LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Your Name: Leah Maynez

Title of Lesson: How Can We Conserve Water?
Grade: 5th
STANDARDS
NOTE: Please list at least two complete standards your lesson plan covers. [Common Core State Standards
(math and language arts), Next Generation Science Standards (science), Arizona State Social Studies
Standards (social studies)].

Next Generation Science Standards

NGSS (core ideas)_5-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information about ways individual
communities use science ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.
NGSS (Science and Engineering Practices)_Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information:
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 35 builds on K2 experiences
and progresses to evaluating the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods.
o Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to
explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. (5-ESS3-1)
Arizona Science Standard
Concept 1: Changes in Environments
PO 2. Propose a solution, resources, or product that addresses a specific human, animal,
or habitat need.
Common Core State Standards Connections
ELA/Literacy RI.5.7
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the
ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem
efficiently. (5-ESS2-1),(5-ESS2-2),(5-ESS3-1)
W.5.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information

from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes
and finished work, and provide a list of sources. (5-ESS2-2),(5-ESS3-1)
LESSON SUMMARY/OVERVIEW

Provide an overview/synopsis of the lesson and the topics that it will cover. Make sure to provide a reason why
you selected this to be relevant for a unit on sustainability?

This lesson will begin with a review on what was learned the previous three days. Specifically
the review will cover why clean water is important, the distribution of water in Arizona, and facts
about the water scarcity in Arizona. The lesson will mainly be about ways to conserve water.
This is important and relevant for a unit on sustainability because there is not an unlimited
amount of clean water on earth and is important to use water sustainably, especially in areas
dealing with water shortages and water scarcity.
OBJECTIVES

Describe what you want students to know/be able to do as a result of the lesson.
For example, Students will be able to

Students will be able to devise a plan to conserve water.

SUBOBJECTIVES
SWBAT:
Explain the distribution of water in Arizona
Explain why clean water is important
Explain the water scarcity in Arizona
Research ways to conserve water
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
What measures will you use to know if you students met the objectives?

Students will write a paragraph reflecting on the activity where students go home and apply the
plan they have created to conserve water for three days. Specifically, students will explain the
plan they have created to conserve water, if any water was conserved, and whether they
discussed the issue with others throughout the three days.
PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE
What will students need to know prior to completing this lesson and how will you access their prior
knowledge?

Some prior knowledge students will need to know prior to completing this lesson:

The distribution of water between agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses. Since students
have learned about Arizonas water uses three days prior to this days lesson, I would simply
ask for students to answer the question, What are the uses of water in Arizona? Followed
by the questions, Who uses the most water? and Who uses the least amount of water?

Why clean water is important. The way I would access students prior knowledge would be
by having students share the argument they wrote when we learned about the importance of
water two days prior to this lesson.

Facts about the water scarcity in Arizona. Specifically, that Arizona is currently experiencing
a drought of 15 years. Also that the Colorado River may declare water shortages as early as
2017 and the pumping of ground water from aquifers is nonrenewable as well as occurring at
an unsustainable rate. How I would access students prior knowledge would be by having
students write on sticky notes what they remember about the water scarcity in Arizona, post
them on the board, and read them aloud.
MATERIALS

List of required materials.

"Its Water Awareness Month! Reading Passage

Computers/Laptops with internet access

Water our most precious resource YouTube video

100+ Ways to Conserve Water Website
Water Footprint Calculator (online)
Paper
Pencil
VOCABULARY/KEY WORDS

List of key vocabulary terms.

Conservation: Not completely eliminating its services to humans, but lowering it so both the
environment and humans are benefiting.
TEACHING PROCEDURES

Procedural Steps (Step by step instructions for teaching the lesson):

1. Discuss with students why water scarcity is an issue in Arizona while making connections
about facts of the limited water resource on Earth.
2. Ask students how they think we can solve this issue on water with guided questions to
support them to the topic of water conservation.
3. Pass out the Its Water Awareness Month! Reading passage as an introduction to the topic
of water conservation and discuss the passage with students afterwards.
4. Discuss the distribution of water in Arizona and play the Water our most precious resource
YouTube video after 2:12 to demonstrate to students how agriculture and industries use the
most water; however, they have devised a plan to lower their water use.
5. Explain to students that their task will be to find the area in which they use the most water
and then also devise a plan to conserve water.
6. Have students go to the Water Footprint Calculator on the National Geographic website to
determine how much water they use.
7. Afterwards have students discuss their water footprint and the areas they use the most water.
8. Then have students go to the 100+ Ways to Conserve Water website to try to find tips on
how they personally can conserve water. Specifically focusing on how to conserve water in
the areas they use the most water.
9. Assigned students to go home and actually apply the plan they have created to conserve
water for three days. Throughout these three days, students will measure the difference of
water use.
10. After three days, have students retake the Water Footprint Calculator and then write a
paragraph reflecting on the activity. Specifically, students will explain the plan they have
created to conserve water, if any water was conserved, and whether they discussed the issue
with others throughout the three days.
RESOURCES
List any references you used to create this lesson. If you borrowed ideas from any lesson plans please note
them here. Use APA format.

WAYS OF THINKING CONNECTION

Provide a complete explanation of how your lesson plan connects to futures, system, strategic, or values
thinking. Define the way of thinking you selected and used in this lesson plan. Remember, this should be
included meaningfully in the lesson plan.

This lesson will incorporate Futures Thinking, as students will have learned about the water
scarcity in Phoenix, understand their choices related to water usage affects the future, and
envision the type of future they want (conservation of water).
This lesson will also incorporate Strategic Thinking, as students will come up with multiple
strategies or a plan to conserve water in their daily lives.