LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:ElisabethWitbeck
TitleofLesson:ConserveWaterinArizona
Grade:4th
STANDARDS
Identifythesourcesofwaterwithinanenvironment(e.g.,groundwater,surfacewater,atmospheric
water,glaciers)(CCSS.Science.Grade4.Strand6.Concept3.PO1).
Identifythereasonsandevidenceaspeakerprovidestosupportparticularpoints(CCSS.ELA.Grade
4.SL.3).
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
ThislessonfocusesonthetopicsofArizonaswaterresourcesandpracticalwaysthatwatercanbeconserved
inArizona.Itcoverstheconceptsofgroundwater,surfacewater,andaquifers.Studentsneedtoknowthat
theycantakestepstoconservingwaterintheirownhomes,andtheyshould.SinceArizonaisadesertstate
andundergroundaquifersarebeingreadilyused,comingupwithwaysofconservingwaterisvital.Students,
beingthefuturegenerationthereforeneedtobeeducatedonhowtomakewiseandvaluabledecisions.

OBJECTIVES
SWBATillustratetheirunderstandingofArizonaswatersourcesbycreatingavisualrepresentation
ofthe3mainsources(SaltandVerdeRivers,undergroundaquifers,andtheColoradoRiver).
SWBAT identify reasons and evidence concerning water conservation ideas discussed in group
presentations.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Thestudentswillbeassessedcollectivelybythecreationtheirvisualrepresentationofthe3mainwater
sourcesinArizona.Thus,theywillbeevaluatedoniftheyshowedandexplainedtheVerdeandSaltRivers,
undergroundaquifers,andtheColoradoRiver.Theywillalsobeassessedindividuallyonidentifyingreasons
andevidenceconcerningwaterconservationideasbycompletingaworksheet(seeattached).Intheworksheet
eachstudentwillwriteatleasttworeasonsand/orevidencethateachgroupstatedinrelationtowhyandhow
thewaterconservationidea(s)wouldmakeanimpact.
PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Studentswillneedtoknowaboutdifferentwaystheycanreducetheamountofwaterusageintheirhomes,
haveageneralunderstandingofwheretheirwatercomesfrominArizona,whatasafeyieldmeansin
relationtogroundwater,andthebasicstatesofwater(solid,liquid,gas).
Thisknowledgewillbeassessedthroughobservinggroupdiscussions,individualcompletionoftheassessment
worksheet,andultimatelythroughtheirgrouppresentationsonconservingwaterinArizona.

MATERIALS
Videolink:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQRvN6MUajE
Whiteposterboards(enoughforgroupsof4)
Markers(45boxes)
PlayDoh(onecontainerforeachgroup)
Yarn(3ftforeachgroup)
Constructionpaper(45sheetspergroup)
GlueSticks(2pergroup)
Tape(onerollpergroup)
Notebooksorlinedpaper
Pencils
Scissors(1pergroup)

Assessmentworksheet(onecopyperstudent)
5ideasworksheet(onepergroupof34students)
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS
GroundwaterwaterthatcollectsincracksandspacesintherocksandsedimentsbeneaththeEarths
surface
Surfacewaterwaterfoundonthesurfaceofcontinentsandislands
Aquiferundergroundbedorlayeryieldinggroundwaterforwellsandspringsetc.
Conservationthepreservationandcarefulmanagementoftheenvironmentandofnaturalresources

