How Can We Protect and Clean Earth's Water?
How Can We Protect and Clean Earth's Water?
How Can We Protect and Clean Earth’s Water? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 5 engineering and earth and space science standards. In this module, students:
- Use evidence to develop a model explaining how human activities contribute to an ocean pollution problem
- Explain how the interactions of two components of Earth’s systems contribute to an ocean pollution problem
- Use evidence from graphed data and a simulation to explain how the atmosphere and geosphere interact to impact weather in two locations in California
- Design and build models of solutions to problems related to water scarcity and polluted water
- Test models of solutions to water-related problems and compare solutions based on how well they meet solution criteria and constraints
Below are digital resources that support teaching of this module.
Family Letter
Before starting How Can We Protect and Clean Earth’s Water?, share the Family Letter with students’ caregivers. Indicate how they should submit responses to the letter.
Dowload the Family Letter
Ocean Plastic (1:58)
This video includes several clips to introduce the problem of macroplastic pollution in the ocean.
Download the Ocean Plastic Video
Ocean Intro
This file shows a graph of the amount of macroplastic pollution in the ocean over time.
Download the Ocean Intro PDF
Moving Plastic
This file shows images of the model trash materials and the investigation setups students will use.
Download the Moving Plastic PDF
Earth Systems
This file lists the questions students will answer during their text-based research.
Download the Earth Systems PDF
Community Plastic
This file provides information to support students as they design solutions to the ocean macroplastic pollution problem.
Download the Community Plastic PDF
Potable Postcards
This link is used in the Potable Postcards extension.
https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-galleries
Local Solution
This file supports students in discussions about the role of engineering in society and in testing their model solutions.
Download the Local Solution PDF
Tulare Basin
This file provides an introduction to the landscape in the Central Valley of California and the Tulare Basin as students begin to define a water-related problem.
Download the Tulare Basin PDF
Precipitation
This file supports students as they graph precipitation data for locations relevant to the problem.
Download the Precipitation PDF
Rainfall Sandbox
Students use the simulation to research weather conditions associated with atmosphere-geosphere interactions.
https://carolinascienceonline.com/static-assets/marketing/RainfallSandbox0.1/index.html
World Water
This file supports students as they research the distribution of water on Earth.
Download the World Water PDF
Aquation Intro
This file introduces students to the Aquation game and how they will integrate it into their solutions to the problem.
Download the Aquation Intro PDF
Aquation game
Students play a strategy game to learn about existing solutions to water-shortage problems.
Play Aquation
Protect and Clean Water (5:55)
This video provides tips for connecting and using the materials.
Download the Protect and Clean Water Video
Tulare Solutions
This file supports students as they test model solutions.
Download the Tulare Solutions PDF
Atmospheric River
This file introduces students to a water pollution problem caused by excessive rainfall and flooding.
Download the Atmospheric River PDF
CV Solutions
This file supports students in planning their solution materials testing.
Download the CV Solutions PDF
Somebody-Wanted-But-So sheet
This file is used in the Solving Water Problems extension.
Download the Somebody-Wanted-But-So sheet PDF
CV Testing
This file supports students as they test and compare model solutions.
Download the CV Testing PDF
Kit Tips & Tricks