LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

Your Name: Jourdan Roth

Title of Lesson: Waste Water Treatment
Grade: 5
STANDARDS
NOTE:Pleaselistatleasttwocompletestandardsyourlessonplancovers.[CommonCoreStateStandards
(mathandlanguagearts),NextGenerationScienceStandards(science),ArizonaStateSocialStudies
Standards(socialstudies)].

S3C1-PO3. Evaluate the possible strengths and weaknesses of a proposed solution to a specific
problem relevant to human, animal, or habitat needs.
S1C4-PO3. Communicate with other groups or individuals to compare the results of a common
investigation
5.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related
information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses
(e.g., in contrast, especially).
d. Use precise language and domainspecific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
NGSS 5-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use
science ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.
LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW
Provideanoverview/synopsisofthelessonandthetopicsthatitwillcover.Makesuretoprovideareason
whyyouselectedthistoberelevantforaunitonsustainability?

In this lesson, the students will be given a cup of wastewater and be asked to clean it
using the provided supplies. The students have previously been learning about reclaimed
water and how it is just treated wastewater, so they will be given the opportunity to
experience the treatment process. I selected this to be relevant for a unit on sustainability
because it is important that the students know the affects that they have on our water. It is
important for them to be aware of what they put down their drains and know that
someone has to clean it when they do. They also need to be informed about the process
water undergoes in order to be considered reclaimed water and be able to be used again
for other purposes other than drinking.
OBJECTIVES

Describewhatyouwantstudentstoknow/beabletodoasaresultofthelesson.
Forexample,Studentswillbeableto

Students will be able to construct a model of the water treatment process and demonstrate
their understanding by filling out a worksheet listing the steps that they took.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Whatmeasureswillyouusetoknowifyoustudentsmettheobjectives?
Students will complete the worksheet listing the process

that they used as well as creating

an informational writing piece to a friend explaining the topic and the process that must
take place in order for wastewater to become usable reclaimed water.
Students will then create an informative writing piece explaining the water treatment
process to a peer.

PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE
Whatwillstudentsneedtoknowpriortocompletingthislessonandhowwillyouaccesstheirprior
knowledge?

Students will need to know that water is a natural resource

Students will need to know that there is a set amount of water on Earth
Students will need to know that water goes through a process to be cleaned

MATERIALS
Listofrequiredmaterials.
1largecontainerforwater
6smallercontainersforeachgroup
Wastewaterraisins,shampoo,toiletpaper,dishsoap,grass,goldsifh
Sand/gravel
Spoons
Alum
Filters
Screen

Listofkeyvocabularyterms.

VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS

Filtration: theactionorprocessoffilteringsomethingthroughaporousmaterial
Wastewater:Waterthathasbeenaffectedinqualitybyanthropogenicinfluence.
Conserve:Protect(something,especiallyanenvironmentallyorculturallyimportantplaceorthing)from
harmordestruction.
NaturalResource:Materialsorsubstancessuchasminerals,forests,water,andfertilelandthatoccurin
natureandcanbeusedforeconomicgain
TEACHINGPROCEDURES
ProceduralSteps(Stepbystepinstructionsforteachingthelesson):
1.

Thestudentswillbeinstructedtowritealistofwhyconservingwaterisimportant(2minutes)

2.

Thestudentswillthenwritealistofwaystoconservewater.(2minutes)Theywillsharethese
answerswithapartnerandcreateavenndiagramofideasthateachpartnerhadaswellasacolumn
forideasthattheyhadincommon.(10minutes)
3. Inthetablegroups,thestudentswillbegivenasmallcontainerwithwastewaterinit.Theywillfirst
deviseaplanasagroupastohowtheywanttotreatthewater.Oncetheyhavecometoan
agreementontheprocess,theywillstart.Theywillhavethreechancestocleanthewater.Thiswill
allowthemtomakeanychangestotheirplantocleanthewateraseffectivelyaspossible.Oncethey
havecleanedthewatertothebestoftheirabilityandtheyfeelconfidentwithit,theywillfilloutthe
cleaningprocesssheetsothatIwillbeabletoseethestepsthattheytook.(25minutes)
4. Lastly,studentswillbeinstructedtocreateaninformativewritingpiecetoapeer/familymember
explainingwhywaterconservationisimportant,waytoconservewaterandhowthewatertreatment
processworks.Theywillalsoexplainthewatertreatmentprocessthattheyfollowedinclass.Iwill
givethemtimeinclasstocompletetheroughdraftandpeerediting(45forwriting,15forpeer
editing).Thefinalwillbedoneforhomeworkandturnedinthefollowingday.
RESOURCES
Listanyreferencesyouusedtocreatethislesson.Ifyouborrowedideasfromanylessonplanspleasenote
themhere.UseAPAformat.

(2015). Project WET. Drain to drinking

water. https://app.box.com/s/bpkoc5oygeajwupudea0
WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION
Provideacompleteexplanationofhowyourlessonplanconnectstofutures,system,strategic,orvalues
thinking.Definethewayofthinkingyouselectedandusedinthislessonplan.Remember,thisshouldbe
includedmeaningfullyinthelessonplan.

This lesson plan connects to futures thinking as well as strategic thinking. Futures thinking
refers to recognition of how our past and present decisions affect the future. Looking at the big
picture, students are able to see how putting things down their drains (other than water) impacts
the overall cleanliness and efficiency of the water and the water treatment process, respectively.
They will be able to take this new knowledge and apply it to their future decisions. They could
educate their family and friends on this topic in hopes that it will have a lasting effect on them as
well. On a smaller scale, this lesson relates to strategic thinking. Strategic thinking refers to the
ability to devise a plan in order to achieve a certain outcome (Fuller, 2015) because the students
must come up with a process to clean the wastewater in order to make it as reusable as
possible. They have to look at their materials that are provided with as well as their water and
come up with a plan of action.