For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 1 of 18
Lesson Plan for Bioswales
A Middle School Earth Science Lesson Featuring
Engineering Design
Grade Level: 6–8
Preparation Time: 15–30 min
Cost: $70 – $150 initial cost
$35 – $100 recurring cost
Activity Time: 100 minutes
Key Vocabulary:
Clean-up Time: 5 min (end of class) 10 min (end of day)
Groundwater, Sediments, Infiltration, Trade-off, Runoff,
Surface water, Aquifer, Storm water, Saturated, Impervious, Bioswales and Turbidity
CONTENTS
1—Lesson Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1—Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3
1.2—Lesson Breakdown with Engineering Design ............................................................................................ 3
1.3—Pre-Requisite Knowledge ........................................................................................................................... 3
2—Teacher Background Information ..................................................................................................................... 4
2.1—Glossary of Terms ...................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2—Scientific Concepts ..................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3—Lesson Timeline ......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3.1—Overview Timeline .............................................................................................................................. 4
2.3.2—Part 1 Timeline (30 minutes) ............................................................................................................... 4
2.3.3—Part 2 Timeline (45 minutes) ............................................................................................................... 5
2.3.4—Part 3 Timeline (45 minutes) ............................................................................................................... 5
2.4—Lesson Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 5
3—Preparation ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
3.1—Preparation Part 1: Reading........................................................................................................................ 6
3.1.1—Printed Materials.................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.2—Activity Materials ................................................................................................................................ 6
3.1.3—Preparation Step ................................................................................................................................... 6
3.2—Preparation Part 2: Exploration .................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.1—Printed Materials.................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.2—Activity Materials ................................................................................................................................ 6
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 2 of 18
3.2.3—Preparation Steps ................................................................................................................................. 6
3.3—Preparation Part 3: Engineering Design ..................................................................................................... 8
3.3.1—Printed Materials.................................................................................................................................. 8
3.3.2—Activity Materials ................................................................................................................................ 8
3.3.3—Preparation Steps ................................................................................................................................. 8
4—Activity Instructions.......................................................................................................................................... 9
4.1—Activity Part 1: Reading ............................................................................................................................. 9
4.2—Activity Part 2: Exploration ....................................................................................................................... 9
4.3—Activity Part 3: Engineering Design ........................................................................................................ 10
Appendix 1A: 2009 Standards Met With This Lesson ......................................................................................... 11
Appendix 1B: 2014 Standards Met With This Lesson ......................................................................................... 12
Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards ............................................................................................ 12
Performance Expectations ............................................................................................................................. 12
Disciplinary Core Ideas ................................................................................................................................. 12
Scientific and Engineering Practices ............................................................................................................. 13
Appendix 2: Complete Materials Listing .............................................................................................................. 14
Lesson Prep Lists .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Printed Materials ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Part 1: Reading Activity ................................................................................................................................ 14
Part 2: Exploration Activity........................................................................................................................... 14
Part 3: Engineering Design Activity .............................................................................................................. 14
Activity Materials .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Part 1: Reading Activity ................................................................................................................................ 14
Part 2: Exploration Activity........................................................................................................................... 14
Part 3: Engineering Design Activity .............................................................................................................. 15
