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This Cleaning Water lesson plan also includes:
- Cleaning Water - For Educators, Espanol
- Cleaning Water - For Students
- Cleaning Water - For Students, Espanol
- Where Would a Space Explorer Find Water and Oxygen?
- Graphic Organizer
- Graphic & Image
- Lab & Experiment
- Rubric
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From their sweat to the water vapor in their breath, astronauts recycle every possible drop of water while in space. After watching a short video describing the different ways materials are recycled and reused in space shuttles, young scientists work in small groups designing, building, and testing water filters using common household materials.
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Concepts
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Instructional Ideas
- Include this activity in an upper-elementary science unit on water and/or water conservation
- When discussing pH levels, use litmus strips to test acid, base, and water samples to demonstrate for students the differences between each type of liquid
- Create different mixtures of "grey water", testing to see if certain water contaminants are harder to remove that others
- Extend the lesson by having students redesign their water filters based on their initial results
Classroom Considerations
- Lesson requires about 40 minutes of prep time, seek the help of a classroom aide or parent/student volunteer to speed up this process
- Send a letter home a week or two prior to the lesson asking families to donate two-liter bottles or any other materials necessary for the activity
Pros
- Key words associated with the steps of the scientific process are highlighted in bold throughout the lesson
- Lesson plan includes a break point for splitting this activity over two days if needed
- A rubric is included for assessing students' water filters
- Additional copies of the lesson plan and worksheet are included in Spanish
Cons
- None