Science

Lesson Plan Human Impact/Land Pollution (1)

Teacher: Audrey Allen
Lesson Date: Monday: May 2, 2016
Subject: Science
Themes: Human Impact on the Environment, Conservation and protection of the environment as a
social responsibility
Age: 3rd Grade
Time: 60 Minutes

SAS:
Agenda:

Unit Science Standard:
1. Engage: Trash Distraction! And Question and
4.5.4.C Describe how human activities affect the
Answer.
environment.
2. Explore: Inquiry/Experiment/Activity:
Observing our trash creating observable
Specific Lesson Science Standard:
pollution in a Mason Jar. Make observations
4.5.3.C Identify different types of pollution and their sources
and predictions.

3. Explain: I do: Whole Group Instruction
Explicit instruction on Land Pollution, its
Essential Questions:
sources and how human activities affect the
Overarching Question:
environment.
How do human activities affect the environment?
4. Elaborate: We do: Guided Practice Co-created
Pollution Anchor Chart
Lesson Specific Essential Question:
5. Evaluate: You do: Evaluation of understanding
What is land pollution and how is it produced?
and assessment Scholars will respond to the

provided exit ticket
6.
Closing overview of todays learning and set
Resources/Instructional Materials Needed:
up for continued observation of pollution in a
1. Clear Labeled Mason Jar (7 for lab groups, 1 for
jar Mason Jars
teacher model)

2. Empty chip bag (1)
3. Gallon Water Jugs (4)
4. Science Notebooks
5. Trash Collecting bags labeled with lab group
numbers (7 for lab groups, 1 for teacher model)
6. Disposable Gloves (26)
7. Anchor Charts for each lab group to compile
observations and predictions (7)
8. Anchor Chart Model of Scientific Observation Journal
(1)
9. Science Notebook Inserts (26 of each) See Supporting
Materials
10. Pollution PowerPoint (Land Pollution slides)
11. Co-Created Pollution Anchor Chart (1)
12. Blank paper cut into fourths for lab group
illustrations of land pollution (26)
13. Exit ticket (26)
Lesson Learning Target:
I can identify land pollution and its sources and describe how human activities affect the environment.

Goals:
Scholars will understand key terms such as pollution and land pollution and identify sources of land
pollution. Additionally, scholars will use the understanding gained in mini lesson, and exploration activity to
describe how human activities can affect the environment.


TIME

5 min

25 min

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE

ASSESSMENT

Have scholars transition to the carpet. Remind scholars of carpet

expectations (SHINE).

Engage:
Last week at recess I was playing football with some of our friends and
this piece of trash (show empty chip bag) blew into my leg and
distracted me! Because I was distracted by the trash, I missed a pass and
the other team got the ball!

After that, I looked around our schoolyard and playground and noticed
that were a lot of pieces of trash on the ground.

For each of the following questions allow for a think (30 sec.), pair (1 min)
share (1 min). Listen for possible responses.

Has anyone here ever noticed the amount of trash on the ground?
Possible Responses:
There is a lot of trash on our schoolyard.
I never really noticed.

Where does the trash come from?
Possible Responses:
We leave trash out after lunch (chip bags, water bottles, wrappers, etc).
People dont throw away their trash and it blows into our schoolyard.

Today we are going to do something about the trash on our schoolyard
and playground. We will collect the trash to use in todays science
experiment, but also because we should have a beautiful space to play
and if we want it to remain beautiful then it is our responsibility to care
for it.

Explore - Inquiry/Experiment/Activity: Pollution in a jar!

Transition scholars back to their table/lab group. Before transitioning to
the schoolyard provide scholars with expectations: While we are outside
our purpose is to help care for our environment and collect the
materials we need for our science experiment.

Each lab group (same as table groups) will have one bag to place all of
the collected trash. Each member of your lab group will receive a pair of
disposable gloves to use while picking up the trash.

Your lab groups will have 10 minutes to collect as much trash as you
can. Try to collect different kinds of trash (chip bags, paper, candy
wrappers, plastic bottles, etc.). Each group should have at least 4 items
by the time we are finished. Teacher will model and restate expectations
throughout the 10 minutes collecting trash as well.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are offering their
responses to the questions
posed?
Scholars are actively
listening to others.

Informal Assessment:
Are scholars following
directions throughout the
experiment?
Are scholars actively
engaged in the activity and
supporting their lab group
throughout the activity?

