Elise Holcomb

LESSON RATIONALE
Students need to learn about how individuals have made an impact on our environment. Every
action we make can affect the health of our planet. Each person’s decisions change the
environment and the life of both plants and animals.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal: Student will understand the different types of pollution and realize how their
actions will affect the environment.
B. Objectives: After doing research on a specific type of pollution, students will present on
the causes and effects of pollution.
Students will identify specific ways to help protect and preserve the environment.
C. Standards:
IAS: 4.2.6 Describe ways in which humans have changed the natural environment.
Explain if these changes have been detrimental or beneficial.
ISTE: 3d: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and
problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

II. Management Plan

Time Space Behavior Materials

Anticipatory Set 7 minutes Students will be Students will be -half teaspoon
at their desks allowed to baking soda
and the teacher discuss as the -1 tablespoon
will be at the experiment bleach
front of the room happens and the -glass jar or
showing the water changes other clear
demonstration. colors container
The teacher can -water
walk around the -spoon to stir
room with the
jar to show
students the
process.
Lesson 30 minutes Students will be While students -colored paper
at their are working, -smaller white
workstations they will be pieces of paper
while they are talking with each -glue
working, the other, but they -resource sheets
front of the room should not be with QR codes
when they are yelling or
presenting, and misbehaving. If
their desks when they are, the
other groups are teacher will go
presenting. The over and talk
 teacher will be with that group
walking around individually and
and helping try to get them
groups as they back on track. If
work. During the teacher needs
presentations, to make an
the teacher will announcement to
towards the back the whole class,
of the room she will use,
listening to the “class, class,
presentations yes, yes” to get
and helping their attention.
groups present
as necessary.
Check for 5 minutes The teacher will Students are none
Understanding be at the front of expected to be
the room and active
students will be participants in
in their seats the discussion;
answering
questions and
presenting ideas
Closure 3 minutes Students will be Students should none
in their desks be listening as
and the teacher the teacher
will be walking reviews. If the
about the room teacher needs
discussing. students to quiet
down and get
under control,
she can use
“class, class,
yes, yes”

III. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners

 Students will be brainstorming ways that they can help their environment, and the teacher
will be sure to include ways that do not require anything extra (technology, money, etc.)
There are many practical ways that students can make an impact even if they don’t have a
lot of resources.
 To avoid the issue of having too many people in each group, the creation of the posters
will be arranged so that every person can play a role. Each group has their own big
colored paper to make their poster, and each person can work on a smaller piece of paper
to add to the poster. This allows all of the people in the group to work on the poster at the
same time without crowding around one small piece of paper.
  Each student will be able to choose their role in the group so that they can do something
that suits them. The teacher is not assigning roles so that each student can pick something
that best fits their preferences and learning style.
 If students need more time to work on their poster, the teacher will give students a few
more minutes and then will skip a few discussion questions at the end to make up for the
lost time.
 If students are not sure what they need to cover or what the presentation will look like,
the teacher will demonstrate. The teacher will show an example poster and model what
the presentation should look like. The teacher will also have all of the required questions
on the board for people to see while they are working, and the questions will be written
out at each table as well.
 If students finish early on their posters, the teacher can ask them how they can make their
poster better and encourage them to find more strategies on how to prevent this type of
pollution of reverse the effects of this type of pollution. The teacher can also ask students
to come up with something that the whole class could do together to help the
environment.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

IV. Anticipatory Set

The teacher will do an experiment with water and food coloring to represent a model of the
effects of pollution. Today we are going to start with an experiment. I am going to color this
water and then turn it back into clear water. First, I am going to take this jar of clear water and
add a few drops of color. The teacher will do this experiment at a front table so the whole class
can see. The teacher will stir the color in so that all of the water changes color. Everyone see how
the dye changed the color of the water? The teacher will hole up the jar so everyone can see.
Now who thinks I can make this water clear again? Raise your hand if you think it can be made
completely clear again. The teacher will then add the bleach and baking soda to the water and
stir it. The color will mostly go away, but it won’t dissolve completely. Can everyone see how
those chemicals changed the color of the water? Did it go away completely? The teacher will
explain how the chemicals helped dissolve the color, but the water didn’t go back to what it was
originally. Could you drink this water? Even if it looks like regular water? The teacher will
explain how the water has been permanently changed, and how she can’t make it go back to what
it was before the food coloring.
Our planet is similar to this water. It starts off clean and good to drink, but we add things to
it, like the food coloring. A piece of trash on the side of the road is one drop of food coloring,
and a plastic bag flying around in the wind is another drop of color. These little things add up
and end up coloring all of the water. We can do things to try and get rid of the color and get rid
of the trash and bad things we put into the environment, but it will never go back to what it was
originally. The water will never be clean and drinkable again, and our planet will not easily go
back to what it was before all of the chemicals and litter were put into it. We can make an effort
to clean things up, but it’s not easy.
V. Purpose:

Today we are going to talk about pollution and the way it has changed our environment. It is
important to understand how our actions affect our planet, and to look at how we can protect our
earth by preventing pollution and doing things to reserve the damage that has already been
done.

VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

Unfortunately, there are many different types of pollution. I want to talk about what pollution
means so talk at your tables about what pollution is. Each group should come up with a
definition of pollution in your own words. Go! Students will discuss and then the teacher will ask
groups to share. Pollution is things that harmfully affect the environment. There are many
different types of pollution, and I want you to talk in your groups and see how many types of
pollution you can come up with. If you are struggling with ideas, think of all the elements of
environments we have (deserts, mountains, animals, water) and how pollution might affect them.
The teacher will then ask students to share what they have come up with.
The teacher will then explain the projects that she wants the students to work on and then
eventually present in groups. Today I want you to discover some forms of pollution and how they
are affecting our earth. The actions we make every day affect the plants, animals, and people
around us, and it is our responsibility to take care of our environment. We will be looking at air
pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and pollution from littering. You will each be in one of
four groups. Each group is going to design a poster to represent their area of pollution. Each
group will need to answer these questions and include these elements on their poster. The
required questions and elements are listed on the resource sheets at each table. The teacher will
read theses question to the whole class. The poster will need to explain that form of pollution and
give ideas on how to stop that type of pollution and give ways we can help our environment
instead of harm it. There will be 6 or 7 people in each group. Every person in the group will
have a role. Each person will need to find information to add to your group’s poster. Each
person in your group must answer a question, but not all of the questions will need to be
answered. Each group has a large colored piece of paper and smaller white pieces of paper. You
will each use a plain white piece of paper to write your information or draw your picture, and
that will go onto the colored piece of paper with the other information from people in your
group. The teacher will then show an example that she has made on the topic of noise pollution.
You will need to bring your iPad with you to your workstation because you will be using QR
codes to access the resources to find out about that type of pollution. It is also important for each
person to share the information they find with the whole group. Everyone in your group should
be able to explain all of the information listed on the poster. You are going to present your
poster to the class, and it will look something like this. Then the teacher will model how she
wants the students to present. She will read and explain the information on the poster and show
the picture. I am going to let you choose what question each person wants to answer once you
get into your group, but every person has to have a role. I will give you a few minutes to get
together with your group and pick a role. We will do regular checkpoints as a class to make sure
everyone has a role, everyone is researching, and everyone is contributing to the poster. Also,
please make sure you put your name on the work that you did on your poster.
 The teacher will then pass out the grouping pictures listed below to put each student into a
group. There will be a designated spot for each group in the room along with a folder with
resources and paper for their poster. I am passing out pictures that will show which group you
are in. There is a station for each group in the room. The teacher will then explain where each
station is in the room. You will need to bring your iPad and pencil with you to your group’s
workstation. Don’t move yet. In your group, you are expected to work as a team. This means no
yelling at each other; you should be on task working quietly as a group. You each have specific
roles on the team, but it is also okay to help someone out on your team even if they have a
different question than you. You should be on task the whole time. If you have any questions,
please ask. You should be creating your poster and also planning out how you want to explain
your type of pollution to the class. When you present your poster in front of the class, it can be a
very short explanation. We just want to hear the key points that you have listed on your poster.
Does anyone have any questions about the instructions and what you need to do? The teacher
will answer questions as necessary. You have 15 minutes to work on your posters. I’ll keep you
updated on how much time you have left as you work. If you still need more time after 15
minutes, we’ll work something out. You may now head to your workstations and begin.
After two minutes, the teacher will check-in with the whole class and make sure each person
has a role and a specific question to answer. The teacher will then instruct them to begin
researching the answer to their question on their iPad. After another 5 minutes, the teacher will
do a check-in with the whole class and make sure each person has found the answer to their
question. The teacher will then instruct students to select a piece of paper to use for writing their
answers on. These small pieces of paper will eventually go onto the bigger colored paper. After a
few more minutes, the teacher will check-in with students and make sure that they are done
writing what they have found on their white paper. The teacher will then instruct students to glue
their white papers on their bigger colored paper. By stopping the students frequently and
checking-in with them as a whole class, the teacher ensures that all of the students are staying on
track and that there will be enough time for them to complete the task at hand.
After 15 minutes, if students are mostly done, the teacher will call all of the students back to
their seats. If students are not done, the teacher will give them a few more minutes to finish and
will skip some questions at the end to save time then. They do not necessarily have to sit in their
normal assigned seats, they can sit with their groups. Now it’s time for you to share what you
have found with the class. As other groups present, I want you to listen to the main facts about
the form of pollution they are talking about because I am going to ask you questions afterwards
and see who can remember information from the other groups. Who would like to present their
work first? The teacher will have each group present their work and place it on the whiteboard
with magnets. The teacher will ask the groups questions and help them present as necessary. For
example, the teacher might ask, what impact does that form of pollution have on people here in
Indiana? After all of the students have presented, the teacher will lead a discussion to check for
understanding.

VII. Check for understanding

The lesson is scaffolded so that there will be frequent checks for understanding while
students work. Not only are there checks for understanding as the teacher walks around the room
and helps students, but the teacher frequently stops the whole class and makes sure that everyone
is on track. This ensures that students understand the directions and they do what is expected of
them in a reasonable amount of time. There will also be a check for understanding of content
when students present their posters and through the discussion that goes with the presentations.
The teacher will also do checks for understanding of content during the discussion after the
presentations. The teacher will ask questions about the presentations such as: “Can someone who
is not from the air pollution group give me one way to prevent air pollution?” The teacher will
then lead a discussion about how students can practically take action to help prevent and reverse
the effects of pollution. What are some things you can do at home and school to prevent
pollution and take care of our environment? Students will give appropriate responses and the
teacher can write down ideas on the board for future use.

VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure –

Thank you for sharing. We have come up with some great ideas on how to help our planet.
Pollution is a huge problem right now and if you want to find more information, you can
continue looking at those websites that we looked at today. You can also ask me, our librarians,
or any other adults in your life to help you find more information. As a class, we will try to
implement some of these ideas, and each of you can do your part by recycling, picking up trash,
and using reusable water bottles. Each person plays a part in the status of our environment, and
each person has to make decisions about how they are going to harm or help our environment.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

A. Formative: There will be formative assessment as the teacher walks around and checks
on groups as they work. Formative assessment will also take place as groups present their
information to the class. At the end of the class when the teacher has students brainstorm
to create a list of ways they can positively impact their environment, the teacher will also
be formatively assessing the students. She will be analyzing what they have learned from
their research.

B. Summative: Depending on how the teacher wants to grade the presentations and posters,
this project could be a form of summative assessment. The teacher could also give groups
more time to work on their posters and make it into a larger project.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. Did students have enough time to finish their posters and present?
8. Were students able to create practical ideas on how they can impact their environment?
9. Did each student participate in the group work?
10. What other forms of pollution would be interesting to add?
Resources:
Link to example of anticipatory set: https://sciencing.com/neutralize-food-coloring-water-
5845152.html
Grouping pictures:

Sources for QR codes:

Air pollution:
 https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-types-of-pollution-are-there.html
 https://www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/air-pollution-causes-effects-solutions/
 https://www.edf.org/health/why-smog-standards-are-important-our-
health?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8KmlvKmX4yy9UADBH-
T0wWod5NLzgc0pu10rb_jV5nPiCbOCHPwsM7CqEaAqe3EALw_wcB&utm_campaig
n=ggad_health_pd_dmt&utm_id=1485533233&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google
Pollution from littering:
 https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/littering-effects-humans-animals-
environment.php
 https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-types-of-pollution-are-there.html
 https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-problems-solutions-littering.php
Soil pollution:
  https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-types-of-pollution-are-there.html
 https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-soil-pollution.php
 https://www.toppr.com/guides/chemistry/environmental-chemistry/soil-pollution/
Water pollution:
 https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-types-of-pollution-are-there.html
 https://www.activesustainability.com/water/causes-consequences-water-pollution/
 https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/natural-resources/water-and-water-pollution/
 SOIL POLLUTION
Use the QR codes below to find information about this form of
pollution. Here are some things you should consider including
on your poster. Each person needs to research one of the
elements and put it on your group’s poster.
 How does this pollution happen? (what are the causes?)
 Where does this pollution happen?
 What are the results of this pollution?
 Who typically creates this type of pollution (companies,
people, farmers…)
 How can we prevent this type of pollution?
o What can big corporations do and what can regular
people do?
o How much will it cost?
 Is there any way to reverse the effects of this pollution?
 WATER POLLUTION
Use the QR codes below to find information about this form of
pollution. Here are some things you should consider including
on your poster. Each person needs to research one of the
elements and put it on your group’s poster.
 How does this pollution happen? (what are the causes?)
 Where does this pollution happen?
 What are the results of this pollution?
 Who typically creates this type of pollution (companies,
people, farmers…)
 How can we prevent this type of pollution?
o What can big corporations do and what can regular
people do?
o How much will it cost?
 Is there any way to reverse the effects of this pollution?
 POLLUTION FROM LITTERING
Use the QR codes below to find information about this form of
pollution. Here are some things you should consider including
on your poster. Each person needs to research one of the
elements and put it on your group’s poster.
 How does this pollution happen? (what are the causes?)
 Where does this pollution happen?
 What are the results of this pollution?
 Who typically creates this type of pollution (companies,
people, farmers…)
 How can we prevent this type of pollution?
o What can big corporations do and what can regular
people do?
o How much will it cost?
 Is there any way to reverse the effects of this pollution?
 AIR POLLUTION
Use the QR codes below to find information about this form of
pollution. Here are some things you should consider including
on your poster. Each person needs to research one of the
elements and put it on your group’s poster.
 How does this pollution happen? (what are the causes?)
 Where does this pollution happen?
 What are the results of this pollution?
 Who typically creates this type of pollution (companies,
people, farmers…)
 How can we prevent this type of pollution?
o What can big corporations do and what can regular
people do?
o How much will it cost?
 Is there any way to reverse the effects of this pollution?