SUBJECT MATTER EMPHASIS AND LEVEL: Science, Language Art, Math, Social Studies, Health, Art
GOALS: Why are you teaching this lesson or unit? What are its goals? What school, district, and/or state standards/benchmarks and outcomes are addressed? What new knowledge, skills, habits of mind, and animals do you expect students to gain?
1. Conduct water tests at various field sites. Demonstrate an understanding of
the chemical make-up of various water samples.
Performance Standard Science as Inquiry
Conduct a variety of scientific investigations including: observing what
things are like, describing what is happening, collecting specimens for
analysis, conducting controlled experiments, and interpreting data. (p. 232)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of use of HACH kits to determine the composition
of water samples and analyze results to determine how organisms in the
immediate area are affected. Graph data on a clear and organized
chart.
Performance Standards Habits of Mind
Demonstrate honesty by reporting and considering all observations even
when these contradict their ideas. (p.232)
Depict information and relationships by constructing diagrams, charts,
and graphs. (p. 233)
3. Classify organisms based on their characteristics and traits.
Performance Standard Living Organisms
Categorize a variety of living things into many groups using various
features to determine which things belong to which group. (p.233)
4. Determine the relationship between pH levels.
Performance Standard Living Organisms
Describe the reciprocal relations between the process of photosynthesis
and respiration of plants. (p.234)
5. Observe changes in the variety of algae species and identify causes due to
human activities.
Performance Standard Forces That Shape the Earth
Identify human activities that may create changes resulting in
unbalanced ecosystems. (p. 237)
Performance Standard Ecology
Analyze examples where land use, resource depletion, and pollution
have resulted in the loss of natural systems and the extinction of many
plants and animals. (p. 237)
6. identify organic and non-organic factors and consumer/producer
relationships among organisms.
Performance Standard Ecology
Analyze how living things provide the necessities of life for each other-
for example, shelter or food (plants as food or herbivores, herbivores as
food for carnivores) - or act as decomposers (eg. bacteria, fungi) (p. 238)
Explain how living things interact with each other and their physical
environment, in constructive (making materials for growth) or destructive
(causing loss of habitat) ways. (p. 238)
7. Create fish prints.
Performance Standard Ecology
Demonstrate an appreciation for the environment. (p. 238)
8. Demonstrate environmental issues.
Performance Standard Ecology
Develop an awareness of environmental issues. (p. 238)
Conclude that humans are dependent upon the earth's resources and
take responsibility toward natural resources. (p. 238)
9. Collaborate with students from other schools and grade levels.
Communicate findings to others.
Performance Standard Habits of Mind
Demonstrate a need to acknowledge the work and contributions of
others. (p. 232)
Communicate ideas and information with clarity and read and listen
with understanding. (p. 233)
CONTENT: What important content will you teach in this lesson or unit? Will you present the
content as a problem, theme, issue, or topic? What role will students play in
selecting content? In what ways will this content promote worthwhile and
engaged learning?
1. Environmental water quality testing - HACH Kits (Students collect baseline
data for long-term land and water use studies.
a. Dissolved Oxygen (DO). Adequate amounts of dissolved oxygen are essential for fish life. DO is depleted by high level of organic debris, warm temperatures and the over fertilization of aquatic plants which occur due to agricultural run-off. Scientific studies suggest that 4 to 5 mg/L of DO is the minimum amount that will support a large, diverse fish population.
b. pH. In a lake, pond, river or stream, the water's pH is effected by the
chemicals discharged by communities and industries.
c. Nitrate. When present in surface waters, nitrate is an indication of
domestic or agricultural pollution. Nitrates stimulate growth of
plankton and water weeds that provide food for fish. If algae grow
too wildly, oxygen levels will be reduced, fish will die, and
eutrophication may result. Nitrate levels below 90 mg/L seem to
have no effect on warm-water fish, but salmon and other cold-
water fish are more sensitive.
d. Phosphorus. Phosphorus occurs from natural sources such as
phosphate-containing rocks and solid or liquid wastes.
Phosphorus can also come from fertilizers, pesticides, detergents
and industrial compounds. Too much phosphate causes algae to
grow over-abundantly and deplete dissolved oxygen. The
recommended maximum for rivers and streams is 0.1 mg/L.
e. Temperature. The metabolism of fish and most aquatic
organisms is temperature dependent. Most fish cannot survive
temperatures below 0o C (32 oF) and only rough fish can tolerate
temperatures much warmer than 36 oC (97 oF). Warm water also
makes some contaminants like cyanides, phenol, xylene and zinc
more toxic for aquatic life forms. If high water temperatures are
combined with low dissolved oxygen levels, the toxicity is
increased. When heated effluents are discharged into waterways,
the temperature of the water is raised.
2. Understanding Oahu's Water System - Honolulu Board of Water Supply,
1997.
3. Project Water
4. "Reefs" and "Earth" - Kidscience
PRIOR LEARNING, INTEREST, MISCONCEPTIONS, AND
CONCEPTUAL DIFFICULTIES: What student needs, interests, and prior learning are
a foundation for this lesson or unit? What conceptual difficulties might students have? How will the lesson or unit address these?
1. Instrument and equipment: Students need to be instructed in the use
of the science instruments and equipment used in the water
quality kits, the HACH kits. They also need to review how to take
temperature readings using a Celsius thermometer.
2. Lab safety rules need to be taught.
MAJOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES: What worthwhile and engaging learning activities
and tasks do you plan? What learning actions will they address? How will you use community and
and technological resources effectively to enhance students' learning?
1. Algae Unit: A field trip will be taken to Kewalo Basin. Students will collect small samples of marine algae and make pressings of them. They will also label each one with their scientific phylum and genus names. We will utilize the help of the University of Hawaii, Marine Science Department to identify them, if needed. These samples of identified algae will be put together into an herbarium or album.
2. Water Quality Tests (HACH kits): Students will learn to use the HACH kits in
class with tap water. These kits will test for dissolved oxygen, pH,
nitrates, and phosphates. (See content above) We will then go behind
our school and test the stream water for these substances. Students will
collect and record data and learn to input this data on the computer.
They will learn how to express data in graph form. They will also be
able to explain what their graph means and express their results in
writing. Field trips will be taken to River Street and Kewalo Basin. The
water tests will be conducted at each location. These results will be
compared with tap water and the stream results taken behind our school.
3. Collaboration with Manoa School: Sixth grade teachers will also be using
the HACH kits to conduct these water quality tests within the Manoa Valley ahapua`a. We hope to share our results of the Nuuanu ahapua`a with students at Manoa School.
4. Multimedia presentation through Hyperstudio: Students will be instructed in
how to use Hyperstudio to express their experience with this project.
They will work in cooperative learning groups to plan, present and share
what they have learned.
5. Gyotaku or creating fish prints: The techniques of Japanese fish printing
has been used in Japan for over 100 years to record catches of sports
fish and to gain ichthyological (fish biology) information. The art of
gyotaku is a good way to gain an understanding and appreciation of the
beauty and great variety of marine organisms. Students will make their
own gyotaku of fish brought in from a fish market.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:
Books and Other Familiar Resources:
1. Goals 2000: Harbors Project, Roosevelt Complex, Honolulu District,
September 1996.
2. Video: National Geographic Special on Hawaii
3. Trade books within our Nuuanu School library
Community Resources:
1. Watson Okubo, Department of Health
2. Board of Water Supply
3. University of Hawaii, Marine Science Department
Technology Resources:
1. Nuuanu School Technology Coordinator:
2. Tom Spietel, University of Hawaii Lab School
3. Internet
ASSESSMENT: What procedures will you use? How will you build them into the lesson? How
will you guide students to assess themselves? How can technology enhance assessment?
1. Pre-post testing
2. Data collecting, analyzing data, making conclusions based on data collected
3. Journal entries
4. Video presentations
5. Rubrics - Teacher created and teacher-student created
MANAGEMENT: How will you manage student working in cooperative or collaborative groups?
with partners? independently? How will you arrange the classroom physically? Where will
students work? in the classroom, in the resource center, in a computer lab, or another location
(e.g., at a museum)? How will you deal with students who need extra help? How will you help
students who have special needs?
Prior to the field trips students will be prepared through instructions and labs within the classroom. Students will work cooperatively and collaboratively in groups. They will also work independently on assignments to turn in. While on the field field trip to the tidal pool at Kewalo Basin, much preparation will be done to insure safety. We will have a student-teacher ratio of 5 students to 1 adult. Parents will be asked to help chaperone. We will be going when the tide is at - 0.3 feet.
SUPPORT SERVICES AND SPECIAL TEACHER NOTES: What help
will you need with computer hardware or with software, listservs, e-mail, the Internet, or other
technology applications? What other help will you need, such as a special education teacher to
advise or assist you with special students? What professional development opportunities would
you like?
1. Hyperstudio:
2. Graphing: