Teacher: Kylie Wells

Inquiry (5E) Lesson Plan Template

Subject: Science

Grade: 4th

Standard:
Common Core:
Science: PO 1. Describe how natural events and human activities have positive and negative
impacts on environments (e.g., fire, floods, pollution, dams).
Language Arts: 7.Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic. (4.W.7)
NGSS Standard: 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use
science ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.
Objective (Explicit):
Students will be able to understand and know the different methods used to clean up an oil spill
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):
During the activity students will write on their worksheets their predictions, observations, and
explainations
We will review and discuss everything learned at the end of class
The students will write about what they learned making connections between the activity and the
book
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (knowledge, skill, purpose):

Students will have backgroud knowledge on water pollution and oil spills specifically
Students will be able to make their own predictions on what method they think will best clean up the
oil spills
Students will be able to experiment and write down their observations
Students will be able to actively particiapte in a group discussion
Students will be able to colpare and write about what they learned from the book and in their
experimental activity.
Students will use strategic thinking
Key vocabulary:
Materials:
Oil Spills
"Oil Spills" by Melvin Berger
Boom
Pencil
Skimmer
Oil Spill Worksheet
Special pads
Short wide container to hold water
Water
Oil
spoons
Cotton Balls
Straws
Paper Towls
Sponges
Eye Drops

Engage
Teacher Will:
Start off with engaging the students in a
conversation about how to clean up ocean oil
spills and create a class chart brainstoriming as
a class different ideas.

Then read "Oil Spills" by Melvin Berger to the

class and have a discussion about the different
ways to clean up an oil spill and write all the
different clean up methods that they learned in
the book on the chart by having the students
recall them. Then go over the classes chart to
see if any of their ideas were mentioned.

Feathers
Dish soap
Video

Students Will:
Brainstorm and come up with ways that an
oil spill can be cleaned up.

Listen to the story being read making sure

that theyre listening and paying attention
to the ways oil spills can be cleaned

Recall which oil spills they learned about

in the book and answer the teachers
questions.

Explore
Teacher Will:
Let the students know that they now get to
become oil spill disaster cleaners like in the
book and get to try to clean up their own oil
spills

Students Will:
Listend and follow along to the teachers
directions

Make predictions on what they think the

best tool for cleaning up the oil spills will
be

Collect materials

Pour the oil in the water and make

observations on it

Explore and try to clean up the oil with the

different tools provided working
collabratively with their partners

Write doen their observstions on their

worksheet

Pass out an oil spill worksheet that the students

will use to predict, observe, and explain
Split the class up into groups of 3 and show
them the different materials they can use to try
to clean up the oil spill and have them make
their own predictions about which object they
think will work the best for cleaning it up.
Have the students send up one person from
their group to collect their materials

After each group has all of their materials

instruct them to pour the oil into their water
container and observe and play around with the
oil before they try to clean it up and write down
their observations on their worksheets.

Then after a few minutes have the students

work towards cleaning up their oil spill (writing

down their observations as they go) (At this

stage students will be using strategic thinking to
try to solve how to clean the oil spill up)

Walk around the class observing the students

and answering questions if needed

Differentiation Strategy
If low on time or materials each group could only have one or two tools that they have to try
to use, this way at the end the can share with the class and show them what their tool did and
rate it on how it worked. This also allows them to use the tool in various methods.
Explain
Teacher Will:
After the students have had plenty of time to try
to clean their oil spills come back together as a
class and talk about if they were able to get rid
of all their oil (they shouldnt be able to) and
talk about what strategies worked and what
didnt. As well as what their predictions were
and if any of them came true

Students Will:
Discuss their observations and findings
with the class as well as if any of their
perdications were accurate

Experiment with the feathers and observe

how the feather is when its covered in oil,
discuss what this means and what it would
do to birds

Then pass out feathers to the students and have

Try to clean the birds feather with dish
them dip them in the oil to demonstrate what
soap and make observations
happens to birds feathers when they get covered
in oil, ask the students what their opinions are
on this and discuss ways that the animals suffer
from these oil spills and what needs to be done
to clean the animals.(pass out dish soap to have
them try to clean the feathers)
Differentiation Strategy
This feather activity could also only be done by the teacher and passed around to the class or it could
be moved and used to start the oil clean up activity to demonstrate how animals get hurt and thats
one reason they need to try to clean up the oil spill.
Elaborate
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Then instruct the students to write about what
Think about what they learned from the
they learned and talk about what their favorite
book and what they discovered during the
strategy for cleaning up the oil was and which
activity and write a paragraph on it,
method they think it best represents from the
comparing their favorite clean up strategy
ones they learned in the book.
to a method in the book.
Differentiation Strategy
Instead of writing a paragraph on what they leanred and relating it to their reading thet could if they
have the time write a letter to scientists thanking them for all their hard work will oil spills and trying
to save the animals.
Evaluate

Teacher Will:
Play a video for the students on how the BP
oil spill animals were cleaned during this
disaster

Students Will:
Watch the video thinking about everything
they just did and learned in their activity and
compare it to the real life oil spill.

Differentiation Strategy
Instead of the video you could just further the class discussion and talk about the BP oil spill and
what they did in order to give them a real world example