Lesson Plan Template

Name: Emma Gordon Subject(s): Academic Science Grade: 9

Lesson Title: Water Pollution

Curriculum Connections
Curriculum Area: Sustainable Ecosystems
Overall Expectations:
B1. assess the impact of human activities on the sustainability of terrestrial and/or aquatic ecosystems, and
evaluate the effectiveness of courses of action intended to remedy or mitigate negative impacts

B2. investigate factors related to human activity that affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and explain how
they affect the sustainability of these ecosystems
Specific Expectations:
B1.1 Assess, on the basis of research, the impact of a factor related to human activity that threatens the
sustainability of a terrestrial or aquatic ecosystem

B1.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of government initiatives in Canada and/or the efforts of societal groups or non-
governmental organizations, such as Aboriginal communities, environmental groups, or student organizations,
with respect to an environmental issue that affects the sustainability of terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems

B3.5 Identify various factors related to human activity that have an impact on ecosystems, and explain how
these factors affect the equilibrium and survival of ecosystems
Learning Goals:
 Students will be able to assess the effectiveness of government initiatives that focus on water pollution
in Indigenous communities
 Students will be able to develop a social justice perspective on the implications lack of access to clean
water has on First Nations communities
Assessment & Evaluation
SUCCESS CRITERIA: ASSESSMENT STRATEGY:
 All will be able to foster an opinion on the o Assessment for learning
effectiveness on government initiatives for - Reviewing pollution concepts
clean water in First Nations communities - The soup bowl activity
 All will be able to think critically on the - Class discussion
relationship between Canada and Indigenous - Sharing circle
Peoples o Assessment as learning
 All will develop a social justice perspective - The soup bowl activity
 All will become aware of the negative - Student group discussions
implications of having no access to clean - Student reflections
water

Prior Learning
Prior to this lesson, students will have:
 To know what pollution is, and the various ways water can become polluted
 To analyze how human activities threatens the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems
 To identify factors related to human activity that have an impact on ecosystems
 To explain how these factors affect the equilibrium and survival of ecosystems

© 2014 Antonino Giambrone, Salima Kassam, Vidya Shah

Adapted from: Differentiated Instruction Teaching/Learning Examples 2009 – Template for Writers. Ontario Ministry of Education, Student Success/Learning to 18 Implementation,
Training and Evaluation Branch
Materials and Resources
 4 to 6 soup bowls (one per group)
 A package of spoons/forks/straws/coffee filters
 Fish candies
 Powdered juice mix or food colouring
 Assortment of candies
 Computer

