Based on Lesson Plan: 3rd grade Water Use and the World by Jennifer Valentine.
Objective:
Students will be able to make basic comparisons between per capita water use in the United States and other countries, using liters.
Digital tools:
Laptop
Engage
Activity: Waterfall Video and Discussion
- Play a Short Video Clip: Show a video of a waterfall in Bryce Canyon National Park.
- Discussion: Discuss the importance and beauty of water, using the waterfall as an example.
- Introduce the historical context of how settlers redirected water to agricultural areas.
- Prompt Questions:
- Why do you think water is so important in our lives?
- How do you think people in different parts of the world use water differently?
Kahoot! Quiz:
- Activity: Create a Kahoot! quiz to review students’ prior knowledge about water use and introduce key concepts.
- Questions:
- What is the average water use per person per day in the U.S.?
- Why is water important for agriculture?
Explore
Water Use Data Exploration
- Introduce Water Use Data:
- Show students how to access the Average Use Per Person Per Day data set.
- Explain how to read and interpret the data, focusing on liters as the unit of measurement.
- Hands-On Activity:
- Students use mini laptops in pairs to explore the data set.
- Guide them to select countries from different continents and various levels of water consumption (high, medium, low).
- Prompt Questions:
- What differences do you notice in water use between countries?
- Can you find a country that uses a lot of water and one that uses very little?
Explain
Data Analysis and Graph Creation
- Teaching Graph Creation:
- Teach students how to use the Create a Graph tool.
- Demonstrate how to enter data and create a graph comparing water use in selected countries.
- Student Activity:
- Students input data from three sets: the United States, another country, and the difference between them.
- Create graphs and analyze the visual data representation.
- Discussion:
- Discuss the findings as a class.
- Prompt Questions:
- Do you see a relationship between the type of environments in which people live (arid/tropical) and their water use?
- Is your water use affected by your local environment?
- Do you see a relationship between the wealth of a country and their water use?
- How does our use or overuse of water possibly affect the natural environment?
Elaborate
In-Depth Investigation and Presentation
- Extended Research:
- Students select additional countries for deeper investigation.
- Research how the environment and economy of these countries impact their water use.
- Prepare a short presentation with their findings.
- Class Presentations:
- Students present their graphs and research findings to the class.
- Prompt Questions:
- What surprised you about the water use in different countries?
- How do environmental factors influence water consumption?
Quizizz Activity:
- Activity: Create a Quizizz game with questions based on the data and information presented by students.
- Task: Students participate in the game to reinforce their learning and review key concepts.
Evaluate
Reflection and Assessment
- Student Reflection:
- Have students reflect on what they learned and write down their thoughts.
- Prompt Questions:
- What surprised you today?
- What do you think YOU could do to modify how people waste water? Be realistic.
- What do you understand about liters now that you didn’t understand a week ago?
- Assessment/ Exit ticket :
- Review the students’ graphs and reflections.
- Provide feedback on their understanding of water use and their ability to analyze and compare data.
- We will use Google Forms to create an exit ticket where students answer reflection questions and provide feedback on the lesson.
Reflection:
There were several strengths in the original lesson plan. As a starting point, the video clip of a waterfall in Bryce Canyon National Park is engaging and will capture students’ attention. The lesson provides opportunities to analyze real-world water usage data, and incorporates practical data use, making it relevant and meaningful. Students will also work in pairs to explore water usage data and create graphs, which will foster collaboration and hands-on learning. In addition, the lesson encourages students to consider the intricate relationship between the environment, wealth, and water use through thought-provoking questions.
There are, however, some weaknesses in the lesson plan as well. Although the lesson utilizes the Create a Graph website, there is potential to use digital tools more extensively to enhance learning. In addition, the mini-lesson relies heavily on direct instruction, which might limit student engagement and active participation. Also, although the lesson features open-ended reflection questions, and there is no structured assessment to ensure that students’ understanding, and progress are being assessed.
The redesigned lesson plan, which utilizes the 5E’s model and incorporates various digital tools, presents a mix of strengths and possible opportunities in the classroom. The primary strength lies in enhanced student engagement. The inclusion of a Kahoot! quiz at the beginning of the lesson increases interactivity and provides a fun way for students to review prior knowledge and get excited about the lesson. Kahoot! is a game based learning platform that will enhance your lesson plan and let you create quizzes and interactive media. Exploration with Google Earth is another key tool, it allows students to visualize the geographical context of the countries being studied, and improve their understanding of the data. The initial lesson was improved by maintaining the Create a Graph website, utilizing Google Earth for data, and inputting the data for graph creation, ensuring that students comprehend how to interpret their findings. Extended elaboration is encouraged because as students conduct in-depth research and present their findings, they are essentially promoting deeper learning and communication skills. Quizizz provides interactive assessment and games to reinforce learning and a Google Forms exit ticket to assess student understanding and gather feedback.
However, there are some potential weaknesses to consider. Integrating multiple digital tools may require careful time management to ensure the lesson remains within the allotted time frame. Technical issues, such as device or internet access problems, could also pose challenges. Finally, the learning curve for both students and teachers to become familiar with the new digital tools could initially slow down the lesson’s progress.
Sources :
Gerges, E. (2022, March 4). How to Use the 5E Model in Your Science Classroom. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-5e-model-your-science-classroom/
Goldstein, L. (2018, September 18). 5E Lesson Planning with Nearpod. Nearpod Blog. https://nearpod.com/blog/5e-lesson-plan/
Robyn Hilger, Catherine Vaughn. (2021, July 16). K20 LEARN | Creating 5E Lessons. Learn.k20center.ou.edu. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/professional-learning/915
Tool 4: Using the 5E instructional model to develop learning sequences | AMNH. (2016). American Museum of Natural History. https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/five-tools-and-processes-for-ngss/tool-4
Valentine, J. (n.d.). BetterLesson Coaching. Teaching.betterlesson.com. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://teaching.betterlesson.com/lesson/597191/water-use-and-the-world?from=search
