we were no
longer able to filter our water?(Many would get sick, disease
spread, chronic illnesses, higher mortality for babies and the
elderly.
Purpose
Clarify
misconceptions.
Prior knowledge.
Organize groups.
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Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
2.
Discuss to the class what they will be doing. They will be
working in groups to create a water filter, and then test it to see
how clean your water is. The winner will have the largest
amount of clean water, and the smallest amount of solids.
3.
Either have the students select their own groups or you may
want to group the students prior to this yourself, depending on
you class make up.
4.
Students can preview the materials available prior to planning
their filtration device and view the Settleable Solid Test
instruction sheet. See end of lesson plan for this.
5.
Each group is allowed the following materials: your choice of 2
filtering materials, your choice of up to 5 connectors(things to
connect your filter to the plastic bottle), a filtration chamber
(plastic bottle), and 1 Imhoff cone (martini glass).
6.
If time students can start sketching their filtration system and
label all the parts. This part can be started or continued in lesson
2.
Procedures Day 2
Lesson 2
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
Time:
40min.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Review from yesterday where students are/should be at.
Continue with sketch and finish. Once they have finished,
submit it to the teacher for approval.
Once your sketch has been approved, take it to the material
table and gather only the materials necessary.
At your workstation , assemble your filtration system.
Students should try to have their completed system done by
the end of today. A few minutes can be given tomorrow
prior to testing all student systems.
Purpose
Planning and
construction of filter
system.
Procedures Day 3
Lesson 3
Time:
40min.
1.
2.
3.
4.
All students should have their completed filter systems done
or you may give 5 minutes to complete.
Complete the test using the Settleable Solids instruction sheet.
After the tests have been performed, have students present
their filter and design to the class. Do not clean up until all
tests and presentations have been completed. Students may
want to refer to the dirt and water during the presentation.
Teacher could then lead a discussion on which filters had the
least amount of sediment, which had the most water, and
which designs worked well in both categories.
Testing and
observation. Data
collection.
Procedures Day 4
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Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Lesson 4
Time:
40min.
1.
Students will review and summarize findings in discussion or
in their scientific notebooks. Pose questions such as: Looking
back, how well do you think your design worked (possible rate
on a 1-10 scale)? What would you do differently if given the
same task? What went differently than what you predicted?
What filtration material do you think would last longest over
time? How might you be able to use what you learned today?
Follow up.
Summary.
Formative Assessment
Students will keep track of the procedure and design as well as any questions posed to them in their scientific
notebook that will be checked by the teacher and comments made in it.
Closure
Students had questions posed to the in lesson 4. After time to answer into notebooks they can get back into their
groups and share their answers. The teacher can then formulate a class discussion as a whole to reflect as an
entire group.
Summative Assessment
I will collect and review student scientific notebooks for understanding of the concepts, skills, and knowledge
acquired. Main points will be on following procedures and the collection of data by the student.
Settleable Solids Test Instruction Sheet
1. After you have assembled your filter on the neck of the plastic bottle, have one person
get 4 oz. of dirty water from the water station. Carefully walk back to your work station
without spilling any water.
2. Have one person hold the Imhoff cone steady. Have another person hold the filter (neck of
the plastic bottle should be pointing down), directly over the Imhoff cone.
3. The person with the water should slowly pour the dirty water through the filtration
chamber until all of the water has passed into the Imhoff cone. Remember the person with
the most water that is clean will win, so wait for as many drops as possible.
4. When you feel that you have filtered as much water as possible, carefully remover the
filter chamber and set aside. Do not clean out the filter chamber.
5. Wait 10 minutes. When time is up, the teacher will mark a sediment line and a water line
with marker on your Imhoff cone.
6. The Imhoff cone with the least amount of sediment and the most water will be declared the
winner.
Retrieved from:
www.riversalive.com website and Kimberly Flessner’s lesson entitled, “Water Filtration”
from http://nesen.unl.edu/lessons/water/waterfilt.asp.
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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