Buyer’s Guide ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Buyer’s Guide Notes ......................................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix 3: Resources and Extensions ................................................................................................................ 18
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 3 of 18
1—LESSON OVERVIEW
1.1—Introduction
In this engineering design lesson, students will design and build water filters out of natural materials to
simulate bioswales that clean storm water runoff before it soaks into the ground or enters a city’s storm-drain
system. Their ultimate goal is to determine the combination and sequence of materials that best clean polluted
water. The lesson is divided into three parts.
 Part 1, Reading, a reading activity to familiarize students with the concept of bioswales and the science
behind infiltration.
 Part 2, Exploration, which prepares students for the design process. You can use this optional activity
to allow students to explore the filtration properties of several materials.
 Part 3, Design. Using either the data they collect in Part 2, or the data provided to them, students will
design build and evaluate their own water filters.
1.2—Lesson Breakdown with Engineering Design
Engineering Design Steps
1. Define a problem that
addresses a need
2. Identify criteria,
constraints, and priorities
3. Describe relevant scientific
principles and knowledge
Activity
Part 3: Design
Handout
Bioswale Design Activity
Product
Design worksheet
Part 3: Engineering
Bioswale Design Activity
Design worksheet
Part 1: Reading
Vocab Alert worksheet
Part 3: Design
Bioswale Article and Vocab
Alert
Bioswale Exploration
Activity or Bioswale Data
Analysis Handout
Bioswale Design Activity
Part 3: Design
Bioswale Design Activity
Prototypes
Part 3: Design
Bioswale Design Activity
Data table and/or graphs
Part 3: Design
Bioswale Design Activity
Evaluation Paragraphs
Part 3: Design
Bioswale Design Activity
Evaluation Paragraphs
Part 2: Exploration
4. Investigate possible
solutions
5. Design and construct a
proposed solution
6. Test a propose solution
and collect relevant data
7. Evaluate a proposed
solution in terms of design
and performance criteria,
constrains, priorities, and
trade-offs
8. Identify possible design
improvements
1.3—Pre-Requisite Knowledge
Students should be familiar with the water cycle and the pH scale.
Bioswales paragraph and data analysis
questions
Labeled sketches
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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2—TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.1—Glossary of Terms
Aquifer: An underground space or network of spaces that can hold water.
Bioswale: A natural filter, used along curbs and parking lots in urban areas, designed to clean run-off
surface water before it enters the sewers or storm-water drains.
Constraints: Limits on possible solutions. When we solve a practical problem we usually have limits on
how big the solution can be, how much it can cost, how much it can weigh, etc.
Criteria: The things your solution should do. Engineering problems are usually described in terms of
a set of goals; these are the criteria against which engineers judge possible solutions.
Groundwater: Water that is held underground in the spaces between dirt and rock particles.
Impervious: A surface like concrete that does not allow water infiltration.
Infiltration: A process in the water cycle in which surface water enters the soil.
pH: A scale used for measuring acidity and alkalinity of solutions made up of water and other
chemicals.
Runoff: Water that flows across the surface of the land.
Saturated: A condition in which the ground can hold no more water because the particle spaces are all
filled.
Sediments: Naturally occurring materials that have been broken down by processes of weathering and
erosion.
Solution: A possible way of solving a problem.
Stormwater: Water that comes from precipitation.
Surface water: Water that is above ground. Examples of surface water include ponds, lakes, rivers, and
oceans. Runoff is also a form of surface water.
Trade-off: A trade-off occurs when making one part of the solution better makes another part worse.
2.2—Scientific Concepts and Disciplinary Core Ideas
See the Article Handout for the scientific concepts covered in this lesson.
Note: For a complete list of scientific concepts and disciplinary core ideas covered in this lesson, see Appendix
1.
2.3—Lesson Timeline
2.3.1—Overview Timeline
This lesson consists of three activities (Reading, Exploration, and Engineering Design activities) which
will take approximately two hours of in-class time. If time permits, the lesson can be done in one class session,
as there are no waiting periods between parts of the lesson. It is recommended that, if the lesson must be split,
parts 1 and 2 be performed during the same day, with a brief re-familiarization period prior to starting part 3.
2.3.2—Part 1 Timeline (30 minutes)
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Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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This activity will take an estimated thirty minutes, during which the teacher will do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Distribute materials to all students
Lead students in the Vocab Alert exercise, part 1
Lead students in the Reading activity
Lead students in the Vocab Alert exercise, part 2
2.3.3—Part 2 Timeline (45 minutes)
This activity will take an estimated forty-five minutes. During that time, the teacher will do the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Distribute materials to all students
Let students complete the Exploration Handout
Lead students in the Exploration activity
Lead students in filling out the Class Data Table Handout
Clean up (if parts 2 and 3 are not on the same day)
2.3.4—Part 3 Timeline (45 minutes)
This activity will take an estimated forty-five minutes. During that time, the teacher will do the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Distribute materials to all students
Let students complete the Engineering Design activity
Have students clean up
Lead students in reflection on the Engineering Design activity
2.4—Lesson Materials
Note: For a complete and up-to-date listing of materials in a printable shopping list format, see Appendix 2:
Complete Materials Listing.
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 6 of 18
3—PREPARATION
3.1—Preparation Part 1: Reading
3.1.1—Printed Materials


