WHERE DOES THE WATER AROUND OUR SCHOOL GO?

Goal

Students investigate how our school and the area around it are part of the Neponset Watershed

Objectives

Students develop an understanding of a watershed

Students create their own watershed in a plastic container

Students learn about the Neponset River and use map skill activities to follow the Neponset River as it travels through Canton

Procedure

On a clear day, divide students into cooperative groups; assign groups a quadrant of the area around the school to map and make predictions about direction of waterflow and zones of accumulation.

On a rainy day, groups of students observe and record data of the water flow on their assigned quadrant. Students show collection points on their maps. Students compare actual data with earlier predictions. Students look at data to describe potential problems of water pooling, water flow, and/or pollution sites.
 

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Teacher elicits inquiry questions from students that will generate the focus question which is What role does our school and its area play in the Neponset Watershed?

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FRAMEWORKS CONNECTION
 

GRADE 4	GRADE 5
Strand 1 Inquiry, p. 27	Strand 1 Inquiry, p 28
Strand 2 Domains of Science, p. 44 Physical Science: Properties of Matter	Strand 2 Domains of Science, p. 48 Physical Science: Motions & Changes in motion
Strand 2 Life Science, pp 559-560 Characteristics of organisms Diversity & Adaptation of organisms Organisms & environments	Strand 2 Life Science, pp 62-63 Characteristics of organisms Diversity & Adaptation of organisms Ecosystems & Organisms
Strand 2 Earth & Space Science, p. 74 Properties & changes of Earth's materials	Strand 2 Earth & Space Science, p. 74 Interactions & cycles in the Earth system
Strand 3 Technology, p 90 Nature & impact of technology Resources of technology Technological areas of communication, etc.	Strand 3 Technology, p 94 Nature & impact of technology Tools & machines of technology Resources of technology Technological areas of communication, etc.
Strand 4 Science, Technology, & Human Affairs, p 110	Strand 4 Science, Technology, & Human Affairs, p 110

 

LOCAL CURRICULUM

GRADE 4: Water cycle; fresh water

GRADE 5: Oceanography
 
 

ENABLING ACTIVITIES

Observe mapping of area around the school on a clear day

Predict accumulation zones

Observe and map area around the school on a rainy day

Compare data with predictions

Analyze data to gain insight into water problems

Examine watershed maps and underground water sources; make connections

Design solutions

Test designs

Observe movements of sediments; recognize sources of sediments

Make connection from the Neponset River to Massachusetts Bay: river to ocean

SKILLS

(random order)
 

Observe	Communicate	Interpret findings	Evaluate Solutions
Map	Use vocabulary	Relate parts to whole	Recognize problems
Predict	Compare/contrast	Design solutions	Evaluate Solutions
Record	Design experiments	Test hypotheses	Develop questions
Measure	Compare/contrast	Cooperate	Hypothesize
Use measuring Instruments	Use the computer for research and communication of data

 
 

PRODUCTS OR PERFORMANCES

Data sheets, maps, diagrams, science journals, field trips notes (Grades 4, 5)

Proposal for the management of surface water (grade 5)

Use the DOE 4 point rubric for scoring
 

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT

Interdisciplinary use

Relationship to prior knowledge of water table, steps of the scientific process

Vocabulary use

Usage of electronic resources to extend knowledge base

Diagrams or maps to show relationships

Relationship of individual parts to each other and the entire watershed

Personal response to class activity

Application of skills to an examination of the area around student's own home
 

EXTENSIONS

Develop questions to experiment:

What happens when fresh water meets salt water? (gr 5)

What happens when polluted river water meets the ocean?

What are methods for containing pollution in the water?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SCIENCE: How does our school connect to the Neponset Watershed??

Resource: Rainy Day Explorations

Vocabulary:
 

pervious	surface water	permeable
watershed	ground water	impermeable
storm drain	accumulation zone

 

SOCIAL STUDIES:

History of the Neponset Watershed area

Compare local history to US history

Develop timeline

READING: A River Ran Wild; Selections from Old Mother West Wind (Gr 4)

Call It Courage; Selections from Island of the Blue Dolphins (Gr 5)

Skills: Visualization; figurative language

MATH: How do you measure a puddle? (Modern Curriculum Press)

Skills: depth, measurement, circumference, volume, diameter, metric, & expressing a mathematical procedure & result

ENGLISH/WRITING: Narratives with river/ocean settings

Science vocabulary and specific river/ocean word lists

Adjectives for river/ocean

Letter writing for information and to persuade to clean up

Proposal writing of ways to protect/clean up the river and ocean

HEALTH:
Discuss impact on human health; explore clean water and polluted water issues

MUSIC/ART:
Create pictomaps of the school in relation to the Neponset River

Study songs about rivers and oceans

Make puff fish

Boston Harbor Basin Map: Includes The Neponset River Watershed