Inquiry (5E) Lesson Plan

Teacher: Rochelle Palazzetti Subject: Science - Water Conservation

Common Core State Standard:

SC05-S3C1-02. Changes in Environments

Propose a solution, resource, or product that addresses a specific human, animal, or habitat need.

ISTE-S.1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate
their learning in a variety of ways.

Objective:
Students will be able to explain water waste and conservation to propose a solution to reduce water waste.

Evidence of Mastery:

The students will present their proposed solution using technology of their choice with an expected level of mastery
of 20/25 on the rubric.

Sub-objectives, SWBAT:

Explain the water cycle

Explain what a precious resource is
Identify water as a precious resource
Identify ways that water is wasted
Identify ways that water can be conserved
Use futures thinking
Explain what sustainability means
Use research to explain water waste and conservation
Use research to propose a solution to reduce water waste

Key vocabulary: Materials:

Sustainability Book: All the Water in the World by George Ella
Water Lyon
Water cycle Laptop/Computer (preferable a class set or one
Futures thinking per group of 4)
Precious resource Projector
Water waste Video: The Global Water Crisis-How Much
Conservation Water Do We Use Everyday from TakePart
Propose Blank paper (class set)
Solution Blank bar graph paper (class set)
Books relating to water waste and conservation
(5 different books)
Printed articles relating to water waste and
1

Engage
Teacher Will:
Open the lesson by setting behavior
expectations and showing students a picture of
water
Have students think about all the places where
they can find water
Allow several students to share their ideas
Ask students, What is sustainability?
Allow several students to share their ideas
Wrap up students ideas by confirming what
sustainability is
Introduce the driving question, Is water a
precious resource?
Have students share their ideas with their
shoulder partner
Tell the students that they should continue to
think about this question as you read the book,
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
Read the book to the students
Ask the students what they learned from the
book
Allow several students to share their ideas
Ask the students, Can someone explain the
water cycle?
Allow at least one student to share the water
cycle
Once the student is done sharing the water
cycle, confirm it by writing and drawing a picture
of the water cycle on the board for reference
End this portion of the lesson by allowing the
students to share with a new partner if they
think water is a precious resource and let the
students know that they will do more activities
involving water the next day
Explore
Teacher Will:
Set behavior expectations for the day and
briefly yesterdays lesson
Tell the students that they will be watching a
video, The Global Water Crisis-How Much
Water Do We Use Everyday from TakePart
Ask the students, What did you notice in the
video? What did you learn?
conservation (5 different articles, class set)
Presentation rubric (class set)
White board
White board markers
Students Will:
Pay attention to the teacher and listen to
behavior expectations
Think of all the places where water can be
found and share ideas
Consider the question, What is sustainability?
Answer the question by raising their hand to
share ideas
Listen to the teacher confirm what sustainability
is
Consider the question, Is water a precious
resource?
Share ideas with their shoulder partner
Listen to the book All the Water in the World by
George Ella Lyon being read by the teacher
Share what they learned from the story
Explain what the water cycle is
Watch the teacher draw the water cycle and
draw the water cycle on a blank sheet of paper
Share with a new partner how they view water
now after reading the book and participating in
a class discussion
Students Will:
Listen to the teacher set behavior expectations
and review yesterdays lesson
Watch the video
Share what they noticed and learned from the
video
Share their ideas of what it means to conserve
Listen to the teacher confirm what it means
2
 Allow multiple students to share their ideas Share their ideas of all the ways and places that
Ask students, What does it mean to water is used
conserve? Write down notes from the board on a blank
Allow students to share their ideas sheet of paper
Confirm what it means to conserve water Create a tally chart based of the teachers
Ask students, Can you think of all the ways example
that you use water at school and at home? Begin to use tally chart in the classroom and
What do you think are some hidden places you bring it home
never thought of before?
Allow several students to share and write it on
the board
Have students take notes of these ideas
Tell the students, You will be creating a tally
chart of how many times you use water at
school and at home. Each time you use water
place a tally in the appropriate box. Use your
notes to help guide you, if you are unsure if you
used water in that instance. You will return this
chart tomorrow to be used for another activity.
Review how to create a tally chart with students
Allow students to create the tally chart and walk
around the classroom to make sure it is correct
Tell the students, You should now be using
your tally charts for the rest of the day and
make sure you bring them home. You will use
your tally chart up the next day, up until we
begin the next portion of our lesson to get
accurate results.
Once again review all the ways that water is
used daily, especially in the hidden ways and
review what conservation means before closing
this portion of the lesson