Article Handout—(one for each student)
Vocab Alert Handout—(one for each student)
3.1.2—Activity Materials

None
3.1.3—Preparation Step
1. Make student copies of the Article Handout and its accompanying Vocab Alert Handout.
3.2—Preparation Part 2: Exploration
3.1.1—Printed Materials



Exploration Handout—(one for each student)
Class Data Table Handout—(one for the teacher)
 one for the teacher to make an overhead, and/or
 one for each student
Optional: Data Analysis Handout—(one for each student)
 for use if skipping Part 2 of this lesson
3.1.2—Activity Materials
 Plastic Soda Bottles with caps (1L or larger; 2L preferred)
 Clean aquarium sand
 Clean aquarium gravel
 Clean aquarium pebbles
 Limestone (pelleted or granular—not powdered)
 Cheesecloth
 Drill or hammer and nail
 Measuring cups, graduated beakers, graduated cylinders
 Tea bags or loose tea
 Lemon juice or household vinegar (5% solution)
 EM pH Strips 2.0-9.0
 Scissors
 Optional: utility knife for cutting bottles
 Plastic containers (bins for used materials)
 Sieve for washing materials
3.2.3—Preparation Steps
Note: This part of the lesson is optional. If you do not have the time, instead of having your students perform
the full exploration, give them a copy of the Data Analysis Handout.
1. Make student copies of the Exploration Handout. Make an overhead copy of the Class Data Table
Handout.
2. Plan to have students in groups of two.
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 7 of 18
3. Prepare the dirty water solution by adding the contents of 4 teabags or 8 grams of loose tea and 50 ml of
lemon juice or vinegar to 1000 ml of
Figure 2
water. Make sure you prepare enough
for every lab group to get at least 500 ml.
4. If the gravel and rocks do not appear to
be clean, wash them in a sieve to remove
sediments that might affect the turbidity
and produce inconsistent results.
5. Prepare a test container for each student
group. To make a test container, cut a 2L
soda bottle about 1/3 of the way down
(figure 1). You can discard the bottom or
use it as a catch basin (figure 2).
6. Using a hammer and nail, or a manual drill, make at least four holes in the cap (figure 3). The holes
should be 3/32 or 1/8 inches in diameter.
7. Cut cheesecloth into 4-ply squares that are
2.5 cm by 2.5 cm (figure 4).
a. Cut enough squares so that each
student group has at least three.
b. If you are using 1-ply cheeseclot (one
layer), cut into 5cm by 5cm squares,
and fold into quarters to create 4-ply
squares of the proper size.
Figure 3
Figure 4
8. Test your supply of sand to determine how clean it is by running water through a sample. You can use
the one of the test containers, caps and cheesecloth squares you prepared above to run tap water through
a sample of sand. If the water comes out turbid, you should consider washing the sand or having your
students do so as part of their set-up procedure.
9. Lay out and label bins for used materials—one bin for sand, another bin for rocks, etc. It is also good
idea to have sponges and towels positioned around the room in case of spills.
10. Make test kits for each students group. Test kits should include a container with cap, three squares of
cheesecloth, a beaker, a graduated cylinder, a pipette, and a stopwatch.
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 8 of 18
3.3—Preparation Part 3: Engineering Design
3.3.1—Printed Materials

