NAME: Amy Thoreson & Laura Sprunk

Unit Title: Water Conservation

Length of unit: 10 Days (40 minute lessons)

Grade level: 1st

Stage 1 Desired Results

***Standards:
Environmental Education Standards:
D.4.3 Identify two or more ways to take positive environmental action
E.4.1 Identify and describe examples of their environmental civic
responsibilities and the actions they take to meet them
Science Standard:
C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan
investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer
explanations
C.4.5 Use data they have collected to develop explanations and answer
questions generated by investigations
***Essential questions:

Topical questions:

~ Why do people need to be concerned

about the fresh water on Earth?
~What are some ways people effect our
water sources?
~What can we do to conserve and
protect the fresh water on Earth?

~In what ways do I effect my environment?

~In what ways can I help conserve water?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:
~Students will be able to compare their personal/ family/ community water use with
those around the world.
~Students will be able to identify the amount of fresh water available on Earth and
make inferences to fresh water availability as an environmental concern.
~Students will be able to name some types of water pollution and the effects on the
environment.
~Students will be able to share their knowledge with other students by creating
posters explaining ways to preserve water.
Formative assessment

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

***Summative assessment

Day 1: Students will be able to have one

post-it note stating something they think
they know about water, as well as one postit note with a question they have about

Day 9: Students will be able to have one

poster completed with a group. The poster
should one type of water students can
conserve (sink, drinking water, etc.), and

water.
Day 2: Through class discussion, teacher
will answer questions about student
responses using the following guidelines:
Does the student stay on topic? Does the
student show understanding by using
subject matter vocabulary appropriately?
Does the student contribute his/her ideas
and/or build upon the ideas of others? Is
the student respectful to others with respect
to differences in opinion?
Day 3: Student will be able to complete
All the Water on Earth handout stating
information relevant to todays activity.
Day 4: Students will be able to glue
pictures of water cycle in the correct order.
Day 5: Students will be able to show new
knowledge of water pollution by creating a
4 cell comic strip detailing parts of the
Franco the Fish story.
Day 7: Students will successfully complete
a role play scenario with a water
conservation or water pollution theme.

one way students in the school can help

conserve that water. Posters should be final
draft, with no factual or spelling errors.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

***Learning Activities/Procedure:
Day 1: Discuss Wisconsin and Earth map to find symbols of water. Give students 2
post-it notes each with directions to write one thing they know about water on
the first post-it note, and a question they have about water on the second post-it
note. Students could work alone, or discuss with others near them, but must
have their own idea on their post-it. Show students KWL chart and explain that
we will be posting each persons ideas within the first two boxes of the chart.
Begin with what the students already know allowing them to read their post-it
and attach it to the chart paper in the first column. Follow the same procedure
for the question post-its. Place each of these notes in the second column of the
chart. Wrap up discussion by giving students How do you use water in your
home? worksheet to complete overnight. Explain that you would like to see
how each family uses water that evening and in the morning before school. Tell
them that they will be using the school-home connection activity to create a
graph the next day.
Day 2: Ask students to take out the school-home connection sheet from previous day
entitled How do you use water? Show students squares of paper with pictures
of water drops and ask students to take one piece for each box they checked on
their activity sheet. (Example: If they used water when they flushed the toilet,
brushed their teeth, and cooking they would take 3 of the water droplets.)

