Developed for Long Cane Middle School

by Jean K. Martin

Goals : Students engaged in learning about a critical natural

resource for human life and local water sources (Phase One) and sources of water in selected countries across the world (Phase Two on)

Students working individually and in small heterogeneous groups of 5 on learning objectives

Objectives: Students will demonstrate understanding of targeted 6th

Grade Georgia Performance Standards in: ◦ Science (Phase One)◦ Social Studies (Phases Two, Three, Four, Five)◦ Reading Across the Curriculum– Science and Social

Studies – reading informational texts

Students will use scientific and academic vocabulary accurately

Students will improve their performance on the CRCT

◦ Decrease Does Not Meet in Reading/ELA in all subgroups (non-fiction a substantial portion of the reading passages)

◦ Increase Meets and Exceeds on Science and Social Studies CRCTs (soon to be secondary AYP indicators)

 

Long Cane Middle School has met AYP goals in recent years, but understands that the performance requirements are starting to rise steeply . It will be a challenge for this student body to meet the required targets of the future. 62% of Long Cane Middle School’s population of 1,000 is Economically Disadvantaged as defined through the participation in the free and reduced lunch program. As seen in the charts below, significant numbers of students in the large black and economically disadvantaged subgroups are not meeting the CRCT cutoffs in Math and Reading.

With such a high at-risk population, students will benefit from opportunities to increase their levels of engagement in their own learning and to use new knowledge across the curriculum and beyond school. A multi-curricular project presents such an educational opportunity. By developing a project that is based in 6 th grade performance standards and ties to their local community, students will develop enduring understandings about the world they live in. Through the essential topic of water, students will also learn about the issues surrounding drinking water across the world. They will then be equipped to make personal choices on water usage and the resources that impact the quality of our water today and in the future.

School-wide CRCT Results in 2009

Does not Meet in Math24% of all students19% of White Subgroup34% of Black Subgroup32% of Economically Disadvantaged Subgroup

Does Not Meet in Reading/ ELA11% of all students 9% of White Subgroup13% of Black Subgroup16% of Economically Disadvantaged Subgroup

 

Skills RequiredConduct primary and secondary research via InternetAnalyze artifactsAnalyze graphs and diagramsDetermine adequacy and/or relevancy of informationCheck for consistency of informationWillingness to learn Comic Life Software and conduct research via the Internet

Prior knowledge required - Completed unit on weather and its effect on the atmosphere and the water cycle

Potential benefits to participantsUse information and skills across the academic disciplines to learn about a relevant real-world issueCommunicate findings and conclusions to audiences in the school and communityUse technology to research and present Increase proficiency using science (Phase One) and social studies (Phase Two) vocabulary

Entire Project: Participation of 6th Grade Science and Social Studies in various phases of planning and executing the project, including providing in-class time for students to work individually and in groups on their project.

Phase One Only – 6th Grade Science Teachers

Phase One: The Water Cycle and Local Sources of Drinking Water in Troup County Technology –

Computer and Internet Access for Class Comic Life Software for Individual Projects for Class

Speakers and Field Trips Buses for 1 day field trip to LaGrange Wastewater Treatment Plant and West Point Lake to take water

samples Guest Speaker(s) – UGA Extension Service – Well Water Testing Science Lab with Projection Microscope to view water samples – before and after treatment

Phase Two: Water in Canada, Europe, South America and Australia Internet Access for web quest research project

Phase Four: Develop Group Contrast & Compare Project Storyboard – Microsoft Word

Phase Five: Group Presentations (after the CRCT) – Using MovieMaker

Essential Questions How is clean water made available in Troup County, Georgia? How does water continually move through the water cycle? How does the location of water on Earth’s surface and the

condition of the atmosphere affect its path through stages of the water cycle?

Enduring Understandings Clean fresh water is essential for human life. Human actions can impact water quality both positively and

negatively. There is a finite amount of water on Earth that is moving through

the water cycle.

Phase One: The Water Cycle and Local Water Sources in Troup County

Product for Phase One: A presentation using Comic Life Software that 1) demonstrates an understanding of the source of your drinking water at home 2) demonstrates an understanding of the water cycle on drinking water3) includes the major threats to local drinking water 4) suggests water conservation strategies for your family5) demonstrates proper use and understanding of required academic vocabulary

Day 1 – Access Prior Knowledge – KWL Chart United Streaming Video Clip on Water Cycle Note taking activity *Example Pre-Assessment - Knowledge Rating Activity on Key Unit

VocabularyDay 2 – Pre-teach key water vocabulary, include Water Cycle vocabulary

*Example Formative Assessment - Word Sort ActivityDay 3 – Local Water Research – incorporated LaGrange vs. unincorporated

LaGrange via pre-selected resources on Internet and school server Note taking on graphic organizer

Day 4 – Field trip to LaGrange Wastewater Treatment Plant and West Point Lake

Day 5 – Reflection activity on information learned using graphic organizer and required vocabulary

Day 6 – Speakers from UGA Extension Service – Testing Well Water – note taking on graphic organizer – class located in a lab that can project water samples from wells and those taken from lake

Day 7 – Research home water supply, vocabulary activity

Day 8 – Complete compiling information needed to begin Comic Life Project, Read “Excuse Me, is this the Way to the Drainpipe?”, make sure vocabulary activities are complete and accurate

Day 9, 10,11Develop the story of a local water drop from the faucet all the way to returning to the faucet using Comic Life Software.

*Homework may be given during the project, but all research and creation requiring software, computers, and the Internet will be completed during school hours

aquifer groundwater permeable impermeable water table saturation zone wastewater evaporation condensation transpiration precipitation

conservation strategies acid rain (or acid

precipitation agricultural sewage Army Corps of Engineers downstream drought humidity infiltration pollution

iceberg glacier desalination

U.S. Geological Survey 'Water Cycle Website: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html EPA's Water

Information Website for Kids: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/ Georgia Water

Conservation Website: http://www.conservewatergeorgia.net/Documents/

tools_teachers.html Georgia Public Broadcasting Digital Library:

http://www.gpb.org/digitallibrary NASA's Earth Observatory Website

http://Earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library

Is This the Way to the Drain Pipe?

Pre-Assessment

Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment

What is the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in the United States? What is their role in managing West Point Lake?

What is the background and status of the current 3-State water dispute?

How does metro-Atlanta’s water usage policies and practices affect Troup County’s water supply?

What are the issues in Troup County surrounding development and water?