Hmm...That's+Fishy!?

An Introduction to Pollution
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The student will investigate and understand that natural events and  Quality of Air, Water, & Habitat human influences can affect the survival of species. Key Concept b) the effects of human activity on the quality of air, water, and habitat. Daily Question: Fish and other sea creatures swim in both open and closed bodies of water with soiled diapers and other trash, should you? Why, or why not?
 * //Topic://** Resources **//Date://** April 4, 2007
 * //NSES://** Science As Inquiry (Content Standard //K-4//) **//Grade level://** Three
 * //SOL://** 3.10b  **//Subject://** Pollution—The Effects of Human Activity On the


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The teacher will show an incomplete picture (that will have parts added to it as the engagement progresses) to the class that illustrates how human activity affects the quality of one of many aspects of the environment. At first, there will only be a three-eyed fish (taken from the cartoon ‘The Simpsons) on a blank piece of paper (on the board). Then, the teacher will apply a blue body of water with matter that appears questionable; and lastly, the teacher will apply the make-shift nuclear power plant and spill barrels of contaminated matter. (Questions asked throughout the duration of the engagement activity.)Would anyone like to tell me what they see in this picture? Would you expect to see this on a normal basis? Why or why not? What do you think happened to this creature? (add water with obvious contaminants) Now what do you see? Is there anything wrong with this picture? How do you think the fish interacts with the funny green stuff? (add building and trash) Has your explanation changed? Can the fish’s abnormalities be explained? Can you come up with a practical solution? Students—none, just inquisitive minds and undivided attention! Teacher—large piece of paper, colored fish, a lake (or any body of water) with green matter on top, and make-shift nuclear building with barrels that have been tipped over with their contents spilling out, and tape. Participation—the student’s willingness to share his/her individual thoughts with the class (raised hands). 3-5 minutes The student will perform an investigation of the photo //as a class//, and in it they will observe a photo, record their observations, and make predictions based on their findings; and even take it a step further by creating a solution for the problem. (Please refer to //Expansion// for more instruction—the expansion is based on the exploration activity.) The teacher will not lead this activity but rather be the recorder and simply provide guidelines that point students in to the right direction (this is done through both the outline and guiding questions). //Please refer to the questions used in the activity under Expansion.// Students—none! Teacher—photo that thoroughly depicts the concept to be learned and the outline that aids in understanding the concept! Class Participation! 5-7 minutes The teacher will construct the concept of pollution by drawing out the students’ vocabulary and using it to have them create a definition of what they understand is going on in the picture. However, the teacher will have to demonstrate that pollution exists in more than one form— for example, that our pets may also effect the environment and that we, as humans, are responsible for their actions and that there is even noise pollution (provide example). How do you think (contaminant in photo) affects the environment and creatures in that environment? If (contaminant in photo) were absent from the photo, would we find any thing different in the photo? Do you think that (contaminant in photo) belongs there? So, then is a (contaminant in photo) a healthy and safe thing to have in the environment? How do you think we can help? Can anyone think of a term that might describe what we are witnessing in this photo? (Can use example of human body when we fall ill!) (The teacher can then introduce the word pollution and create, as a class, a mnemonic device to help the kids remember it.) Students—pencil and paper! Teacher—board, photo used in the exploration activity, and the outline! Class Participation! 10-15 minutes The teacher will have the students examine 3 of 4 photos of their choice—two that show both the cause and effect of human activity on either/both creatures and/or environment (i.e. dolphin tied up in a fish net); and the latter two, a photo that lacks either the cause or the effect., which will cause the student to make a prediction based on what they observe in the photo graph. The students will follow an outline provided by the teacher that asks them to //record// their findings (//observation//) and/or the evidence (//investigate//) that supports them and/or //predictions// that explain their findings. (Outline provided in //Notes//) (During this time, the teacher will be observing the students and asking questions according to the students’ findings.)
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What do you see? Is there anything wrong with this picture? Who/What do think is responsible for what you observe in the photo? What do you think might have caused this to happen? How do you think the animal/creature reacted to this specific kind human activity? How can humans help prevent this in the future? Students—need a pencil, notebook paper and thinking caps. Teacher—4 previously chosen photos (big enough for a small group to see) and 4 designated areas to place the pictures around the classroom. The students will be required to turn in their findings, which will be assessed based on the outline! 20-25 minutes

This portion of the lesson will not be directly included in //today’s// lesson. It will serve as a form of assessment of the concept at a later date, at which the student will be required to locate a photo on the internet (during a designated computer class time) and examine it according to the outline given for the activities included in this particular lesson.
 * //* Evaluation://**

This lesson is the first of many lessons, and is an introduction/review of the concept of cause and effect, particularly in regard to human activity and its effect on the environment. Students will employ and practice the necessary skills to perform an (basic) investigation. Moreover, to create some variation, the teacher may reverse the question—giving the cause and not the effect and vice versa. Moreover, the third picture of the four that the student may select from also serves as a variation within the lesson—the first two photos have both the cause and the effect present, while the latter two might be considered incomplete in that regard. On the other hand, Student safety is a concern, but only if the Evaluation activity is not completed at school during the allotted period of time given by the teacher. If this happens, the student has the option of taking it home where parental supervision is highly recommended. Lastly, most of the first part of lesson will be assessed based on participation, due to the teacher’s lack of awareness of what students know in regard to pollution (//All predictions will be accepted as plausible predictions!//), but mostly because this is in introductory lesson and any further assessment will have to be conducted towards the end of the lesson or at a later date during a lesson that builds upon the concept introduced in this lesson.
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