Explain that pictographs have been used for a long time in many different ways;
many different cultures like the Plains Indians would tell stories through their
oral history or through creating pictures (pictographs) on rock walls. We still use
many different forms of pictographs today like in many of our street signs and
for graphing in math. Tell students we will be making a pictograph based on the
answers from their activity sheet to see how we use water the most. Explain that
a pictograph uses pictures to represent data, for example, each water droplet will
represent one persons use of water. Begin the class pictograph by charting the
teachers responses to the activity sheet, and then allow each student to come and
glue their water droplets to the appropriate places on the graph. Discuss
graphing results with the class by questioning the students. What do you notice
about the pictograph? In what way do we use water most often? In what ways do
we use water the least? Are you noticing any patterns in our data? Explain to
students that in other cultures, people use water in many different ways than we
do. Tell them that we are going to be looking at the lives of a few different
children in the book Our World of Water who live in different parts of the world.
Read the story and discuss similarities and differences that the students are
noticing about water use, how each child gets water for drinking, etc. Review
the KWL chart from Lesson 1.
Day 3: Ask the students if they have ever been swimming in the ocean. Discuss with
them what they remember about the ocean water. What differences do they
remember between the ocean water and the water that we drink? Show students a
milk jug filled with 3 liters of water. Explain that the jug represents all the water
on the earth. Have students help measure 2 liters, and 91 milliliters of water from
the milk jug. Pour measured liquid into clear plastic container labeled Oceans.
Ask students What would we need to add to the water to make it more
realistic? (Salt) Discuss with students that the water in the Oceans container
represents all the oceans and other kinds of saltwater in the world. That amounts
to 97% of all the water on Earth. Ask Where else do we find water on Earth?
Have students measure 60 ml of water and pour into a smaller clear container
labeled Ice caps and glaciers. Ask students What would we need to do to this
water to make it more realistic? (Freeze it) Discuss with students that the water
in the ice caps and glaciers container represents all the frozen water on the
planet. That amounts to 2% of all water on Earth. Have a student pour the
remaining water in the remaining clear container marked Fresh water. Discuss
with students that out of all the water on Earth, this amount represents fresh
water which is the only water that is suitable for drinking water. Freshwater only
makes up 1% of the water found on Earth and has to be shared with all the
people, plants, and animals on the planet. Discuss with students Why do you
think it is important we understand how much water is on Earth that is available
for people, animals, and plants to use? Pass out the student handout All the
Water on Earth. Read directions and word bank words with students, then give
students time to write a reflection on the class activity. Allow time for students to
add to the learned section of the KWL chart.
Day 4: On a large piece of paper draw a river flowing into a lake. Have students take

turns adding the features to the drawing (trees, fish, animals, etc.) Ask students to
look at the picture and think about why the river and lake water is important to
everything else pictured. Show video The Magic School Bus-How Water
Changes Tell students that the water in the river and lake initially comes from the
sky in the form of rain or snow. When it rains in the mountains or anywhere
upstream, the water flows downhill through the river channel and eventually into
the lake. Similarly, when snow melts in the mountains, it turns liquid and flows
down the river into the lake. As water travels down the river and into the lake, it
slowly evaporates and returns to the air. Evaporation is when the sun (or another
source) heats up water in rivers, lakes, or oceans and turns it into vapor or steam.
The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake, or ocean and goes into the air.
Once the water is in the air, it condensation happens and clouds are made. From
the clouds precipitation (rain or snow) falls and together with the snowmelt will
fill up the lakes and rivers again. This process is the water cycle. Draw a simple
water cycle example on the board or a large piece of paper. Label the river, lake,
cloud, evaporation, condensation, precipitation. Explain that the students will be
cutting out shapes for their own water cycle and gluing them down to show this
process. Students will cut out and place (and eventually glue down) the water
cycle in the correct order from the handout given.
Day 5: Show students fish shape cut out of a sponge and hung on a fishing line into the
fish tank. Meet our friend Franco the Fish. Franco has lived in the northern
part of the Wisconsin River his entire life, playing games and doing various fishy
things. Introduce the Wisconsin River map and point out where Franco lives in
Lac Vieux Desert. Franco is very happy in his part of the river, the water is
very clean and comfortable, but Franco is getting bored. So, today Franco is
adventuring downstream for the first time. Lets see what happens on Francos
downstream adventure!
Ask for students to help during the story, and pass out one prop to each student
helper. Francos journey starts by entering into the Wisconsin River, and the
snow is just starting to melt this spring. All of the salt that was spread on the
highways is now being washed into the stream as Franco swims by. Have
student with the salt add it to the water. How do you think Franco feels about
the water he is swimming in now?
Later, Franco finds himself swimming near a picnic area in Rhinelander.
Show students the map of the Wisconsin River and where Rhinelander is located.
Picnickers who are enjoying their picnic arent paying attention to their
garbage. Now it has blown into the stream. Student adds paper dots to the
water. Franco discovers that a housing development has sprung up around the
river near Merrill. Show students where Franco is on the map at this point in
the story. All of the fertilizers that people used on their lawns and fields to help
them grow has washed into the stream and made river plants grow very quickly.
The stream wasnt able to support them so many of the plants died. Now the
decomposition of the plants is taking all of Francos oxygen! Have the student
who is holding the powdered milk dump it into the water. How do you think
Franco is feeling?
Further down the river, near Wausau, Point Wausau out on the Wisconsin

