5E Lesson Plan
Unit: Scientific Inquiry (Quarter 1)
Topic: Water Quality: Protecting our Watershed
Topics which must be taught/addressed prior to this mini-unit:
 Safety in the classroom and lab
 Scientific Inquiry – research questions, hypotheses, experimental variables, procedures
 Graphing and data collection (this unit includes many activities to use what students have
been taught – one detailed lesson and activity prior to this unit is sufficient)
 Measurement
Most Activities have individual lesson plans with student objectives and state standards.
Resources for the activities have been created for your use along with articles to use for the
various writing assignments. All materials have been viewed, read, and assessed for the purpose
of use in a high school Biology classroom.
Day 1: (95 minute class period) See lesson plans for objectives/standards for each activity
Warm-up – 5 minutes
Map streams to Bay – 20 minutes
Students Brainstorm sources of pollution – 10 minutes
Start DO Lab – 40 minutes
Video Clips – 10-15 minutes
MATERIALS: Computer and projector, computers for students, maps of local streams which flow into the
Bay, highlighters, document camera, lab materials (see lab sheet), student lab sheets, video clips with
question sheet
Warm-Up:
Determine a hypothesis, the independent and dependent variable, the
control, and 2 constants for the following research question:
How does temperature affect dissolved oxygen in water?
ENGAGE:
Break students into groups of 2-3. Each group will use a computer and
Google maps to trace their stream to the Chesapeake Bay. Students will
highlight their stream on the hard copy printout provided by the teacher.
Students record what types of areas/land the stream passes through in
order to reach the Bay – this can be completed on post it notes and placed
on the map. Students can share out the type of land their stream will pass
through and the expected pollutants that will runoff into that stream
Can use document camera here
TRANSITION: Students from class write sources of pollution on chart paper posted at front of room – to
brainstorm sources of pollution that may impact the Bay
Possible answers will probably include: fertilizer from lawns, agriculture fertilizer and animal waste,
wastewater treatment plant, septic systems (basically, what goes on the ground can wash into the bay).
EXPLORE:
Dissolved Oxygen Pre-Lab and lab set-up
See lesson plan, teacher
instructions, and student lab
sheet
TRANSITION: Lab clean-up and back to seat
ENGAGE/EXPLAIN:
Students will view two video clips on dead zones. Students will answer
questions or engage in discussion with their partner after the videos finish.
Groups will be given the opportunity to share out.
Cool Down (finish for HW):
Write a procedure for the warm-up research question: How does
temperature affect dissolved oxygen in water? (think about the procedure
you performed today for the in class lab)
Day 2: (95 minute class period) See lesson plans for objectives/standards for each activity
Warm-up – 5 minutes
DO Lab Data collection – 10 minutes per group (2 groups at a time)
Water Quality Articles Jigsaw—Part One – 40 minutes
Water Quality Articles Jigsaw—Part Two – 40 minutes
Cool Down
MATERIALS: Computer and projector, lab materials, student lab sheets, article with considering the source
WS, student articles, graphic organizer for group discussion, graphic organizer for independent writing
assignment
Warm-Up:
What do you look for to decide if a source is reliable? (5 min for students
to complete the warm-up and for 3-4 students to share out their responses)
EXPLORE:
Data collection for Dissolved oxygen lab – students record qualitative and
quantitative data in the data table.
See lesson plan, teacher
instructions, and student lab
sheet
TRANSITION: Students will move to the lab area when directed by the teacher to perform their data
collection then return to classroom to finish their pair work.
If you prefer. All groups can be in the lab area working on reading their group article and filling out the
considering the sources worksheet. While groups are doing this the teacher chooses two groups to stop and
collect their lab data. If you have 6 groups of 4 you could do this portion of the activity for 30 minutes (10
minutes for data collection and 20 minutes for reading and questions)
EXPLAIN:
Teacher modeling – how to read like a scientist
Teacher will complete the considering source worksheet with the class to
model how students should read, interpret, and analyze an article.
TRANSITION: Hand out the considering the source WS to every student.
EXTEND:
Students work in pairs to read one of the three remaining articles and
complete the “Considering the Source” handout.
See lesson plan, DE website for
articles, Considering the source
document
EVALUATE:
Describe two effects of increased nitrogen concentration in local bodies of
water.
TRANSITION: Regroup students for group work
EXPLORE/EXTEND/EXPLAIN (explanations by the students):
Students will work in groups of 3-4. The groups are arranged so that each
group has at least one representative from each article. As a group, they
will complete the graphic organizer.
See lesson plan, DE website for
articles, graphic organizer
TRANSITION: Hand out the graphic organizer for article sharing
EXTEND/EVALUATE:
Students will work individually on the writing prompt:
“What are the two primary causes of increased nitrogen in local bodies of
water, and what should be done to limit nitrate pollution?”
Students should complete the graphic organizer and then begin writing.
The response should be 2 paragraphs long (for Bio I; 3 paragraphs for Bio
Honors).
See lesson plan, DE website for
articles, graphic organizer
Cool Down (EVALUATE):
Make a list of 5 things you should look for/consider when analyzing a
source.
What makes a piece of scientific evidence convincing?
HW: Complete writing
assignment.
Day 3: (95 minute class period) See lesson plans for objectives/standards for each activity
Warm-up – 5-10 minutes
Constructing a graph using excel: DO and Temperature as a function of time – 30-40 minutes
DO Lab Data collection – 10 minutes per group (2 groups at a time)
Virtual Stream Ecology Activity – 40 minutes
Cool Down
MATERIALS: Computer and projector, lab materials, student lab sheets, computers for each student (laptop
carts would be ideal), virtual stream ecology class instruction sheets and student analysis sheets, constructing
a graph practice using excel.