Time Steps/Activities Pedagogical Assessment

Framework: As/For/Of Learning

Minds On Connections to Assessment

 Establish a positive learning environment Framework Opportunities
 Connect to prior learning and/or experiences
 Setting the context for learning
 Review pollution concepts that were discussed in the Indigenous Assessment for
previous class – i.e what is pollution, types of pollution Framework learning – asking
 Students are then given a task: questions to
- Each group (four or five students in each group) will review pollution
be given a soup bowl that represented a contaminated concepts and the
body of water soup bowl
- Their task is to clean up their body of water with the activity
tools they have been given – i.e spoons, forks, straws,
filters etc. Assessment as
- The students are not aware that each soup bowl is Learning – the
modelled after a specific lake or river in an Indigenous soup bowl
community in Canada – Wabigoon River (Grassy activity
Narrows First Nation), Angle Inlet (Northwest Angle
No. 33 First Nation), Shoal Lake (Shoal Lake 40 First
Nation), Nibinamik Lake (Nibinamik First Nation),
and Constance Lake (Constance Lake First Nation)
- After 10 minutes – students are asked if they would
drink from their soup bowls and why or why not
Action Assessment
 Introduce new learning or extending/reinforcing prior to learning Opportunities
 Provide opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided/independent)
 Reveal that each soup bowl represents an actual lake or Indigenous Assessment for
river in Canada and that they are the main water source for Framework Learning – class
certain Indigenous communities discussion on the
 Explain each body of water four questions
- The name of the lake or river and the Indigenous and after
community it supplies watching the
- Where it is and how it is polluted video clip
- How long it has been polluted
- It’s current state – i.e has the drinking water advisory Assessment as
been uplifted or not Learning –
- What the Government of Canada has done (and when student group
they started to intervene) or haven’t done discussions
 Students will then be split into groups of to discuss these answering the
questions: four questions
- Is clean drinking water a right or a privilege? Explain
- Why did the Government of Canada take so long to
intervene?
© 2014 Antonino Giambrone, Salima Kassam, Vidya Shah
Adapted from: Differentiated Instruction Teaching/Learning Examples 2009 – Template for Writers. Ontario Ministry of Education, Student Success/Learning to 18 Implementation,
Training and Evaluation Branch
 -
Do you think that it would take this long if Toronto,
Brampton, Mississauga, Ottawa etc. were under a
DWA? Why or why not?
- What does this suggest about how we, as a society,
view/treat Indigenous Peoples?
 After 5 to 10 minutes of group discussion, the students
will then participate in a class discussion engaging in these
questions
 After class discussion watch video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arnqpnm70Ng -
Canada’s Water Crisis: Indigenous Families at Risk
- Ask student’s what they thought about the video, how
did the video make them feel
 Unveil the fact that in 2016 there were 151 DWAs in
effect across Canada – that the lakes and rivers we
discussed are not the only lakes and rivers under DWAs
 Also, that there are certain First Nations under do not
consume, and do not use advisory - Potlotek (NS), Kitigan
Zibi (Quebec), Bear Skin (ON), Wahta Mohawk (ON),
God’s Lake First Nation (Manitoba), Pinaymootang First
Nation (Manitoba) and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
(Saskatchewan)
 Disclose that First Nations are not considered
municipalities – therefore First Nations drinking water is
federal responsibility and no federal standards hold any
level of government accountable to ensure clean and safe
drinking water in First Nations and the implications of this
Consolidation and Connection Assessment
 Helping students demonstrate what they’ve learned Opportunities
 Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection
Students will then organize themselves into a circle to Indigenous Assessment for
share and reflect on: Framework Learning –
- How they are feeling after the lesson sharing circle
- How the feel about knowing that there are specific
communities (Indigenous) in Canada that do not have Assessment as
access to clean water Learning –
- What they have taken away from today’s lesson student
- Ways that we can change this – example to become an reflections in the
ally sharing circle
 Students will be reminded that this is a safe space, no one
will be judged for speaking their truth
 After reflection of how we can change DWAs in
Indigenous communities, watch video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dg86g-QlM0 - 5 Tips
for Being an Ally
Next Steps
 For students to develop a feeling of responsibility to right
the wrongs still happening to Indigenous Peoples
 For students to become allies in the school and societal
community
© 2014 Antonino Giambrone, Salima Kassam, Vidya Shah
Adapted from: Differentiated Instruction Teaching/Learning Examples 2009 – Template for Writers. Ontario Ministry of Education, Student Success/Learning to 18 Implementation,
Training and Evaluation Branch
Adapted from Lewison, Leland and Harste. Creating Critical Classrooms (2004)

Disrupting the Commonplace: Considering Multiple Viewpoints:

 Disrupt stereotypical and commonly held assumptions  Indigenous perspectives on lack of clean water
 That even though Canada is a first world  David Suzuki Foundation – Glass Half Empty
country, there are citizens without access to  Government of Canada
clean water
 Disrupting the belief that everyone has fair and
equal access to clean water in Canada
 Why in such a developed country do we have
people that do not have access to clean water?

Focusing on the Socio-Political: Taking Action to Promote Social Justice:

 Understanding social and/or political issues between individuals or in  Understanding ways in which people can be powerful in their own worlds
society at large
 Ask students ways to change this
 Why are only Indigenous communities effected  Some examples – learning about Indigenous
by this? issues, develop a critical eye on the
 What does this say about how we view relationship between Indigenous Peoples and
Indigenous Peoples? Canada, become an ally to Indigenous Peoples,
 What does this say about Canada’s relationship write letters to the Government of Canada,
with Indigenous Peoples? volunteer to clean the community, become
 Why did it take so long for the Government of environmentally friendly
Canada to put cleaning initiatives into place?
 What is the hidden message Canada is sending
to Indigenous Peoples?

© 2014 Antonino Giambrone, Salima Kassam, Vidya Shah

Adapted from: Differentiated Instruction Teaching/Learning Examples 2009 – Template for Writers. Ontario Ministry of Education, Student Success/Learning to 18 Implementation,
Training and Evaluation Branch