map. A person decides to wash his car while Franco is in the river. He gets a
big bucket of hot soapy water and as he rinses his car, the soapy water runs
down the driveway, into the storm drain, and into Francos river. Have a student
add laundry detergent to the water. While swimming past Stevens Point, it
starts to rain as the stream takes Franco past a parking lot. Show students
where Stevens Point is on the map. Parked in this lot are several cars that are
leaking oil. The rain is washing the oil right into the stream. Have the student
holding the pancake syrup add it to the water. What do you think Franco is
thinking as he is swimming down the river now?
Franco swims into some farm country near Friendship. Show students where
Friendship, Wisconsin is on the map. He passes a freshly plowed riverbank.
Because of the rain, some soil erodes into the river. The student who has the
garden soil should dump it into the water at this time. There are several
factories along Francos river. They are supposed to limit how many pollutants
they dump into the river but the factory owners ignore the law. The next
student should add the warm soapy water. How do you think Franco is
doing? Franco then swims past the Sauk Citys wastewater treatment plant.
Show students where Sauk City is located on the map. Uh, oh! Part of the
facility has broken down and released some of the collected waste into the
stream. Two drops of red food coloring should be added to the water by a
student.
At last Francos journey is almost complete. He swims past the closed
hazardous waste landfill located on the bank of the river. Rusty barrels of toxic
chemicals have leaked and the rain has washed them into the river. The final
student should add 5 drops of green food coloring to the water. How do you
think Franco likes swimming in the Wisconsin River?
Give each student a copy of the Franco the Fish Comic handout. Tell students
that they are going to create a comic strip with the parts of the Franco the Fish
story that they would like to represent. They should use drawings, and may want
to add words if they feel it will add to the story they are telling. Have students
hang their work and complete a gallery walk. Allow time for students to add to
the learned section of the KWL chart.
Day 6: Post KWL as anchor chart near a water center that would be available for a few
days after the unit. The center could include a map with water features and
stickers placed representing the pollution that Franco the Fish encountered on his
journey down the WI River. Students could take turns moving Franco down the
river but in order to pass the pollution point the student could explain to a partner
how the pollution could have been avoided or a way to clean it up before Franco
can pass.
Day 7: Read Why Should I Turn off the Tap? By MJ Knight. Discuss the book with the
students including the various things that we can do to help conserve water, and
how to keep the water clean. Brainstorm ways to cut water pollution and
conserve water. Write a list of the student ideas on chart paper that can be hung
in the classroom. Divide students into small groups of 3 or 4 students per group.
Explain to the students that they will be working with their small group to act out

short scenarios for the class. Each group will choose one of the ways from their
brainstorm list to role play. Give students time to develop and practice their
scenarios while teacher circulates to assist. Have each group of students show
off their scenarios and discuss each with the class. Review the KWL chart.
Day 8 & 9: Re-read brainstorming list from Activity 6 with students, and discuss if any
of those ideas can be used in the school to conserve water or stop pollution.
Discuss with students places that they use water inside the school. Develop a list
of ways that students can help save water while they are at school. Divide
students into small groups. Have each group be in charge of an area such as
sinks, toilets, or drinking fountains. Explain to the students that they are going to
be creating posters to hang in the school near these areas to remind their peers
about how to conserve water and keep it clean. Allow the groups time to create
ideas and rough drafts of their posters and have them checked for accuracy and
spelling by the teacher. Complete the final drafts of the posters. Walk around the
school allowing students to hang their posters in appropriate places.
Day 10: Field trip to Urban Ecology Center. Work with Urban Ecology presenters on
ways students can help the natural water sources in our community.

Materials:
Maps of Wisconsin and the World
Post-it Notes
KWL chart
Our World of Water By Beatrice Hollyer
Milk Jug Earth
3 clear containers labeled with Oceans, Ice caps and Glaciers, and Fresh Water
Measuring cups with milliliter markings
One All the Water on Earth handout per student
Water Cycle worksheet
Fish bowl or large clear container
Sponge in shape of a fish
Fishing line
Pencil or other item to hang fish into the water
Map of Wisconsin River with cities labeled
Salt in small jar labeled 1
Paper dots from hole punch in small jar labeled 2
Powdered milk in small jar labeled 3
Laundry detergent in small jar labeled 4
Maple syrup in small jar labeled 5
Garden Soil in small jar labeled 6
Warm soapy water in small jar labeled 7
Red food coloring labeled 8
Green food coloring labeled 9
Franco the Fish Comic handout

