Day 4: Water conservation project brainstorm and slides

Copy of Day 4

In the previous lesson, we looked at ways we could conserve water in our own lives (and also save some money on our family's utility bills 💸). Let's think even bigger!

The question I want you to answer is: "how can I conserve water for the planet and fill the Earth's bucket?" There are many water conservation issues around the planet, including:

An issue in your community!
Water and litter cleanup at a nearby beach
Oil spill cleanup in a part of the ocean
Water quality in a community like Flint, Michigan
Tap water in Mexico
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Overuse of groundwater
Desertification

Unfortunately, this list makes up only a teeny, tiny portion of the issues we face on this planet. Luckily, we have science. Scientists and engineers have made great progress in solving water problems. Humans have discovered ways to get rid of dangerous particles in our water and engineered bacteria to eat up plastics that would otherwise take hundreds of years to break down.

Lesson Task: SCIM-C Analysis (Slide 6)

For this task, your objective is to complete a SCIM-C ("skim-see") analysis. This type of analysis is sometimes used in history classes (booooo! 👎👎), but the method should still apply for our science class. SCIM-C involves:

Summarize: What observations can you make?
Contextualize: When and where do you think the image was taken?
Infer: What do you think is happening in this image?
Monitoring: As you look at this image, what questions do you have?
Corroborate: How does this image connect to our BIG question?

We will answer a slightly modified version of the question asked above. Our BIG question for this task is: "how have humans conserved water in the past?"

Directions

Click on the embedded VoiceThread to the left. I have left a written comment and a video comment, using the SCIM-C format as my guide.
Create your own SCIM-C analysis. You may leave a video comment, an audio comment, or a written comment on the VoiceThread. You may need to create an account first.
Once the steps above are completed, you may move on to the next section.

Presentation Guidelines and Brainstorm

The objective for this lesson is:

I will be able to create a beautiful presentation that shows my knowledge around a water conservation issue.

Now that you have some experience with analyzing a water conservation image (here is the article where I got the image from if you are curious about the context), we can begin to dive deeper into other water conservation issues. We will not be using the SCIM-C format for our presentations, but bring that analyzing perspective with you as you research your water conservation issue.

Overview (Page 2 of Student Packet)

You and up to 2 other people (3 people/group maximum) will work together to think about and research a water conservation issue in a community somewhere in the world (maybe a community by where you live!). This issue can be related to water usage in your community, water usage by a large company, or water quality at a specific location. Be creative with your choice!

You (and your group) will have to include the following in your presentation:

(1) research the issue’s background [context + timing];

(2) explain why the issue is an example of “bucket-dipping”;

(3) create a model/illustration of the issue; and

(4) come up with a creative “bucket-filling” solution.

Create at least 3 slides, and include all the aspects above. You (and your group) will then deliver a 5-minute presentation to the class.

Rubric

Here is the rubric we will be using to evaluate our presentations. Aim for the "Applying" and "Beyond" categories! Refer back to this rubric when you are creating your presentations.

Teacher Example of a "Beyond" Category Presentation

Teacher Model

Instructions

Step 1: Choose your group members and come up with a group name. Fill in one of the tables on this sign-up sheet.
Step 2: With your group, brainstorm water issues in your homes or communities. Note them down on page 3 of your packet. If you are stuck, talk with or email Mr. Liu.
- - There are also a few extra issues listed above in the blue section. Look at them for inspiration.
Step 3: With your group, choose one of the water issues that you listed above. Brainstorm solutions to this issue, and note them down on page 4.
Step 4: Show Mr. Liu (in-person or email) what your group has brainstormed.
Step 5: Once Mr. Liu approves, start creating your presentation. Use a slide deck site like Google Slides or Canva.
Step 6: Be creative, have fun, and above all else FOLLOW THE RUBRIC :)

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