Water Quality
by Jane Wang Moy
Introduction: Every aspect of learning is contingent upon the quality ofcommunication which transpires between parties. Therefore, by recognizingthat in deed English and the language arts is part of the humanities approachto study, understand and appreciate language acquisition, English is a meansto facilitate learning in all content areas. In regards to learning conceptsrelated to water quality issues, students will be exposed to and reinforcetheir knowledge of the content as a means of expanding their schema base,vocabulary development, and undergo the reading, writing, and thinking processin education.
Lesson I
Objective: Students will read examples of expository writing. Students willidentify the prefix and their meaning to specific vocabulary related tothe expository writing. Students will expand their vocabulary base.
Recommended Time: one class period, 50 minutes
Materials:
-copies of "History: Where did the Great Lakes Come From?" fromGreat Minds? Great Lakes, U.S. EPA: Chicago, June 1990.
-blackboard, chalk
-copies of a chart for students to complete
-dictionaries
Advanced Preparation: Make a chart with three columns labeled word, prefixand meaning. Have copies of the chart for each student as well as copiesof the reading selection. Words to study include: Precambrian, Paleozoic,Mesozoic, dinosaurs, Mastodons, Gymnosperms, decomposition, Cenozoic, Pleistocene,receding and Herbaceous.
Procedure:
-Introduce the reading to the students.
-Ask what are the two headings or titles, subtitles, connected to the reading.
-Ask what type of information do they expect from the reading.
-Have students read the selection.
-Have students generate a list of new or unfamiliar vocabulary and writethem on the board.
-Have students define what is a prefix and give examples.
-Have students complete sheets for prefixes.
-Students can use dictionaries to find definitions.
Hands On Activity: Students will take a newspaper article and identify 5to 10 words with prefixes. The students will use dictionaries to find thedefinitions.
Introduction to Scientific Principles: Scientific research and informationis connected to time. The historical knowledge and answer to "wheredid the Great Lakes come from" identify time periods of the earth andthe lakes' development.
Related Activity and Concept: List other words related to time such as millennium,epoch, progression, prehistoric, periodic, semester, futuristic, regression,static, seasonal, hourly, weekly, daily, age, ageless, infinite, annual,perennial, biennial, semi-annual, quarterly. Have students define and usethe words in sentences.
Connect to Other Everyday Examples: Have students read different newspaperarticles. Have students identify when the action or activity in the storytook place. Have students identify the connection when the activity tookplace with when the story was reported.
Summary: Time is one of the elements found in any story. It is an importantconcept students must recognize which affects logical sequence of events,cause and effect, inferencing, and referents to other aspects in the story.Time is also important to the development of social studies and sciencedevelopment.
Home Activity/Parental Involvement: With a parent or relative, have studentsrefer to a calendar and list important dates which that person identifiesfrom the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Identify dates asMarch 15, June 14, December 7, July 14, February 12.
Lesson Assessment: Students will take a spelling test related to time works.Students will use appropriate vocabulary related to time from other readings.
Extension Activity: Students will visit the dioramas at the Chicago Academyof Science related to the development of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan)region and write down the exhibit captions which use time words.
Lesson II
Objectives: Students will read for comprehension development. Students willidentify the elements of a story (character, setting, time, problem/issue,sequence of events climax/conclusion). Students will use the reading, writing,thinking approach to develop reading comprehension by answering questionsrelated to what happens on Lake Michigan.
Recommended Time: one class period, 50 minutes
Materials:
-copies of "The Fate of the Christmas Tree Ship"
-maps of Lake Michigan
-atlases
Advanced Preparation: copies of the story, maps of Lake Michigan or theGreat Lakes
Procedure:
-Introduce the story.
-Ask how many students have sailed on Lake Michigan.
-Ask what are the elements of a story (character, setting, time, problem/issue,sequence of action, climax/conclusion).
-Have student read "The Fate of the Christmas Tree Ship".
-Students will identify and answer to the elements of a story.
-Students will answer questions who, what, where, why, when, how.