_____________________________________________________________

Motivation/hook:
Begin by showing a map of the world. Lead discussion by posing questions.
-What is this map showing? The world/ The Earth
-What do you see on the map? Countries/ Land/ Water
-What do the different colors represent? Brown is land/ Blue is water
-What kinds of water are shown on this map? Oceans/ Lakes
Then show the students a map of Wisconsin. Continue discussion by posing questions
-What is this map showing? Wisconsin
-What do the different colors represent? Green is land/ Blue is water
-What kinds of water are shown on this map? Lakes/ Rivers
Tell students that we are going to be spending the next several days learning about water
and ways that we affect the water on Earth.
_____________________________________________________________
Differentiation/Adaptations:
Day 1: Students who are able to create one of each desired post-it note before the allotted
time is over, will have extra post-it notes available to write other knowledge or
questions. Students who have difficulty writing will work with a small group of
students to verbalize their ideas while a group member writes. If the student
prefers to type, they may use a computer for their ideas. Students having
difficulty understanding will meet with the teacher for additional discussion and
further questioning to help them determine an idea for each post-it note. KWL
chart will be mobile if students need it to be lowered or brought to them.
Day 2: Students will be able to form their own questions for the teacher as well as for
other students throughout this lesson. Students who understand the lesson will
have the opportunity to help clarify questions of students who are unsure.
Teacher has the ability to alter the level of questioning based on student needs,
and will be able to assist students struggling with creating their portion of the
graph. Pictograph chart can be raised, lowered, or moved to aid any students with
physical concerns.
Day 3: Students may discuss their observations with a neighbor to assist in
comprehension, and spelling or writing skills. Students who finish their student
handout early can complete Water Word Search. Students needing further
assistance with understanding the lesson or with completing the All the Water on
Earth handout can work in a small group with the teacher.
Day 4: Students finishing early will add specific places where they see this process in
their lives. Students needing an extra challenge will draw a representation of the

water cycle instead of cutting and gluing provided pictures. Large picture would
be movable to accessible to all students. Students could work with partner to
recreate the water cycle if they struggle for understanding. Shapes for gluing
could be precut for those who cant use scissors.
Day 5: Students who finish their comic strip early may use extra paper to add to their
story. Students who are unsure of the directions, or need help formulating ideas
can work with the students in their area or in a small group with the teacher.
Day 7: Students will be working in small groups so they will have the opportunity to
challenge each other and assist when needed. Teacher will also be circulating
classroom to assist.
Day 8 & 9: As a group, students will work to complete as many posters as they have time
for. Students who are able to complete things more quickly will be available to
assist their group members who may need additional support. Students who have
trouble writing may use computers to type the wording they would like for their
posters. Teacher is available to assist with students who need additional support.

NAME: Laura Sprunk

Unit Title: Water Cycle
Lesson Completed on Day 4 of Unit
Length of unit: 1 day (40 minutes)

Grade level: 1

Stage 1 Desired Results

***Standards:
A.4.5 When studying a science-related problem, decide what changes over time are
occurring or have occurred
D.4.5 Construct simple models of what is happening to materials and substances
undergoing change, using simple instruments or tools to aid observations and collect data
***Essential questions:
Where does water come from?

Topical questions:
How do the lakes stay full?
Where does the water from lakes go?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will be able to:
Explain where the water on Earth comes from.
Draw the water cycle showing how the water is in lakes moves to clouds and then falls as
rain back to the lakes.
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Formative assessment
***Summative assessment
Students will be able to
Will come at the end of the unit
Name the key components that
make up the water cycle.
Illustrate the water cycle on paper
showing how the water moves from
the land (lakes and rivers) to the air
(clouds) and back to land (rain).
Propose ideas to keep the water
clean within the water cycle.
Stage 3 Learning Plan
***Learning Activities/Procedure:
Introduction and Hook: (7 minutes)
Gather students on the floor or nearby and on a large piece of paper draw a river flowing
into a lake. Have students take turns adding the features to the drawing (trees, fish,
animals, houses, farms, and people fishing, people boating, someone watering the lawn.)