Engineering Design Handout—(one for each student)
3.3.2—Activity Materials
 Plastic Soda Bottles with caps (1L or larger; 2L preferred)
 Clean aquarium sand
 Clean aquarium gravel
 Clean aquarium pebbles
 Limestone (pelleted or granular—not powdered)
 Cheesecloth
 EM pH Strips 2.0-9.0
 Drill or hammer and nail.
 Measuring cups, graduated beakers, graduated cylinders
 Tea bags or loose tea
 Lemon juice
 Scissors
 Tape (duct or masking)
 Timers
 Plastic containers (bins for used materials)
 Sieve for washing materials
3.3.3—Preparation Steps
1. Make a copy of the Engineering Design Handout for each student.
2. Prepare the activity environment in the same way as steps 2–10 of Section 3.2.2.
3. Lay out an assortment of plastic bottles and filter materials along with graduated beakers for measuring,
tape, and scissors. Each student group will also need two beakers, a graduated cylinder, a pipette and a
stopwatch.
4. Lay out and label bins for used materials—one bin for sand, another bin for soil, etc. Have sponges and
towels positioned around the room in case of spills.
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Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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4—ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS
4.1—Activity Part 1: Reading
1. Pass out the Vocab Alert Handout and have students rate their knowledge of the article’s key
vocabulary.
2. Pass out the Article Handout for students to read and discuss. Have students take notes on the meaning
of the lesson vocabulary on their Vocab Alert Handouts.
3. Once students are finished with the article, have them re-rate their knowledge of the lesson vocabulary.
4.2—Activity Part 2: Exploration
Note: This part of the lesson is optional. If you do not have the time for this step, you have two choices:
(a) Replace it with a simpler data analysis activity—see the Data Analysis Handout.
(b) Skip it all together. If you choose this case, see the note at the beginning of Section 4.3.
1. Pass out the Exploration Handout. Read the introduction to the class and discuss how pH and turbidity
can measure water pollution with students.
2. Students should write down four key pieces of information about filtration from their Article Handout.
They should then turn those notes into a background paragraph about filtration.
3. Show students the five materials that will be tested (cheesecloth, sand, gravel, rock, and limestone).
Have students write down their predictions in the space provided on their handout.
4. Go over the procedure for the activity with the students as described on the student handout.
5. Break students into lab groups, and assign them a filter material to test.
Note: The sand takes several minutes more to filter than the other materials. You might want to assign
several groups to use sand and have each only do two instead of three trials.
Note: Because the sand is so fine, it might clog the holes in the filter cap. If this happens, try using larger
holes in the cap or a thicker piece of cheesecloth between the sand and the cap.
Note: Limestone sold as a garden soil amendment is often limestone powder that has been pelletized to
make it less dusty. It reverts back to very small particles when it becomes wet. These small particles are
more effective at reducing the acidity of the dirty water but may increase its turbidity. The students that test
limestone will probably discover this aspect of the pelletized limestone.
Note: If students are getting results showing the solution is becoming more turbid after filtration, it might
be because the filter materials are dirty. Have students wash their materials and then try again.
6. After students finish testing, have them copy their results onto the Class Data Table Handout overhead.
7. As a conclusion to the activity, demonstrate the persistence of pollutants:
a. Pour water on top of the waste container of sand. The tea particles the sand previously filtered
will rise into the water layer and discolor it.
b. Explain that filtered pollutants do not disappear; they are still in the environment, and can still be
picked up. After rainfall, such pollutants can still leach out, again becoming runoff with the
potential to pollute new areas.
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Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 10 of 18
c. Ask students to share ideas about how we can get pollutants out of the environment for good.
8. Once the Class Data Table Handout is complete, either have students copy the set from the overhead or
photocopy the set and hand it out.
9. Students should use the data set to answer the analysis questions on their Filter Material Exploration
handout. Discuss answers with students before proceeding to Section 4.3.
10. To clean, up wash the filter materials with water and leave them in a sunny place to let them dry. (The
sand might take several days.)
4.3—Activity Part 3: Engineering Design
Note: If you skipped Section 4.2, hand out copies of the Data Analysis Handout. Show students the five
materials that were tested (cheesecloth, sand, gravel, rock, and limestone).
1. Pass out the Engineering Design Handout and have students fill out criteria, priorities, and constraints.
a. You can set the criteria as a class or let student groups decide for themselves.
b. Encourage students to be as specific as possible. For example, a specific criterion is to say the
filter must reduce the turbidity to 50 ml or more or reduce the acidity by one pH unit.
c. Note: You might want to constrain the amount of the supplies students can use to ensure that
there are enough supplies for all your classes. Also, if the students use too much sand in their
designs the time it takes the dirty water to flow through their bioswales may exceed class time.
2. Have students brainstorm, in groups, two different filter designs. Have students come to you for
approval.
a. Once you approve their ideas have students build and test both, according to the instructions on
