Science Lesson Sequence - Part 3: Lesson Plans

Lesson 1
Anticipated Teaching Date: Monday, 3/7/22
Time Estimate: 20-30 minutes
Materials:
● Demonstration Materials: plastic clear bin, gravel, water with blue food dye (1 for
teacher demonstration)
Safety Considerations: N/A
Introduction (--5 minutes)
Have you ever seen clouds form before? What happens after the clouds form?
Where have you seen rain water go?
What do you predict happens to rain water once it reaches the Earth?
*write down student predictions*
Today I’m going to show you a demonstration that will help us explore what happens to rain
water once it reaches the Earth.

Main Teaching Activities (--20 minutes)

Science Talk:
Review student predictions of what happens to rainwater once it reaches the Earth.
With this demonstration I’m going to make it rain on the Earth. Can anyone guess what the blue
water represents in this model? What do you think the gravel represents? Watch closely so you
can tell me what you notice about where the rainwater goes once it reaches the Earth.
Teacher does a demonstration of pouring the water with blue food dye over the gravel and into
the bin.
What happened to the water, and why do you think that happened?
Did anyone notice anything else?
Would anyone like to add onto what _____ said?
Why does the water sink past to the bottom of the bin, past the gravel?
How does this compare to our predictions?
How do you think the type of gravel would make a difference?
Why would it matter if the pieces were closer together?
Teacher moves the gravel so that the middle of the bin is lower than the rest of the bin. Water
moves into that space creating a pond.
What do you notice now?

Conclusion (--5 minutes)

Turn and talk to a partner about what you learned from this demonstration today.
Students share responses and teacher records ideas on the board.
Explain that the water moves downward through holes and spaces between the gravel, moving
through the earth. The water is filtered by different particles as it passes through, leaving
pretty clean fresh drinking water. Underground water is an important source of drinking
water.
Lesson 2
Anticipated Teaching Date: Tuesday, 3/8/22

Time Estimate: 60 minutes

Materials:
● Mystery Science Lesson: Unit 2 Lesson 3
● “Mapmaker’s Map” Worksheet (1 per group of 4 students)
● “Plant and Soil Clues” Worksheet (1 per group of 4 students)
● “Wanted: A Well” Worksheet (1 per group of 4 students)
● Exit ticket (1 per student)

Safety Considerations: N/A

Introduction (-- 5 minutes)

Yesterday, we watched how the water trickled past the gravel and sank to the bottom of the bin.
Today, we are going to be learning about groundwater, and you are going to be deciding where
the best place would be to build a town. But first, let’s talk about what we already know about
groundwater.
Main Teaching Activities (--45 minutes)
Teacher will start the mystery science video.
The first 20 minutes is an exploration which creates spaces for discussion about student ideas of
the following; How does water get underground? Where do you think people get their water if
they don’t live near lakes or rivers? How do people get water from far underground?
The next 25 minutes is where students will be collaborating with 3 other students to complete
the hands-on activity.
You are going to work with your classmates to decide where the best place would be to build a
town in order to access groundwater. To do this activity, we will be getting into groups of 4.
Students get into groups of 4, pre-determined by the teacher.
Teacher has the student teacher helper and the paper passer passes out the papers needed for
each group of 4 students.
Students decide who will play which role in the group to do the activity.
Teacher plays this part of the mystery science video, and students follow along to learn about
different factors such as plant life, types of ground, and location of the town to help them
decide where to build their town on the map.
Students discuss with their group where they will dig a well, choose the spot, write down their
reasons, and name their town.

Conclusion (--10 minutes)

Teacher will play the last few minutes of the mystery science lesson which is the wrap up video.
Now that we have worked with our groups, let’s come together to discuss what we did as a
class.
Whole class discussion:
Where did you decide to dig?
Why did you decide to dig in that spot?
What clues did you use?
Teacher collects the worksheets from each student.
Teacher passes out the exit ticket: What conditions make a place ideal for building a well?
Students fill out the exit ticket and the teacher collects them.
Tomorrow, we will be actually physically making a well using a model like the one from my
demonstration.
Lesson 3
Anticipated Teaching Date: Wednesday, 3/9/22

Time Estimate: 50-60 minutes

Materials:
● Clear plastic bin filled one inch or so with gravel (1 per group of 4 students)
● Cup filled with water with blue food dye mixed in (1 per group of 4 students)
● A soap dispenser pump (1 per group of 4 students)
● A straw with slits cut into it at the bottom (1 per group of 4 students)
● A pencil (1 per group of 4 students)
● A plastic spoon (1 per student)
● Lab Worksheet (1 per student)
● Paper towel to clean up any accidents

Safety Considerations: N/A

Introduction (-- 5-10 minutes)

Today we are going to experiment with our own models of the Earth and rain water. We are
going to use our models to make our very own wells, and decide where is the best place to dig a
well.
Let’s get into groups of 4.
Students get into groups of 4, pre-determined by the teacher.
Teacher will have the teacher helper and paper passer assist with passing out the materials to
each group for the experiment.

Main Teaching Activities (--30-35 minutes)

In front of your group you have a bin filled with gravel, a cup of blue water, a soap dispenser, a
straw, and a pencil.
Our first step is going to be to make a mountain on one side of the bin, and a flat part on the
other side.
Next, pour the cup of water into the bin and watch what happens.
Next, use your spoons to dig a pond. Where is the best place to dig? How do you know?
This next part is important to follow step by step. First, work with your group to decide where to
drill your well.
First, stick your pencil into your straw. Next, put the pencil inside the straw with the slit side
down into the gravel until you reach the bottom of the bin. Carefully take your pencil out of the
straw. Be careful because they are a bit snug. Now there is water in the well, which is your red
straw. Look in your straw to see if there is water in your straw well. Then, put your soap
dispenser pump into the straw well. Pump into your cup to see if your well works. How many
pumps does it take until your pond is empty?
Leave your well where it is in your bin, and start completing your lab worksheet. Every student
must turn in their own lab worksheet, but you may work together to brainstorm.

Conclusion (--10-15 minutes)

Now that we have had enough time to do our experiment and complete our lab worksheets, let's
share what we did with the class.
Students discuss what they did and why.
Where did you build your well?
Why did you build it there?
Please bring all of your materials to the back table. The teacher helper is going to come
around to collect your lab worksheets.
We learned a lot today about groundwater and how people use wells to get drinking water. In
our next lesson, we will learn more about the water cycle and where rain water comes from.