Warm-Up:
Why are large nitrogen concentrations in local bodies of water a concern?
EXPLAIN/EXTEND:
Graphing by hand
Students will determine the experimental variables for the lab question
“How are stream temperature and dissolved oxygen level related.”
Students will obtain the excel data file. Students will graph the data
appropriately following the procedure. Students can graph by hand
creating one graph with both variables or two graphs, one for DO and one
for T.
See lesson plan, student
instructions sheet
EXPLORE:
Data collection for Dissolved oxygen lab – students record qualitative and
quantitative data in the data table.
See lesson plan, teacher
instructions, and student lab
sheet
TRANSITION: Students will move to the lab area when directed by the teacher to perform their data
collection then return to classroom to finish their pair work. Other students will sign out a laptop and work in
the classroom.
ENGAGE/EXPLORE/EXTEND:
Students complete the virtual stream ecology lab according to the class
instructions (Parts I – Part III). The scenarios (Part IV) will be completed
next class.
See lesson plan, class
instructions, and student lab
sheet
Cool Down (EVALUATE):
Why do only some of the aquatic organisms disappear with the addition of
a pollutant?
HW: Complete graphs at home
if necessary.
Day 4: (95 minute class period) See lesson plans for objectives/standards for each activity
Warm-up – 5-10 minutes
DO Lab Data collection – 10 minutes per group (2 groups at a time) – Place containers in dark
Virtual Stream Ecology Activity Part IV – 40 minutes (can skip this if time is limited)
Explanatory Writing – 30 minutes
Cool Down
MATERIALS: Computer and projector, lab materials, student lab sheets, computers for each student (laptop
carts would be ideal), virtual stream ecology class instruction sheets and student analysis sheets, constructing
a graph practice using excel.
Warm-Up:
Determine a hypothesis, the independent and dependent variable, the control, and 2 constants for the
following research question:
How does phosphorus affect dissolved oxygen in water?
EXPLORE:
Data collection for Dissolved oxygen lab – students record qualitative and
quantitative data in the data table. Student must put their containers in the
dark.
See lesson plan, teacher
instructions, and student lab
sheet
TRANSITION: Students will move to the lab area when directed by the
teacher to perform their data collection then return to classroom to finish
their pair work. Other students will sign out a laptop and work in the
classroom.
ENGAGE/EXPLORE/EXTEND:
Students complete the virtual stream ecology lab for their given scenario
(Part IV) followed by a class discussion of the effects of each scenario on
water quality. Finish lab questions.
Transition: turn in virtual lab
See lesson plan, class
instructions, and student lab
sheet
EXPLORE:
Students brainstorm ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen getting to the
streams and ultimately to the Bay. Groups share out with class and create
a list on the board.
EXPLORE:
Students should read about solutions for removing nitrogen – rain gardens,
green roofs, rain barrels, planning riparian buffers (trees), permeable
surfaces.
See lesson plan for links.
Assign one website to each
student – can read online (print
out copy for students needing
accommodations)
Teacher rubric
EXPLAIN/EXTEND:
Students will share what they have learned from the readings in their
groups. After discussion of each solution, students will write a letter to the
principal with their group’s recommendation for the type of project that
would best suit the needs of their school to protect the tributaries that flow
from campus to the Bay.
Cool Down (EVALUATE):
Draw a 3 frame comic strip for your scenario showing the stream before,
during, and after pollution
Day 5: (95 minute class period) See lesson plans for objectives/standards for each activity
Warm-up – 5-10 minutes
DO Lab Data collection – 10 minutes per group (2 groups at a time)
Mathematical Practices – 25 minutes (if performed outside)
Graphing Activity using excel: Rain garden link -30-40 minutes (can pre-enter data if want to save time)
Video Clip – Why we need to clean up the Chesapeake Bay – 3 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o7kB7-UN7m4
Cool Down – 5-10 minutes
MATERIALS: Computer and projector, lab materials, student lab sheets, computers for each student (laptop
carts would be ideal), mathematical practice WS and protractors, graphing activity WS, video clip and
response narative.
Warm-Up:
EXPLORE:
Data collection for Dissolved oxygen lab – students record qualitative and
quantitative data in the data table. Student must put their containers in the
dark.
See lesson plan, teacher
instructions, and student lab
sheet
TRANSITION: Students will move to the lab area when directed by the teacher to perform their data
collection then return to classroom to finish their pair work. Other students will sign out a laptop and work in
the classroom.
EXPLORE/ELABORATE/EXPLAIN:
Mathematical Practices Activity
Good activity to take class outside. In groups of 3-4 students choose a
location on campus (all groups will be in one part of campus so you can
monitor) where a rain garden could be placed. If your school has a rain
garden go to this location and have 1 group use the rain garden and the
others find areas which might have been better suited. Students will
complete the WS using the protractor and their site.
Students can explain to the other groups why their site is/is not a good
location for a rain garden.
Use student sheet
Transition: return to classroom
EXTEND:
Graphing activity link to rain gardens
Comparing inflow and outflow or a rain event at a local rain garden.
Students will complete the student sheet.
Use student sheet
Transition: collect student sheets
EXTEND:
Video Clip – Why we need to clean up the Chesapeake Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o7kB7UN7m4
Have students make notes of what they can do as an individual to help
clean up the Bay.
Students can share out the ways they can help clean up the Bay
individually
Cool Down (EVALUATE):
Narrative: Write a paragraph discussing (1) ways you as an individual can
help clean up the Bay, (2) ways we as a school community can help clean
up the Bay, and (3) ways we as a state can help clean up the Bay.
Can also use one of the other writing options here if desired or add them
into the Unit somewhere else.
Finish for HW