Transition scholars to the schoolyard. Scholars will work for 10 minutes
in their lab groups to collect as much trash as possible in the provided
time. After 10 minutes has passed circle scholars up and check each lab
groups bag to assure that all lab groups have a diverse and appropriate
amount of trash in their bag (at lease 4 items). Transition scholars back
to classroom and distribute Mason Jars to each table group.

We will use the trash we collected to set up an experiment called
pollution in a jar!

Instruct scholars to place the trash they collected into their lab groups
Mason Jar stopping when they are either out of trash or their Mason Jar
is half full (reaches the line). Teacher Models.
Note: Collect any plastic bottles from scholar trash collection for a later
lesson.

Ask scholars to place the lid on the Mason Jar and securely fasten it.

Once lids are on, collect the remaining supplies from each lab group
(additional trash, disposable gloves, trash collecting bags) and instruct
scholars to take our their Science Notebooks (3-ring binder with tabs
for each unit, inserts for this unit placed behind Pollution/Conservation
tab).

Provide inserts 1 and 2 (see supporting materials) for scholars to add to
their Science Notebooks. Explain that we will be observing the trash in
our Mason Jars today and Wednesday to see how the trash in our
schoolyard can affect the environment.

(8 minutes) In lab groups, using the Mason Jars they created, scholars
will work together to respond to the questions listed on insert 1 and
record their observations in Day 1 of their Scientific Observation Journal
(insert 2).

Scholars will compile their day 1 observations on an anchor chart
matching the Scientific Observation Journals they added to their Science
Notebooks.

Note: we will return to these Mason Jars during Closing

Explain - I do: Whole Group Instruction Explicit instruction on
Land Pollution, its sources and how human activities affect the
environment.

Each lab group will compile their observations and predictions on an
anchor chart. Teacher will compile the observations from each lab group
into one Classroom anchor chart at the front of the room. After a brief
discussion of scholar observations and predictions, introduce scholars
to the scientific terms associated with the activity we started today.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are following
along in their guided
notes.
Are scholars participating
in turn and talk?










8 min

Distribute guided notes for direct instruction (insert 3).
Introduce scholar to the scientific terms Pollution and Land Pollution.

The science experiment we set up in todays lesson helps us learn about
pollution. Listen carefully and use your guided notes to follow along
with our PowerPoint.

Pollution is any harmful material in the environment (Bell, M., et. al.,
2009, p. 339)

Can anyone think of types of pollution that we might see in our daily
lives?

Possible response:
We saw trash today.
Maybe someones water can be polluted.
I heard that our air is polluted.

Awesome job! There are three types of pollution we will learn about
this week, land, water, and air, but today we will focus on land pollution.

Land Pollution happens when people leave trash out rather than throw
it away in a trashcan or recycling bin. The land pollution humans create
can affect our environment; hurting the plants and animals that live
around us, and making our environment look bad! (Bell, M., et. al., 2009,
p. 344)

Remember, we all deserve a beautiful space and environment and it is
our responsibility to make sure that our environment is protected and
kept beautiful.

Turn and Talk (provide 2 minutes) with your lab group and restate in
your own words what pollution and land pollution are.

Who do you think creates the pollution?

Possible responses:
We do.
Humans create pollution.

Absolutely! We create pollution by leaving trash on the ground. Our
activities, like leaving trash on the schoolyard, affect the environment
we live in. The trash we collected to set up our experiment today was
land pollution.

Sources of land pollution are plastic bottles, cans, plastic bags, and chips
bags. Draw a picture in your guided notes to represent land pollution.

4

Elaborate - We do: Co-Create Pollution Anchor Chart (complete

throughout unit)

Wow! Im very impressed with how much you already understand about
pollution.

8 min

5 min.

8 min

Together we are going to create a pollution anchor chart to remind us of

all the awesome learning we have done so far!

Using the information you just learned, work with your lab groups to
create your own definition of Land pollution and come up with one
source of land pollution. Draw an example of the land pollution your
group came up with on the paper provided (1/4 sheets) to post on our
anchor chart.

Comprehension check: We are going to go around the room to share out
what our lab group definition of land pollution is and the illustration we
created for the anchor chart (ex. Illustrations of chip bags, plastic
bottles, etc.). As scholars share, place illustrations of land pollution
sources next to sources of land pollution on the anchor chart.