Ask students to look at the picture and think about why the river and lake water is
important to everything else pictured. What do the plants, animals, and people in the
picture use the water for?
Wow! Water is sure important. Where does the water come from?
Show: (4 minutes)
The Magic School Bus-How Water Changes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=oaCUyZw4Tjo)
Instruction: (12 minutes)
Tell students that the water in the river and lake initially comes from the sky in the form
of rain or snow. When it rains in the mountains or anywhere upstream, the water flows
downhill through the river channel and eventually into the lake. Similarly, when snow
melts in the mountains, it turns liquid and flows down the river into the lake.
As water travels down the river and into the lake, it slowly evaporates and returns to the
air. Evaporation is when the sun (or another source) heats up water in rivers, lakes, or
oceans and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake, or
ocean and goes into the air. Once the water is in the air, it condensation happens and
clouds are made. From the clouds precipitation (rain or snow) falls and together with the
snowmelt will fill up the lakes and rivers again.
This process is the water cycle.
Draw a simple water cycle example on the board or a large piece of paper. Label the river,
lake, cloud, evaporation, condensation, precipitation. Explain that the students will be
cutting out shapes for their own water cycle and gluing them down to show this process.
Review: (15 minutes)
Students will cut out and place (and eventually glue down) the water cycle in the correct
order from the handout given.
Materials:
SMART board or a way to show video
The video The Magic School Bus-How Water Changes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=oaCUyZw4Tjo)
Hand out with pieces of simple water cycle not in order to be cut out
White construction paper for gluing down of water cycle pieces
Large anchor chart paper that is movable
_____________________________________________________________
Differentiation/Adaptations:
Large picture would be movable to reach all students.
Students could work with partner to recreate the water cycle.
Shapes for gluing could be precut for those who cant use scissors.

NAME: Amy Thoreson

Unit Title: Water Cycle
Lesson Completed on Day 7 of Unit
Length of unit: 1 day (40 minutes)

Grade level: 1

Stage 1 Desired Results

***Standards:
Environmental Education Standards:
C.4.4 Identify some of the decisions and actions related to the issue
D.4.2 Identify and give examples of short-term and long-term solutions to a
problem
D.4.3 Identify two or more ways to take positive environmental actions
D.4.5 Explain how they can influence an environmental issue
Theatre Education Standards:
E.4.1 Create a scene or play based on a story, another piece of literature, or an
idea, with a beginning, middle, and end
Science Standard:
C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan
investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations
C.4.5 Use data they have collected to develop explanations and answer
questions generated by investigations
C.4.7 Support their conclusions with logical arguments
***Essential questions:
How can people help conserve water?
How can people prevent water pollution?

Topical questions:
In what ways can I help preserve the
natural resource of water?

Student objectives (outcomes):

After this lesson, students will be able to identify different ways that people can help the
environment through methods of conserving water and stopping water pollution.
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Formative assessment
***Summative assessment
Students will be able to
Will come at the end of the unit
Complete a short skit about water
conservation with a group.
Stage 3 Learning Plan
***Learning Activities/Procedure:
Steps for instruction:

1. Read Why Should I Turn off the Tap? By MJ Knight. Discuss the book with the
students including the various things that we can do to help conserve water, and how to
keep the water clean. (10 minutes)
2. Brainstorm ways to cut water pollution and conserve water. Write a list of the student
ideas on chart paper that can be hung in the classroom. (5 minutes)
3. Divide students into small groups of 3 or 4 students per group. (2 minutes)
4. Explain to the students that they will be working with their small group to act out
short scenarios for the class. Each group will choose one of the ways from their
brainstorm list to role play. (3 minutes)
5. Give students time to develop and practice their scenarios while teacher circulates to
assist. (10 minutes)
6. Have each group of students show off their scenarios and discuss each with the class.
(15 minutes)
Closure: (2 minutes)
Review the KWL chart from Lesson 1. Look to see if any of the information from the
KNOW section has changed, or if any of the questions from the WANT column can
be moved over to LEARNED. Also, add any new learning the students share into the
LEARNED column.

Materials:
Why Should I Turn off the Tap? By MJ Knight
Chart paper
Marker
KWL chart from lesson 1

_____________________________________________________________
Motivation/hook:
Review with students things that have been discussed in the first four days of the water unit.
Have students discuss the various threats we have to the freshwater on Earth.

_____________________________________________________________
Differentiation/Adaptations:
Students will be working in small groups so they will have the opportunity to challenge each
other and assist when needed.
Students needing additional challenges will write a brief script of the scene they want to portray.
Students could present their scenes as part of a school assembly for an additional challenge.
Students needing extra assistance can have teacher made note cards to use while presenting.