Day 3: Plants at the Well
Objectives:
Students will:
-Book, One Well
- The Trial of SAV Worksheets, see button below.
-"Who Killed SAV?" Booklet, see button below.
-Water Cycle Freebie Worksheet, button below.
Events of Instruction:
Introduction
1. As entry slip have students, complete cut and paste activity to review water cycle and assess their knowledge of transpiration.
2. Discuss transpiration and the role of plants in the water cycle, read page from One Well about Plants at the Well. Ask students to add plant life to concept map of the water cycle. See diagram below.
3. Read "Who Killed SAV?" written by VDOE. Stop on page 5 and ask class to make predictions about who killed the SAV. Continue reading story, noting the "accused" as you read them.
4. Show map of SAV in Chesapeake Bay and explain the importance of SAV for detecting water quality in the chesapeake. Primer on SAV is helpful background information.
5. Explain that the class will be conducting a trial to determine which of the accused is guilty. As a class we will divide into groups and each group will need to prepare a case about their character.
Students will:
- Identify the importance of water for plant life.
- Identify the ways that different organisms get water.
- Connect the way plants get water to the global water cycle.
- Compare and contrast human influences on air, water and habitats.
- Analyze possible sources of water pollution and the effect of water quality on living organisms.
- List ways that humans can help conserve limited resources.
-Book, One Well
- The Trial of SAV Worksheets, see button below.
-"Who Killed SAV?" Booklet, see button below.
-Water Cycle Freebie Worksheet, button below.
Events of Instruction:
Introduction
1. As entry slip have students, complete cut and paste activity to review water cycle and assess their knowledge of transpiration.
2. Discuss transpiration and the role of plants in the water cycle, read page from One Well about Plants at the Well. Ask students to add plant life to concept map of the water cycle. See diagram below.
3. Read "Who Killed SAV?" written by VDOE. Stop on page 5 and ask class to make predictions about who killed the SAV. Continue reading story, noting the "accused" as you read them.
4. Show map of SAV in Chesapeake Bay and explain the importance of SAV for detecting water quality in the chesapeake. Primer on SAV is helpful background information.
5. Explain that the class will be conducting a trial to determine which of the accused is guilty. As a class we will divide into groups and each group will need to prepare a case about their character.
Procedure
1. Divide the class into groups of three or four students each, and assign each group one suspect:
Hurricane Agnes, Clam Dredging, Development, or Nutrients. Designate, one student in each group to be the “accused,” one to be the “defender,” and one or more to be the “prosecutor(s).” Distribute the appropriate “The Trial of SAV’s Killer” worksheets as guides for the various courtroom characters to use in preparing their cases.
2. Allow time for students to prepare and plan their cases as well as to do further research as needed.
3. Set up the classroom as a “courtroom,” and call one group to the front of the courtroom to act out their suspect’s trial before you, the judge. Give the prosecutor(s) time to present the case against the accused; then, allow the accused and defender to defend the charges. Direct the rest of the class to serve as members of the jury and take notes. (Teacher may wish to create a graphic organizer that provides students with spaces to record trial information.) Repeat this step for each suspect.
Conclusion
1. When all groups have presented, lead the class in a discussion of who is guilty among the four suspects. Alternatively, you may choose to have the class determine which suspect is least guilty, since it is impossible to blame only one factor for the demise of SAV. It is important for students to realize that land‐use practices and other factors contributing to the decline of SAV levels can be prevented or reversed. Nevertheless, students should recognize that there are two sides to every argument. For example, watermen who dredge for clams, though they are killing SAV, also have the right to earn a living.
Ideas for differentiation:
Assessment:
Students write in Science Journal the following questions:
See Above.
References:
VDOE, Enhanced Scope and Sequence – Grade 3, "Who Killed SAV?" Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade3/earth_resources/sess_3-10ab.pdf
*Much of the lesson, "Who Killed SAV?" is directly quoted in this lesson as notated by italics.
Virginia Institute for Marine Science Unit on SAV in the Chesapeake Bay, includes interactive maphttp://web.vims.edu/bio/sav/maps.html
Water Cycle Freebie Pack Retrieved from: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Water-Cycle-Freebie-Pack-664465
1. Divide the class into groups of three or four students each, and assign each group one suspect:
Hurricane Agnes, Clam Dredging, Development, or Nutrients. Designate, one student in each group to be the “accused,” one to be the “defender,” and one or more to be the “prosecutor(s).” Distribute the appropriate “The Trial of SAV’s Killer” worksheets as guides for the various courtroom characters to use in preparing their cases.
2. Allow time for students to prepare and plan their cases as well as to do further research as needed.
3. Set up the classroom as a “courtroom,” and call one group to the front of the courtroom to act out their suspect’s trial before you, the judge. Give the prosecutor(s) time to present the case against the accused; then, allow the accused and defender to defend the charges. Direct the rest of the class to serve as members of the jury and take notes. (Teacher may wish to create a graphic organizer that provides students with spaces to record trial information.) Repeat this step for each suspect.
Conclusion
1. When all groups have presented, lead the class in a discussion of who is guilty among the four suspects. Alternatively, you may choose to have the class determine which suspect is least guilty, since it is impossible to blame only one factor for the demise of SAV. It is important for students to realize that land‐use practices and other factors contributing to the decline of SAV levels can be prevented or reversed. Nevertheless, students should recognize that there are two sides to every argument. For example, watermen who dredge for clams, though they are killing SAV, also have the right to earn a living.
Ideas for differentiation:
- Provide background knowledge about the purpose and structure of a courtroom (video, transcript, etc.)
- Make assignments for roles based on strengths of students (harder characters go to students stronger in sciences).
Assessment:
Students write in Science Journal the following questions:
- What is SAV?
- Why is it important to protect SAV?
- Name at least three things that would cause SAV to die. Describe for each how it might be prevented.
See Above.
References:
VDOE, Enhanced Scope and Sequence – Grade 3, "Who Killed SAV?" Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade3/earth_resources/sess_3-10ab.pdf
*Much of the lesson, "Who Killed SAV?" is directly quoted in this lesson as notated by italics.
Virginia Institute for Marine Science Unit on SAV in the Chesapeake Bay, includes interactive maphttp://web.vims.edu/bio/sav/maps.html
Water Cycle Freebie Pack Retrieved from: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Water-Cycle-Freebie-Pack-664465