-What did the shipwreck of the Rouse Simmons teach sailors about Lake Michigan?
-Describe the dangers of sailing Lake Michigan.
-Write a news story about the ship wreck.
-Why is Lake Michigan important?
Hands On Activity: On a map of Lake Michigan, identify the cities and portsalong the shores. What states border Lake Michigan?
Introduction to Scientific Principles: As an oceanographer, what would youinvestigate, research, and explore about Lake Michigan? Why would the workof an oceanographer be important?
Related Activity and Concept: Write short stories about visits to Lake Michiganand its beaches.
Connect to Other Everyday Examples: Using the newspapers, students willrecord water temperatures of Lake Michigan and atmospheric temperaturesand show the difference. How does this affect human behavior in differentseasons?
Summary: The ocean has been the setting of many important literary workssuch as Old Man and the Sea, Moby Dick, Treasure Island, Mutiny on the Bounty,Robinson Crusoe, etc. It provides a problem solving situation for valuablereading and thinking possibilities. Students may also identify with naturalphenomena such as hurricanes, tidal waves or water pollution.
Home Activity/Parental Involvement: Drive along Lake Shore Drive or takea cruise of Lake Michigan or visit any other body of water. List all thesites, buildings, land uses possible jobs found in and around the waterways to show the importance of water in many ways.
Lesson Assessment: Students will respond orally or in writing as to howwe all depend upon water. Students will identify different problems relatedto water and recommend possible solutions which man can offer.
Extension Activity: Students will visit the Shedd Aquarium and identifythe interconnection between fresh water and salt water variety of aquaticlife. What could survive in Lake Michigan?
Lesson III
Objectives: Students will develop an outline for expository material. Studentswill recognize topic sentences and supporting detail. Students will expandtheir knowledge of the Great Lakes.
Recommended Time: one class period, 50 minutes
Materials:
-copies of "Where Would We be Without the Great Lakes?"
-blackboard, chalk
-maps of the Great Lakes
-atlases
Advanced Preparation: Copies of a possible outline format, copies of thereading, "Where Would We be Without the Great Lakes?"
Procedure:
-Introduce the purpose of an outline (to organize information, summarize,give general and specific information).
-Then define deductive reasoning from general to specific which is whatan outline organizes.
-Have students read the selection
-Pass out outline formats.
-Identify the general statements or categories of information and fill outwith the class.
-Identify the supporting detail under the general statement and fill outwith the class.
Hands On Activity: fill out outline format
Introduction to Scientific Principles: The reading gives the social andeconomic uses of natural resources. Students should recognize that man canuse or abuse nature.
Related Activity and Concept: Given another natural resource, students willbe able to replicate an outline which identifies topic sentences and supportingdetails. Topics can be off shore drilling, mighty Mississippi River, wetlands.
Connect to Other Everyday Examples: Students will read articles about theGreat Lakes or other bodies of water and write down topic sentences andsupporting details. This will expand upon the student's schema base.
Summary: The Great Lakes have been a vital part in the economic developmentof the Midwest. Different regions rely upon the Great Lakes in many ways.
Home Activity/Parental Involvement: Call, write or visit the Center forthe Great Lakes. Collect articles, read and tell what are current issuesrelated to the Great Lakes region.
Lesson Assessment: Given a list of 10 to 20 sentences, students will identifyit as a topic or supporting statement. Students will define deductive reasoning.Students will answer questions related to the development and economic activityalong the Great Lakes.
Extension Activity: Students will do map work related to Great Lakes andcities along the Great Lakes.
Lesson IV
Objectives: Students will develop awareness of sequencing, comparison andcontrast and cause and effect of relationships.
Recommended Time: one class period, 50 minutes
Materials:
-black board, chalk
-copies of p. 56 Copy Cat "From Marsh to Marina"
Advanced Preparation: Students will read Wetlands, Wildlife and People,pp. 46-48 as an introduction. Each student should have copies of the CopyCat, page 56.
Procedure: Define sequencing as the progress of action/activity from beginningto end. Students will brainstorm and logically sequence the six picturesfrom the Copy Cat page. Ask students to explain the order presented. Thenhave students define cause and effect as the relationship between studentsdefine cause and effect as the relationship between events, or a responseto a situation (SRS). Students will describe, compare and contrast the typeof development from the Marsh region. Students will orally discuss and thenwrite a summary as to what happened to the Wetlands.
Hands On Activity: Have students number the six pictures in the sequenceof their development. Then students will work in groups to fill out a causeand effect chart to explain the development in one of the pictures and presentthem. Hold a discussion on their picture to the class. Students will completea chart to compare and contrast urban and rural issues related to developingthe wetlands.
Introduction to Scientific Principles: There is a direct relationship betweenman and his environment. Man can adapt or change that environment in time,but he must also prepare for consequences.
Related Activity and Concept: Students will choose one of the pictures andwrite why they would choose to live in that environment. They could writethe difference between living in a natural and man made environment.
Connect to Other Everyday Examples: Students will collect articles and summarizesituations occurring in the wetlands.
Summary: Man's environment is interconnected with nature. Man can adaptor change his environment, but there will always be a response for everyaction.
Home Activity/Parental Involvement: Visit or camp in a forest preserve areato have a picnic. Ask students or parents to write down what it would belike to live there. What would they find out about living there? After aheavy rain, ask students or parents to explain where does the water go?Who benefits from the cycle of rainfall?
Lesson Assessment: Students will develop five "if then" statementsshowing cause and effect relationships. Students will write the differingviewpoints held by a farmer and a real estate development towards the wetlands.
Extension Activity: Students will write editorials about the effects ofvanishing wetlands upon the endangered wildlife and plant life.
Bibliography: Ranger Rick's Nature Scope: Wading Into Wetlands. NationalWildlife Federation. Washington 1992.
Lesson V
Objectives: Students will identify differing viewpoints. Students will developdebate skills. Students will develop oral persuasive presentations.
Recommended Time: 2 class periods, 100 minutes
Materials:
-copies Copy Cat page: Great Swamp Debate
Advance Preparation: copies for each student
Procedure:
-Go over what is a debate: "to present opposing viewpoints and to proveor persuade that your position is stronger".
-Divide the class into two teams.
-Decide on which position will be taken by which team.
-Read the Copy Cat pages.
-Have student note the strengths and weaknesses of each position and preparestatements and responses.
-Student will prepare the following debate presentation: a) present theirviewpoint; b) state their strong or factual statements; c) state the weaknessin the opposing argument; d) conclude; e) the presentation cannot be argumentativeor personal but strong, confident and convincing.
Hands On Activity: Quick debate: 2 students choose opposing sides to a givenissue. They will prepare strong statements for their viewpoint and stateweaknesses or arguments in the opposing viewpoint. The class will decidewho was more persuasive.
Introduction to Scientific Principles: The reading deals with man's abilityto change his environment. What natural components are ignored or forgottenin the proposal to build an airport?
Related Activity and Concept: Students can visit Lincoln Park Zoo and writedown which endangered species are affected by man's ability to change hisenvironment. Which species were displaced by a change to the wetlands orprairies?
Connect to Other Everyday Concept: Students will collect articles and summarizeother areas of conflicting viewpoints in man's ability to adapt or changehis environment.
Summarize: The ability to communicate is vital to the art of persuasion.By using facts, showing confidence, and knowing your opposition, a personcan intelligently help others make decisions affecting their lifestyles.
Home Activity/Parental Involvement: Visit the Museum of Broadcast and Communicationto see sample videos of debates. View some of the samples of environmentalissues on tape. Students may make taped broadcast presentations for themselvesor for the class to view.
Lesson Assessment: Students will identify fact and opinion. Students willtake an issue and develop that point of view.
Extension Activity: Make a campaign for Environmental Monitor who will superviseand write warnings to offenders. Have each student apply for that officeby writing a short composition answering why they should have that positionof Environmental Monitor.