The Sixth Grade Water Project

1. The Sixth Grade Water Project Developed for Long Cane Middle School by Jean K. Martin

2. Overview: The 6th Grade Water Project 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)

3. Rationale: 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 6th 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 Math 24% of all students 19% of White Subgroup 34% of Black Subgroup 32% of Economically Disadvantaged Subgroup Does Not Meet in Reading/ ELA 11% of all students 9% of White Subgroup 13% of Black Subgroup 16% of Economically Disadvantaged Subgroup

4. Prerequisites: Skills Required Conduct primary and secondary research via Internet Analyze artifacts Analyze graphs and diagrams Determine adequacy and/or relevancy of information Check for consistency of information Willingness 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 participants Use information and skills across the academic disciplines to learn about a relevant real-world issue Communicate findings and conclusions to audiences in the school and community Use technology to research and present Increase proficiency using science (Phase One) and social studies (Phase Two) vocabulary

5. Resources: 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

6. Processes – Phase One • 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.

7. Processes - Phase One Con’t: 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 water 3) includes the major threats to local drinking water 4) suggests water conservation strategies for your family 5) demonstrates proper use and understanding of required academic vocabulary

8. Processes – Phase One Con’t. 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 Vocabulary Day 2 – Pre-teach key water vocabulary, include Water Cycle vocabulary *Example Formative Assessment - Word Sort Activity Day 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

9. Processes – Phase One Con’t. • 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, 10,11 Develop 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

10. Feedback: Phase One Project Assessment

11. Required Vocabulary for Final Project • conservation strategies • acid rain (or acid precipitation • agricultural sewage • Army Corps of Engineers • downstream • drought • humidity • infiltration • pollution • aquifer • groundwater • permeable • impermeable • water table • saturation zone • wastewater • evaporation • condensation • transpiration • precipitation

12. Optional Vocabulary • iceberg • glacier • desalination

13. Internet Research Resources • 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

14. Instructional Materials Is This the Way to the Drain Pipe?

15. Project Assessments • Formative Assessment • Pre-Assessment

16. Project Assessments Con’t. • Summative Assessment

17. Extension Questions • 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?