their handout.
b. Time permitting, there is also space on their handout to do design, build, and test two more
solutions.
Note: Only one designated student in each group should collect needed materials and students
should only collect the materials they need for one design solution at a time.
Note: Limestone that is sold as a garden soil amendment is often fine ground and then pelletized to
make it less dusty. It reverts back to very small particles when it becomes wet making it more
effective at raising the pH of fluids passing by it. These same very small particles may pass through
the filter and increase the turbidity of the water. This represents a tradeoff between reducing the
acidity of water and reducing its turbidity. Students may want to consider this tradeoff when they
design their solutions.
3. After the students clean up, they should use the data they collected to write two paragraphs, which
evaluate the effectiveness of their solutions according to the instructions on their handout. Note: See
Appendix 3 for ODE scoring rubrics.
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 11 of 18
APPENDIX 1A: 2009 STANDARDS MET WITH THIS LESSON
Science Content
6.1P.1 Describe physical and chemical properties of matter and how they can be measured.
 Students will describe water solutions in terms of pH and turbidity.
 Students will measure the pH and turbidity of water solutions.
6.2E.1 Explain the water cycle and the relationship to landforms and weather.
 Students will distinguish between ground water and surface water run-off.
7.2E.3 Evaluate natural processes and human activities that affect global environmental change and suggest
and evaluate possible solutions to problems.
 Students will describe how human activity can lead to water pollution.
 Students will propose solutions to the problem of water pollution.
Engineering Design
6.4D.1 Define a problem that addresses a need and identify science principles that may be related to possible solutions.
7.4D.1 Define a problem that addresses a need and identify constraints that may be related to possible solutions.
8.4D.1 Define a problem that addresses a need, and using relevant science principles investigate possible solutions given
specified
criteria, constraints, priorities, and trade-offs.
 Students will identify the problems their filter designs should address.
 Students will identify criteria, priorities, constrains, and trade-offs of possible filter solutions.
 Students will read a background article on bioswales and conduct an exploration of properties of filter
materials to they can determine potential water filter design solutions.
6.4D.2 Design, construct, and test a possible solution to a defined problem using appropriate tools and materials. Evaluate
proposed engineering design solutions to the defined problem.
6.4D.3 Describe examples of how engineers have created inventions that address human needs and aspirations.
7.4D.2 Design, construct, and test a possible solution using appropriate tools and materials. Evaluate proposed solutions to
identify
how design constraints are addressed.
8.4D.2 Design, construct, and test a proposed solution and collect relevant data. Evaluate a proposed solution in terms of
design
and performance criteria, constraints, priorities, and trade-offs. Identify possible design improvements.
 Students will design, build, and test two filter solutions.
 Students will evaluate their solutions in terms of performance criteria, constrains, priorities, and trade-offs.
 Students will identify possible design improvements.
 Students will test different water filter designs by measuring their filtration time and the turbidity and pH
of the water sample before and after filtration.
 Students will analyze filtration data to determine the best amounts and combinations of filter materials.
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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APPENDIX 1B: 2014 STANDARDS MET WITH THIS LESSON
Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards
Performance Expectations
o 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. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ways water changes
its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle. Examples of models can be
conceptual or physical.] [Assessment Boundary: A quantitative understanding of the latent heats of
vaporization and fusion is not assessed.]
o MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human
impact on the environment.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of the design process include
examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and
designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of human impacts can
include water usage (such as the withdrawal of water from streams and aquifers or the construction of
dams and levees), land usage (such as urban development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and
pollution (such as of the air, water, or land).]
o MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.*
[Clarification Statement: Examples of ecosystem services could include water purification, nutrient
recycling, and prevention of soil erosion. Examples of design solution constraints could include
scientific, economic, and social considerations.]
o MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a
successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and
the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
o MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well
they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
o 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.
o MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed
object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems
 Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or
for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global
challenges also may have manifestations in local communities.

Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of
risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a
way that one can tell if a given design meets them.
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Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
 Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation,
condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land. (MS-ESS2-4)
Scientific and Engineering Practices
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
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Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
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APPENDIX 2: COMPLETE MATERIALS LISTING
Lesson Prep Lists
The purpose of this section is for lesson preparation—a teacher, assistant, or volunteer who already has
all of the materials required for the lesson, and must only gather the materials for the lesson itself. If you are
reading this section, you are probably working from Section 3—Preparation of this lesson.
Items are sorted into four lists: materials that must be printed/collated for all parts of the lesson; activity
materials needed for part 1; activity materials needed for part 2; activity materials needed for part 3. Items are
arranged in the order used in the lesson.
Printed Materials
Part 1: Reading Activity


Article Handout—(one for each student)
Vocab Alert Handout—(one for each student)
Part 2: Exploration Activity



Exploration Handout—(one for each student)
Class Data Table Handout—(one for the teacher)
 one for the teacher to make an overhead, and/or
 one for each student
Optional: Data Analysis Handout—(one for each student)
 for use if skipping Part 2 of this lesson
Part 3: Engineering Design Activity

Engineering Design Handout—(one for each student)
Activity Materials
Part 1: Reading Activity

None
Part 2: Exploration Activity
 Plastic Soda Bottles with caps
 1L or larger; 2L preferred
 Clean aquarium sand
 Clean aquarium gravel
 Clean aquarium pebbles
 Limestone (pelleted or granular—not powdered)
 Cheesecloth
 Drill or hammer and nail
 Measuring cups, graduated beakers, graduated cylinders
 Tea bags
 Lemon juice
 Scissors
 Optional: utility knife for cutting bottles
 Plastic containers (bins for used materials)
 Sieve for washing materials
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Part 3: Engineering Design Activity
 Plastic Soda Bottles with caps
 1L or larger; 2L preferred
 Clean aquarium sand
 Clean aquarium gravel
 Clean aquarium pebbles
 Limestone (pelleted or granular—not powdered)
 Cheesecloth
 pH testers
 Drill or hammer and nail.
 Measuring cups, graduated beakers, graduated cylinders
 Tea bags
 Lemon juice
 Scissors
 Tape (duct or masking)
 Timers
 Plastic containers (bins for used materials)
 Sieve for washing materials
Page 15 of 18
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 16 of 18
Buyer’s Guide
Quantity:
Class size
of…
Item Information
Item to Purchase
Re
usable
Local Retail Ext Costs:
Class size of…
Online Ext Costs: Class
size of…
Store Type
30
40
Ea.
30
40
Ea.
30
40
yes
Students/
Home
20
27
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
yes
Toy, pet
1
1
$4.50
$4.50
$4.50
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
yes
Outside
0
0
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
yes
Petco
2
3
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$4.99
$9.98
$14.97
yes
Petco
yes
Outside
yes
Pet Store
2
0
2
2
0
2
$3.00
$0.00
$4.49
$6.00
$0.00
$8.98
$6.00
$0.00
$8.98
$4.49
$0.00
$4.49
$8.98
$0.00
$8.98
$8.98
$0.00
$8.98
Limestone, white.
Crushed preferred
over powdered
no
Hardware or
garden store
1
1
$5.00
$5.00
$5.00
$5.00
$5.00
$5.00
Cheesecloth
no
Grocery;
some variety
1
2
$2.00
$2.00
$4.00
$4.49
$4.49
$8.98
*pH Tests
no
0
0
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Hammer and a few
10-penny nails
yes
1
1
$10.00
$10.00
$10.00
$4.95
$4.95
$4.95
Measuring cups
including 1/3 cup
or metric equivalent
yes
Dollar
1
2
$1.00
$1.00
$2.00
$6.49
$6.49
$12.98
Green Tea, box of
20 bags or more
No
Grocery
1
2
$3.00
$3.00
$6.00
$7.50
$7.50
$15.00
Lemon Juice
(preferred) or
vinegar, 8 oz.
No
Grocery
1
2
$2.00
$2.00
$4.00
$3.28
$3.28
$6.56
$42.48
$50.48
$0.00
$59.65
$86.40
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$12.00
$12.00
$42.48
$50.48
$0.00
$71.65
$98.40
Plastic Drink
Bottles with caps
— 2L preferred; 1L
will work; smaller
than that nonoptimal.
Sand, clean and
white or very lightcolored
Aquarium gravel
Pea- Gravel
Science
supply co.
Hardware
Store or
borrow
Total $0.00
Shipping $0.00
Total with Shipping $0.00
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 17 of 18
Buyer’s Guide Notes
Item to Purchase
Plastic Drink Bottles with caps -- 2L
preferred; 1L will work; smaller than that
non-optimal.
Notes
A week or two before you do this lab, ask students to bring in empty 1L and 2L plastic
bottles with caps.
Make sure it contains no dyes or artificial colors that will leach; sand from home
improvement stores may not be adequately clean.
Sand, clean and white or very lightcolored
Wash outside sand with water before you use it in this lab.
online; be sure to get white sand, not colored; guesstimate 1/3 lb per student from
instructions
Aquarium gravel
Make sure it contains no dyes or artificial colors that will leach.
Wash before classroom use.
Pea- Gravel
Buy from aquarium department
Limestone, white. Crushed or pelitized
preferred over powdered
Try to find limestone that is granular or pelitized instead of powder. No reasonable
online source found.
Cheesecloth
These items are substitutes for burlap and other landscape fabrics, which are used in
bioswales to help keep fine sediments from clogging during filtration.
pH Test strips: EM pH Strips 2.0-9.0
Hammer and a few 10-penny nails; driver
handle and bits in a variety of sizes
Measuring cups including 1/3 cup or
metric equivalent
Alternative: Use electronic pH instruments if classroom has them.
For making holes in bottle tops
Graduated beakers work fine too
Black or Green Tea, box of 20 bags or
more or 80 grams of loose tea
none
Lemon Juice or vinegar, 8 oz.
none
For Teachers
Engineering Design in Oregon Science Classrooms
Page 18 of 18
APPENDIX 3: RESOURCES AND EXTENSIONS

ODE Scoring Rubrics
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=32

Aquifer Modeling
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/activity8.html

Storm Water Drainage Simulation
http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swmm/

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) parking lot swale diagrams and information:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?a=78489&c=45388