Science Lessons for Inquiry-focused Instruction
1. Identify the Scientific Concept: What scientific concept/principle should students learn
from this lesson? Use indicators from the Standards, including both skills and processes.
2. Identify a Real-World or Practical Application Related to the Concept:
It can be
a problem students can solve or
a decision students can make or
a question students can answer
Posing the challenge is the heart of the Engagement. Students become motivated as
activities are described. Students access prior knowledge. Motivational activities
include: a demonstration by the teacher and/or student, a reading from a current media
release, a science journal, literature, analyzing a graphic organizer, etc.
3. Provide Opportunities for Students to Explore, Collect and Record Information:
Students may gather information from: a) lab work, and/or b) books/journals and/or, c)
interviews and/or d) the internet, etc.
The Exploration will be activities designed so students can collect information and build
skills they will use to complete an Extension activity. Students will read for information
and perform an investigation.
4. Students Develop a Series of Questions based on the Exploration Activities: Students
answer these questions through opportunities to design investigations and implement the
set of procedures they write.
5. Students Evaluate Data and Provide Explanations: Help students analyze
data, guide their thinking as they develop meaning and understanding, compare class data
and ideas, and critique conclusions.
Teachers should modify explanations as required, add information to enhance
understanding, or move to a related, more complex concept.
6. Evaluation Occurs Throughout the Lesson: Evaluations provide
opportunities for students to demonstrate and check their understanding of the
concepts. Scoring tools developed by teachers and students target what students must
know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools improves learning. A final evaluation of
important concepts, skills and processes may conclude the lesson.
Unit/Lesson Plan Title: Acid Rain
Primary Subject
Integrated Subjects
Grade Level
Length of Unit/Lesson
Research Sources
Science
Reading; Math:
5th
60 minutes
RSS Pacing guide; NCSCOS; Essential Standards; Vernier Lab manual
Unit/Lesson Summary
Students will test different water to see which one has the most acid in
it. The teacher will create different “acid rain” samples for the students
to test.
acid rain; precipitation; ground water; run off; condensation;
evaporation; ecosystems; pollution;
NCSCOS: Goal 3; 1.06
Essential Standards: 5.E.1
How do humans affect ecosystems?
distilled water; tap water; distilled water with lemon juice added; distilled
water with vinegar added; rain water; Vernier LabQuest; pH probe;
computers; pencils; paper; Lab Notebooks
Teacher will pose the problem of pollution in the world. Show pictures
of items that have suffered pollution.
Students will come up with a solution to solve pollution or create a
solution to slow pollution on objects.
Students will test different samples of water with the pH probe to see
which one has the highest amount of acid.
Students will record results in the Lab Book.
Student grouping; Assign roles to students in groups:
Key Vocabulary
Essential Standards/NCSCOS
Essential Questions
Materials/Resources Needed
Exploration/Engagement
Activities
Accommodations for
Differentiated Instruction
Cross Curricular
Integration
Assessments:
•Performance-based
•Formative
•Summative
Extension Activities
Created by
Email
Math: Measurement
Reading/Writing: forming their solution to pollution in the world.
Science Notebooks: observations: Formal assessments
Encourage students to carry out their plan to end/slow down pollution;
encourage them to research acid rain effects.
Sara Kull; Katiearl Etters; Jennifer Walters: Jayna Cerasoli
kullsa@rss.k12.nc.us; etterske@rss.k12.nc.us; waltersjt@rss.k12.nc.us;
cerasolijm@rss.k12.nc.us