Explain

Teacher Will: Students Will:

Set behavior expectations and review what they
learned from yesterdays lesson
Have students add up the amount of tally marks
from the school column and then the home
column
Pass out the blank bar graphs to the students
Review how to create a bar graph and create
an example
Have students create bar graphs for their tally
marks relating to how much water they used at
home and how much water they used at school
Walk around as students are creating graphs to
aid students who maybe struggling
Have students think about the difference
between home and school use
Have students share their graph with their
Listen to the teacher set behavior expectations
and review yesterdays lesson
Add up tally marks from worksheet
Watch and listen to the teacher review how to
create a bar graph
Create a bar graph of their tally marks
Compare their bar graph with their shoulder
partner and discuss the hidden ways that water
is used at home and at school
Write down total of tally marks under their
respective column on the board
Watch the teacher create the class graph
Analyze the graph and share their ideas of what
they noticed
Brainstorm ways that water can be conserved
and share ideas with their peers
3
 shoulder partner so that they can compare and
talk about the hidden ways that water is used
Create a column on one side of the board for
water use at home and another column for
water use at school
Allow students to write down their total tally
marks that correspond to each column on the
board
Add up all the numbers under each column to
get a class total
Create a bar graph where one bar represents
school, one home, and one is the total of both
using Microsoft Excel and is projected to the
students
Students will share the trends they noticed
relating to the class graph in comparison to
their own and discuss all the ways that they
noticed they used water at school as well as at
home
After this discussion ask students to brainstorm
ideas of ways that water can be conserved at
school and at home
Allow students to share these ideas and close
out this portion of the lesson plan

Elaborate

Teacher Will: Students Will:

Set behavior expectations for the day and Listen to behavior expectations set forth by the
review yesterdays lesson teacher and the review of yesterdays lesson
Introduce futures thinking and provide several Listen to the teacher explain futures thinking
concrete examples to help foster this way of Share examples of futures thinking
thinking Listen to peers examples
Ask students if they have any examples that Ask questions if needed
they can think of that they could apply futures Listen to the teacher give directions regarding
thinking to the presentation
Allow several students to share Gather with assigned group
Reaffirm what futures thinking is before Begin research using the books, articles, and
introducing the presentation what they have learned
Tell the students that they will use this way of Begin the creation of the presentation and work
thinking to create a group presentation that with group members to do so
relates to water waste and conservation
Pass out the presentation directions and tell the
students what is expected
Say, You will create a PowerPoint presentation
that informs your audience of water waste,
water conservation, and a prediction for the
future of water if people continued to waste
water or began to conserve it. You should have
at least three ways water is wasted and at least
three ways to conserve water. This information
must be accurate. You will use books, articles,
4
 and what you learned in class to do this. You
will work in groups of four to create this
presentation and it will be shared with your
peers. You may also have the opportunity to
share this with other classes to inform them of
water waste and water conservation, so be sure
to do your best effort.
Assign groups
Place books and articles on a table that
students can access
Allow students to research and create their
presentation
Walk around the classroom to make sure
students are on task and ask questions

Evaluate

Teacher Will: Students Will:

Set behavior expectations for the day and allow
students to put the finishing touches on their
presentations
Have students share their presentations and
grade the students using the rubric
After all students have finished sharing re-ask
the students the driving question, Is what a
precious resource?
Allow students to share their ideas and have
them explain why
Close the lesson by explaining why water is a
precious resource and the importance of
conserving water
Listen to the teacher set behavior expectations
and put finishing touches on their presentations
Share presentations
Listen to peers share presentations
Answer the driving question and explain why
Listen to their peers answer the driving question
Listen to the teachers close of the lesson and
ask any remaining questions