TEACHINGPROCEDURES
ProceduralSteps:
Tobeginthelesson,showaquickmusicalvideoonGroundWater(linkinmaterials).
Askthestudents,Doyouknow/orrememberwhatArizonas3sourcesofwaterare?andWhat
doesgroundwaterfallunder(thisisaquifers)?
Callonstudentswhoraisetheirhandsandthenclarifywhatthe3mainsourcesofwaterare(Salt
andVerdeRivers,undergroundaquifers,andtheColoradoRiver).
Oncethethreemainsourceshavebeenstated,tellthestudentsthatingroupsof4theywillworkto
createamodel(visualrepresentation)ofthe3sourcesinArizona.Theymustshowall3ofthe
sources.Clarifythatthestudentsdonothavetouseallofthematerialsgiventothem,buttheymust
usetheposterboardastheirbasefortheirmodel.Letthembecreativeastheywant!
o NOTE:Themodeldoesnothavetobeextremelydetailed.AsimplemodelcouldusePlay
Doh,markers,andposterboard.Thus,thestudentscouldusebluePlayDohtocreatethe3
differentriversandbuildanaquiferontopoftheposterboard.Theywouldthenwriteon
theposterboardbesideeachsourcewhateachPlayDohmodelrepresents.
o Theimportantthingisthatthestudentsshowandexplainthe3mainwatersources.
Next,ask23studentstohelpdividethematerialsamongthegroups(posterboard,markers,Play
Doh,yarn,constructionpaper,glueticks,tape,andscissors).
Give1015minutesforthestudentstocompletetheirmodels.
Callontwogroupstoquicklyexplaintheirmodelstotheclass.
Askthestudentstoputtheirmodelsasideandreturntotheirseats.
Totransitiontothenextpartofthelesson,statethathumansarenotmaintainingabalanceofthe
amountofgroundwaterbeingdrawnatthesamerateitisbeingreplaced.Therefore,wearenot
doingagoodjobatfullyconservingourwater.Todayingroupsyouaregoingtoworktogetherto
comeupwithyourownpracticalsolutionsandwaystoconservewater.
*Iftheteacherisfollowingthe5dayunitplanhavetostudentspullouttheirnotebookswiththeir
ownwatersavingideas*
Tellthestudentstheyaregoingtobegiven15minutestocomewith5solid,persuasive,andpractical
waterconservationideasthattheyaregoingtopresenttotheclass.Definewhatconservationmeans
andcallononetotwostudentstorestatewhatitmeansintheirownwords.
o NOTE:Sometypesofsolutionsthestudentscouldcomeupwithinclude:turningthefaucet
offwhilebrushingteeth(thissaves4gallonsaminute),reusingtowelsinyourhomeorhotel,
orstartingacompostpileintheirownbackyard(s).
Tellthemtheycantalkaboutwaterconservationinthekitchen,thebathroom,landscapeorlawn,or
generalindoororoutdoorlocations.Tellthemtomakesuretoincludeintheirwriting(notetaker)
whytheychoseeachoftheideasandthereasonbehindeach.
Havethestudentsgetingroupsoffour(rearrangedesksandtablesifnecessary)andpassoutthe5
ideasworksheet.Assignonestudenttobethegroupleader,onetobethenotetaker,twotobethe
presentationspeakers.

Putonatimerforfifteenminutesandtellthestudentsyouhavesetthetimerandthetwopresenters
needtobereadytogoafterthetimerhasgoneoff.
Rovearoundtheroomtomakesurestudentsareontaskandoffersuggestionsifstudentsseemstuck
orconfused.
Getthestudentsattentionandtellthenotetakertohandtheirnotebooktothetwopresenters.
Havestudentshandouttheassessmentworksheet.
Asthestudentsarehandingouttheworksheetexplaintothestudentsthattheyaregoingtohaveto
writedownatleast2ofthewaterconservationideasthateachgrouphasstatedaswellasthe
importanceforeach(e.g.Letyourlawngodormant(brown)duringthewinter.Thisimportant
becausedormantgrassonlyneedstobewateredeverythreetofourweeks,lessifitrains).
Writetheexamplelistedaboveontheboardforthestudentstoseewhattheexpectationsarefor
theirresponses.
Havethestudentsvolunteer,orchoosetheorderofthegroupstoshare.Giveeachgroup
approximately25minutestosharetheirideas.
Aftereachgrouphasshared,opentheroomfordiscussion.
Askthestudents,Whichideasdidyoulikethebest?Areyougoingtoapplytheminyourownlives?
Doyouthinkyouaregoingtosharetheseideaswithyourparents?Whatdidyoulearnaboutwater
conservation?
Tellthemthatthereareactuallyover100waysthatwatercanbeconserved.
List56waysfromthewebsitelistedintheresources.
Askthestudentsiftheyhaveanyquestions.
RESOURCES
GroundwaterAnimation.(2006,May3).RetrievedApril12,2015,fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uQRvN6MUajE
100WaysToConserveWaterUseItWisely.(2015,January1).RetrievedApril12,2015,from
http://wateruseitwisely.com/100waystoconserve/?view=list
WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
This lesson connects to strategic thinking, values, and futures thinking. It connects to strategic thinking
because the students are strategizing ideas on how to practically conserve water. It connects to values
thinking because of the specific ways/ideas of conserving water that each group explains. Lastly, it connects to
futures thinking because by conserving water, they are thinking about the future and the impacts saving
water will have.