Problem Based Lesson
Overview
What Are Some of the Best Environmentally Friendly Methods Which Help Preserve Our Environment and Protect From Global Warming?
Grade: 5th
Names: Stephanie Metzendorf, Karly Berger, Collin Johnson, and Anna Kesten
Overall Goal: To equip students with tools to make more environmentally conscious decisions.
Standards | Learning Objective | Assessment |
5.ESS.3 Investigate ways individual communities within the United States protect the Earth’s resources and environment. |
| We will assess the standards by our final assessment which will take the concepts which were learned in class and apply them directly to their lives. They will create a solution to an issue they see in their school. This will provide us with an understanding of what they learned because it allows the students to digest the knowledge, recognize the issue using this knowledge, and come up with an ecofriendly solution which shows how they can fix some of the issues they encounter. |
Key Terms & Definitions:
Recycle - to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse
Reduce - To make smaller
Reuse - To use more than once or again
Pollution - The presence of harmful chemical in the atmosphere
Resources- A supply which can be drawn upon to function effectively
Environment- The surrounding in which a person, plant, or animal lives in.
Food Chain- A series of organisms depending on the energy from the organism before.
Global warming- A gradual increase in the global temperatures attributed to greenhouse gases and pollution.
Lesson Introduction:
For our hook, we will use a fun and engaging activity which incorporates the students ability to recognize the importance of the environment and touch on some of their favorite aspects of it. We will have the students make a rap or a song discussing the environment and maybe some ways that they could improve protection for the environment or how they are already doing so. For the teachers sake, I have included an example of what we are looking for.
Instructions:
Create a song representing a topic of the environment which you think is important. Some of these possible topics could be:
Why we need to keep the planet safe . Things you love from the environment.
What pollution does to the good things in nature. How you can help the environment.
Lesson Main:
Competition for who has the best ecosystem
This section should provide a detailed description of the various activities that will occur throughout the lesson. Make sure to include timing, formative assessments, and reference all materials that you will be creating and that you have found.
Could have environment machine which shows how the cycle works.
Concept Map:
This is a concept map which we can use to explain to the kids what the issue is with climate change and often how this climate change occurs. There are several things that humans do to make climate change an issue bigger than it needs to be and this is obvious by the flow of this concept map. From the increase of meat consumption in the U.S, there has been a dramatic increase of meat production which directly puts chemicals into the environment, causing pollution which is a direct factor of climate change. Another fact this concept map shows is that from the burning coal humans do to gain energy, greenhouse gases are directly released causing a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere which causes pollution yet again.
Lesson Ending:
For our lesson ending we are going to have a little competition between the students. The students are going to be required to make a model or come up with an idea of what they think the best way to environmentally help the school is. The first thing we will do as the instructor is to randomly break up the classroom into groups of four students. After we have broken up these groups, we will explain the assignment as follows:
Now that we have learned about some environmental issues we face and also some solutions that are already in place, we are going to ask you guys to save our school! Is there something you notice around school that could be changed in order to help the environment? This could include turning off the lights in the gym, making a compost for the lunch food, or even implementing a recycling program into each of the classrooms.
After we have presented the assignment we will give each of the groups a little time to discuss what they notice around the school. To even further this, we will take the students on a walk around the school with their notebooks to allow them to write down notes about what they notice. After we complete this walk, we will give the students a couple more minutes to reconvene and share what they saw. After the group has decided on a problem, the instructor will create a spreadsheet and allow only two groups to focus on the same issue. For example, this means that only two groups can focus on a solution to the problem of plastic waste from the school.
After this has been recorded, we will distribute the assignment sheet which will be attached below, the students will have approximately 40 minutes to come up with a solution to this issue, create a presentation, and share what they thought of to their peers.
They will be graded according to their knowledge, creativity, and the way they present their ideas. To make the incentive a little higher, we are going to have the best idea win and that group will receive a prize for their efforts. This prize will most likely be either a candy bar, a toy, or something else that is small yet exciting for kids this age. As well as the prize, the winning group will be able to present their idea to the principle in hopes that it will be implemented school wide!As for the grades of these groups, they will be graded based upon the rubric listed below.
Save Your School!
Your schools has become in great environmental danger due to all of the wrong ways they are handling the resources they have!
Your task: Explore your school and identify issues you see around the school which contributes to the environmental harm taking place all around the world! Once you have identified this issue, come up with a solution which can either eliminate this issue or help reduce it!
After you came up with a solution, make a presentation explaining exactly what your solution is and why it is the best solution in the class and why it should be implemented! In your presentation, make sure you are answering the following questions:
What is your problem?
What negative effects does this problem have?
How will this problem affect the earth globally?
What did you decide as your solution?
Why did you decide on that as a solution?
What in your solution directly solves the issue?
Why is your solution the best solution for the school?
Good luck! And remember, the best solution wins a special prize and gets to present their idea to the principle!
Assessment Rubric:
Great | Average | Poor | |
Environmental Awareness Solution Quality Amount of Research Teamwork | Masters the concept of being environmentally friendly Is able to think of effective ways to make our environment more eco-friendly and healthy It is obvious that the students were able to recognize the issues in the school and know why they're bad habits. It is obvious that everyone in the group contributed and there is an overall general understanding for all of the knowledge. | Students can identify what a friendly environment looks like Comes up with a solution which is not a huge issue. Completes minimal research and identifies a problem, but doesn't have the knowledge to back it up. 75% of the group seems to understand what is going on and has overall given an O.K effort to the solution. | Students struggle to understand the concept of being environmentally friendly Needs assistance in identifying proper methods to make the school a better place Does Not find an issue and does not create a solution which is useful for the school. The group seems confused about what they are understanding and seem to lack to knowledge or teamwork to make the solution the best it possibly can be. |
Resources / Artifacts:
(Stephanie) Concept map showing what global warming is and how it becomes an issue. This will be used during the lesson to help to students understand what they could potential fix or look for in their school that is an issue.
(Stephanie) Worksheet giving directions for the lesson ending.
Differentiation:
Differentiation for ability levels
Low ability learners are students that learn and work at a slower pace than other students in the classroom. Throughout the lesson students will be able to work in groups to help each other come up with the rap. For the lesson ending they will also work in groups therefore each group member will be able to help each other in the competition. .
2. Differentiation for demographics
This game is designed for all cultures, and ethnicities. It’s important for everyone student to know the impact of benefiting our ecosystem. Everyone sharing their different backgrounds will show students different ideas of how other cultures work with the environment and hopefully help make a global impact.
3. Differentiation for languages
Students will be placed in groups where at least one or two people will speak English and can work with the other students to help translate. Students will work together to help expand everyone’s vocabulary.
4. Differentiation for access & resources
Students will have access to iPads and or computers in order to create a popplet about climate change.This tool is a fun and engaging way for students to showcase their work.
Anticipated Difficulties:
Complexity of the assignment: Some students may struggle with staying on task with the assignment. Being able to start out with a rap song will draw their attention. Working in groups throughout the entire lesson will also help them stay engaged as they create their popplet. As for the lesson ending a competition will also keep them interacted throughout the end of the lesson.