Wow Friends! We have started an awesome poster! With these beautiful
illustrations we wont have any trouble remembering what land
pollution is!

Evaluate - You do: Individual Assessment
Scholars will work independently to demonstrate their understanding of
pollution, land pollution and its sources.

Exit Ticket:
Answer each question in a complete sentence.
What is land pollution?
List three sources of land pollution you saw today during our trash
collecting activity.
______________ , ______________ , and ______________ .
How can human activities affect the environment through land
pollution?


Closing:
You all did a wonderful job demonstrating your understanding of
pollution and land pollution today! Today we learned about land
pollution, the sources of land pollution, and how human activities can
affect our environment through land pollution!

Using our pollution in a jar materials, we are going to add water to the
land pollution we collected today. Doing so will turn our land pollution
into water pollution.

Have table captains take the lid off of the pollution in a jar Mason Jars.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are actively
engage in lab group
conversation.
Are scholars contributing
to the illustration with
ideas and artwork?

Formal Assessment:
Scholars will respond to
the exit ticket provided.

Informal Assessment:
Scholars are following
directions for supply clean
up.

Add water to each trash filled Mason Jar. Teacher should add water to
the line of each Mason Jar.

Instruct scholars to place the lid back onto the Mason Jar and tighten it
so that it is securely fastened. Teacher Models Teacher should also
check each Mason Jar to assure that all lids are secure.

In your lab groups, return to your Scientific Observation Journal and
record your prediction of what will happed to the water that was mixed
in with our land pollution.

We will return to our pollution in a jar Mason Jars on Wednesday when
we learn about water pollution.

Table captains will collect the pollution in a jar Mason Jars and place
them on the windowsill to sit in the sun.


Enrichment/Extension/Re-teaching/Accommodations:
Instructional Modifications:
Provide sentence starters throughout the lesson
Pair below grade level readers and ELLs with strong readers in
lab groups.

Repeat directions and expectations for those that require
clarification or need to hear them more than once.
Allow scholars to respond to exit ticket questions with drawings.
Scholars will be permitted to dictate their responses for the exit
ticket.
Provide photographic representations of key terms.
Sources:
Bell, M., DiSpezio, M., Frank, M., Krockover, G., McLeod, J., Brink, B., Valenta, C., & Van Deman, B., (2009).
HSP Pennsylvania science. N. A. Bryant, Jr., T. Howard, R. M. Jones, M. P. Lang, & J. D. Valdez (Eds.).
Orlando, FL: Harcourt School Publishers.
Experiment adapted from:
J Feltmen. (2010, April 21). Celebrating earth day, every day! [blog post]. Retrieved from
http://www.gettingmessywithmsjessi.com/2010/04/celebrating-earth-day-every-day.html














6

Supporting Materials
Insert 1:

What types of trash did you notice on the schoolyard? List your observations here.





Who do you think left the trash there?





Where did the trash come from?




Predict what would happen to the trash if it were left outside?





























7

Insert 2:

Pollution in a jar Land

pollution

Pollution in a jar Land

pollution + clean water

Pollution in a jar Water

Pollution

Scientific Observation Journal:

How does trash affect the environment?

Describe the trash (What is
Use your observations to
inside the Mason Jar/What does describe what would happen to
it look like?).
the trash if it were left on the

schoolyard?
The trash inside the Mason Jar

looks like
I predict that the trash
______________________________________ would_______________________________
______________________________________ _________________________________ if it
___________________________________.
were left on the schoolyard.

Describe the trash (What is
Predict what will happen to the
inside the Mason Jar/What does water now that it is mixed with
it look like with the water
the land pollution.
added?).


I believe the water will
The trash inside the Mason Jar
______________________________________
looks like
______________________________________
______________________________________ ___________________________________ .
______________________________________
___________________________________
now that there is water in the jar.



Record your observations: What Revisit your predictions from
has happened to the water that
Monday, did your predictions
we added to our land pollution? occur? Explain.


The water is
My predictions
______________________________________ ______________________________________
______________________________________ ______________________________________
_______ .
___________________________________ .


Insert 3:

Guided Notes: Land Pollution

Pollution is any _____________ _________________ in the _________________________.



Land Pollution happens when _______________ leave _______________ out rather than throw it away in a
___________________ or __________________ _______________. The __________ pollution humans _______________ can
affect our environment; ______________ the plants and animals that live around us, and making our
___________________ look bad!

Draw a picture to represent land pollution: