Lesson Overview (4 periods)
This is a differentiated instruction assignment that requires students to research and communicate their findings. The task focus is on communication with different stakeholders in the community about a proposal to approve a plan to build a local water bottling plant. This is a modified R.A.F.T. (role, audience, format, topic) assignment. The purpose of the first class is to understand the assignment and to discuss social, economic and environmental reasons to support an opinion. The next two classes are required for research, writing and editing with a focus on developing a media message. The forth class is used for students to present to a small group who will vote as if they were municipal councillors. An extra class might be needed for research or to start the lesson with a guest speaker who can discuss the local water treatment facility or the issues surrounding bottled water.
Connections to Environmental Education
Students should appreciate the challenges faced by the human community in defining and implementing the processes needed for environmental sustainability. Students develop a sense of balance in decisions that involve conflicting priorities. When faced with complex issues, students will learn about the interconnectedness of political, economic, environmental and social issues.
GRADE 8: LANGUAGE, GEOGRAPHY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Curriculum Expectations
Language (2006) – Reading
1. Students will read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and information texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
1.9 Students will identify the point of view presented in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts; give evidence of any biases they may contain; and suggest other possible perspectives.
Language (2006) – Writing
1. Students will generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience.
1.1 Students will identify the topic, purpose, and audience for more complex writing forms.
2. Students will draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience.
2.2 Students will establish a distinctive voice in their writing appropriate to the subject and audience.
2.7 Students will make revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using a variety of strategies.
3.8 Students will produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations.
History and Geography (2004) – Grade 8: Patterns in Human Geography
-Students will use a variety of geographic representations, resources, tools, and
technologies to gather, process, and communicate geographic information about
patterns in human geography.
-Students will locate relevant information from a variety of primary and secondary sources.
-Students will communicate the results of inquires for specific purposes and audiences using computer slide shows, videos, websites, oral presentations, written notes and reports, illustrations, tables, charts, maps, models and graphs.
-Students will use appropriate vocabulary to describe their inquiries and observations.
Science and Technology (2007) – Understanding Earth and Space Systems: Water Systems
1. Students will assess the impact of human activities and technologies on the sustainability of water resources.
2. Students will investigate factors that affect local water quality.
Learning Goals
At the end of this lesson, students will understand the importance of citizen action to influence decision making. Students will also know the role of municipal government in decision making about water use and sustainability. Finally, students will be able to use different media formats to communicate about environmental decision making.
INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS AND READINESS
Readiness
Understand the environmental challenges of bottled water.
Understand drinking water treatment.
Know how to search for information in the library or online.
Know how to write for a specific audience, edit and complete a final product.
Know how to present information using a chosen media format.
Terminology
– citizenship, economy, market economy, natural resource, opinion, primary industry, renewable resource, sustainable development, technology, assess, ecosystem, environmental stewardship, evaluate
Materials
BLM 1 – Protecting Our Water Media Report
BLM 2 – Protecting Our Water Media Report – Teacher’s Guide
BLM 3 – Protecting Our Water Media Report Rubric
BLM 4 – Protecting Our Water Media Report – Research Notes
“Components of a Water Budget” graphic http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/resources/graphics/Water_budjet_Andrea_Gauthier_2009-lg.jpg
“Conservation Ontario – What is a Source Water Protection Plan?” webpage http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/source_protection/source_protection_FAQs.html
“Conservation Ontario – Source Water Protection FAQ” webpage http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/resources/Fact_sheets/SWP_FAQS_2007_10_18.pdf
“How Stuff Works: Groundwater – Everything You need to Know About What You Drink” webpage http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/groundwater-everything-you-need-to-know-about-what-you-drink.htm
“Ontario Ministry of the Environment – Ontario Source Water Protection Program” webpage http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/subject/protection/index.htm
“Lakehead Region Conservation Authority – Source Water from Lakes and Rivers” webpage http://www.lakeheadca.com/graphics/surfacewater.pdf
“The Water Project – Resource Demands of Bottled Water” website http://thewaterproject.org/bottled_water_resource_usage.asp
“British Soft Drinks Association – Bottled Water Information” website http://www.bottledwaterinformation.co.uk/default.asp?section=3&subsection=11
Library for research class.
Computer lab for writing class.
MINDS ON
Think/Pair/Share about, “What are social, economic, or environmental reasons to support or reject the proposed water bottling plant?”
This task asks students to share and bring their prior knowledge about water issues to a larger social level. Students will read BLM 1 – Protecting Our Water Media Report and BLM 3 – Protecting Our Water Media Report Rubric to understand the task and expectations. During the class sharing of prior knowledge the teacher should categorize answers on three large pieces of chart paper under one of the three headings: social, economic, environmental. Use the terminology words during the discussion and in the chart paper notes. To understand the possible effects that increasing extraction of water might have project the Water Budget image for the class, http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/resources/graphics/Water_budjet_Andrea_Gauthier_2009-lg.jpg
Note: municipal governments are responsible for providing local drinking water and sewage treatment, the Ontario government makes the legislation (Safe Water Drinking Act) that sets standards, and the Federal Government is responsible for federally controlled water, e.g. the oceans and rivers that have migratory fish like salmon. The Ontario government now requires municipalities to develop plans to protect their sources of drinking water. A potentially confusing issue in this lesson is if the extra water withdrawn to support the water bottling company will affect the availability of water in the aquifer. This town is extracting surface water for drinking, and eventually this can lower the water in the aquifer due to lack of recharge but it will likely take awhile.
Almost all drinking water in Ontario actually comes from aquifers as the water supply is more protected and reliable.
Minds On: Assessment
Assessment of learning
Students complete the Minds On checklist about the project in BLM 1 – Protecting Our Water Media Report.
ACTION!
Individual and Small Groups.
Research and create a media report.
Students work in the library and computer lab to complete at least two of the three research notes in BLM 4 – Protecting Our Water Media Report – Research Notes. This will usually take one class for research. The next class will be for writing the media report which some students may have to complete for homework.
Action: Assessment
Assessment of learning.
Evaluate the media report using BLM 3 – Protecting Our Water Media Report Rubric.
Action: Differentiated Instruction
This is a differentiated assignment in content and product. As a challenge for gifted students ask them to do a storyboard for a TV news report. This can be done by 2 or 3 people with different roles cooperating to explain multiple points of view in one newscast. Each person will storyboard 4 sketches for their point of view. The team will work together to storyboard an introduction and a conclusion to the news report.
CONSOLIDATION
Groups of 4. Present media report.
In the final class, students present to each other in small groups of 4-5. The students listening to the presentation will be in role as municipal councillors. After listening to all the presentations in their small group, students will be in role as municipal councillors to vote on approving a local water bottling plant in the municipality. Each student will vote either for or against the proposed water bottling plant. The vote is on the 3-2-1 Exit Card. The groups should be prepared beforehand to reflect a wide range of media formats and stakeholders points of view.
Consolidation: Assessment
Assessment for learning.
Students complete the 3-2-1 Exit Card from BLM 2 – Protecting Our Water Media Report – Teacher’s Guide.