Science Lesson: Water Filters

LESSON RATIONALE
Students will be experimenting more with water for the final lesson of this water unit. Today students will watch a
demonstration about how to filter dirty water so that they can get clean water. Students will watch a visual tour of how
water is filtered at water cycles. By the end of the lesson, students will have gone through an experience that allowed
them to take a step into knowledge in knowing how they get clean water.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s)— Students will discover how to clean dirty water.
B. Objective(s)— Students will record their findings on how to clean dirty water through a filter.
C. Standard(s)—1.ESS.4 Develop solutions that could be implemented to reduce the impact of humans on the land,
water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
II. Management Plan-
III. Time Space Materials Expectations
Anticipatory Set 5 minutes Carpet Mystery box: two clear plastic cups, bag of Students will be given 2
dirt, coffee filter, and a cup of water verbal warnings, before
Lesson Presentation 10 minutes Carpet YouTube video: being asked to move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=587lKyc- their name down the
W3I , one container of dirty water, one behavior chart. After 2
container of clean water, coffee filter, rubber warnings, students will
band, two clear plastic cups be asked to sit at their
Check for 10 minutes Student Desks Recording sheet, pencil, and crayons desks for the remainder
Understanding of the current activity.
Closure 5 minutes Student Desks Sticky notes and pencil

IV. Anticipatory Set-

“Today I brought a mystery box with me and I need your help to tell me what is inside my mystery box.” Call a
few students to the front to help pull out items from the box. Items will be: two clear plastic cups, a bag of dirt, coffee
filter, and a cup of water. “Thank you for helping me with my mystery box items. Now, talk to your partner and talk about
what you think I am going to be doing with my items from the mystery box.” Give students an opportunity to talk and then
call on a few of them.

V. Purpose: “Today we are going to talk about how we get clean water so that we can take a step into knowing how we
get clean water.”

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

VI. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners—
A whole class demonstration will be done to help students focus. A visual video is shown for students to see the idea of
how water is filter at a water plant. Finally, for the recording sheet and the closure activity, students can copy a
hypothesis from the board and draw pictures. This is to help students who struggle with writing.

VII. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

“The past few weeks you have been talking about water. Can someone tell me some things you’ve learned so far
about water?” Give students an opportunity to share what they have been learning about with water. “Well today I have
two cups of water that I brought with me today. Talk to your partner and tell them what is different between my two cups
of water.” One cup of water will be dirty and the other will be clean. After students have an opportunity to discuss, call on
some to answer. “You’re right, this cup of water is very dirty, and the other is clean. Which cup of water would you prefer
to drink? Right, the clean one. As I look at my two cups of water, I can’t help but wonder, how can I get my dirty cup of
water to be cleaner water? Talk to your partner and see if you can think of a way to clean the water.” Give students an
opportunity and then call on them to answer. As they give answer, write them on the board for them to later copy onto a
recording sheet. “Today, I am going to show you how we can get this dirty cup of water to be clean! To do that, I am going
to use the items we pulled out of the magic box to help me. I am going to pour some of this dirty water into one of my clear
cups. Now, with my second cup, I am going to put a coffee filter on the top. To help it stay, I am also going to put a rubber
band to help it stay. Next, I am going to pour my dirty water onto the coffee filter.” Pour the dirty water onto the coffee
filter. “Wow! What do you guys see in the clear up now? Is the water as dirty or is it cleaner?” Allow students to answer.
“You’re right! But where did all the dirt go from my first cup of water?” Allow students to answer. “If we take a look at the
coffee filter, you’ll see that all the dirt is trapped onto of the filter and then the clean water was able to go into the cup.”
 “Now that we have watched our experiment, how do you think we get clean water in our houses?” Allow
students to answer. “Well, all water has to go through a similar process to what we just did with our water. I have a video
that I want to show you. In this video, it shows you all the different steps that it takes for dirty water to become clean. The
clean water is then the water you get at your houses to drink, shower, water your plants, and many other things you do
with water. The video is only a few minutes, and there isn’t any talking, but pay close attention to see how many filters
water has to go through to be clean.” Play this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=587lKyc-W3I “Wow,
did you see how many tubes and big tubs the water had to go through? Every one of those tubs is another filter, like the
coffee filter, that traps all the dirt and only allows the clean water to go through.”

VIII. Check for understanding:

Hand a recording sheet to the students and have them go to their desks. “On the board, I wrote down some of the
guesses you said on how you thought the water could be clean. The first line of your paper asks for you to write how you
think the dirty water can be made clean. You can use an example written on the board and write that on the top line.” Give
students an opportunity to write their hypothesis. “Now, you’ll see that there are two big blank boxes on the paper. For
the first one, you will draw a picture of what the water looked like before it was poured on the coffee filter. The second
box is then where you will draw a picture of what the water looked like after it went through the water filter. You can use
your crayons but go ahead and take a few minutes to draw your pictures in the two boxes.” Walk around the room as
students record their results. “Finally, the last line asks if you’re guess on how to clean the water was right or not. It’s okay
if it wasn’t right, but on the line put a yes or no if you guessed how the water was going to get clean.”

VIIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure:

“I have a sticky note that I am going to hand to everyone. On the note, write or draw one thing you learned today.
Then, when I call your name, you can go put it on the white board and then sit back down, but you can only put it on the
board when I say that you can.” Walk around and as students begin to finish, send them up 2-3 at a time. Then read
through some of the notes to the entire class. “You all learned a lot today and I’m very proud with how well you behaved!
You all did a great job!”

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

-The recording sheet that students complete during the check for understanding.
-The sticky note of what students learned during the closure.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. How can this lesson expand to help students know how they can play a role in keeping water clean?