Brief Description

During a normal week, students will track the amount of water they and their families used doing everyday things.  Students will then learn and discuss the scientific method by creating a hypothesis, a prediction, doing an experiment, and analyzing their data to determine if their hypothesis and prediction are correct. This lesson should take a few days spread out over two weeks.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-E2. Use a variety of technology tools for data collection and analysis
• 4T-E3. Collaboratively use telecommunications and online resources

• 1SC-E1. Identify a question, formulate a hypothesis, control and manipulate variables, devise experiments, predict outcomes, compare and analyze results, and defend conclusions
• 1SC-E3. Organize and present data gathered from their own experiences, using appropriate mathematical analyses and graphical representations

Academic

• Using individual data gathering charts, students will organize and present data for their entire family on the family data chart with 100% accuracy.
• Using the data, students will follow the scientific process to create a hypothesis, a prediction, compare class data with other data set from the Down The Drain website, and draw conclusions receiving scores of at least 3 using the teacher created rubric.

• Using family data, students will enter data into a pre-created Excel spreadsheet with 100 percent accuracy.
• Using a word processing program, students will record evidence of the scientific method receiving a score of at least 3 using the teacher created rubric.

Students must have word processing skills.  It would also be great if students had experience entering data into a spreadsheet.

Materials

Two large poster boards for pictographs, post-it notes
Calculators
Access to Down The Drain website- http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/drainproj/
Copies of individual data gathering charts- One for each member of the family
Copies of family data chart- One for each family
Access to spreadsheet and word processing program
Teacher created word processing template for students use
Teacher created rubric for assessment purposes-http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=730181.

Accommodations for Special Needs

In order to meet the criteria set by No Child Left Behind, I would make several accommodations to meet the needs of my special needs students.  My Sheltered English Immersion students could be given instructions in their home language. I could use a program such as Babel Fish located at http://world.altavista.com/ to make sure that students understand the data gathering section of the lesson. They could share in the creation of the word-processed document with another student who is English proficient. My Special Education students could track data for fewer days. They could also use the class sample hypothesis to follow and create the other pieces of the scientific process.  My Gifted Students could design a newsletter that shares our findings with the parents and thanks them for their participation.

Procedures

This project would take several different lessons to complete over a period of at least two weeks.

First Week: Monday-In Class
• Teacher will show students empty one-gallon jug.  Teacher will ask students if they could predict how many gallons students think they use each day doing common things like brushing teeth, taking showers, washing hands, etc. Teacher would introduce empty pictograph graph.  Teacher will explain that students are to make an educated guess and write their guess down on a post-it note and place in the correct position on the graph.
• Students would write down their prediction on a post it note and place it on the graph.
• Students and teacher will analyze data and discuss our beliefs about water usage.
• Teacher will introduce Down The Drain collaborative project.  Teacher will discuss what a collaborative project is.
• Teacher will introduce the data-gathering packet and discuss what the students and their families will be responsible for over the next week. Students and their families are going to individually keep track of their water usage using the data- gathering chart for each day of the week.  This will be due the Monday after assigned.
• Teacher will hang class pictograph in an accessible area of the classroom for further usage later in the lesson.


Second Week: Day One-In Class

• Students will bring in family data.
• Teacher will introduce the family data chart.  Teacher will explain how students will fill in paper chart before using the spreadsheet. Students will record all family results into the paper chart before going to the lab.
• Teacher will preview spreadsheet using a computer and a television converter (Averkey). Teacher will show students how to fill in the chart exactly with the data they have gathered.


Second Week: Day One-In Lab

• In the lab, students will enter their data correctly into the spreadsheet found at http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/drainproj/householdwateruse.html. Students will print spreadsheet to turn in for assessment purposes.
• Once back in class, students can record new average data on post it note and create new pictograph using the new data.
• Using this data and calculators, students and teachers will determine the class average usage. Teacher will submit this to the website for posting.


Day Two: In the Classroom

• Teacher will ask students how their guesses were different or similar to the original graph.
• Teacher will ask students if they think that the average water usage for our class is the same around the world.  Teacher will introduce the idea of hypothesis.
• Teacher will brainstorm with students several different hypothesizes for further study.  Teacher will then discuss with students that a prediction must be made to test the hypothesis.  Again, teacher will discuss with students several different prediction that could be used the test the hypothesis.
• Students will choose one hypothesis and one prediction that could be tested using the data found on the website. Students will record their input into the word document.
• Teacher will demonstrate with a sample set how they would use the website data to test their ideas.  Teacher will record class data and the class that they are comparing their data to.
• Teacher will introduce the rubric to the students in order to let them know how they will be assessed.


Day Two: In the Lab

• In the lab, students will pull up teacher created template and type their hypothesis and prediction.  Students will then go to the website and look at the data and record their data and the data that they are using to compare water usage.
• Students will then write their conclusions in the template.  Students will decide whether their ideas were correct or not.  They will write about why they were correct or why they were incorrect.  They will also look for ways that they could decrease water usage in their daily lives and record that as well.

Students will be assessed in several different ways.  First, students will submit their data sheets to show that they have met the first academic and technological standard. Students will receive a percentage grade based on the percentage of correct data transfer to the computerized spreadsheet.  Student’s findings will be assessed using a teacher created rubric.  Students will be expected to score at a three level or better on the rubric to show that sufficient progress has been made. The rubric may be found at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=730181