The Footprints that We Leave
Grade 4 PBL
PBL Duration Total: 5 weeks
Introduction
You will start this project by learning your household's water footprint by knowing how much water do you consume in your home. You will further understand the concept of water footprint through your own research and some interviews with key people about the use of water in the production of commercial goods. You will make a poster/infographic to help people understand the value of water in the production of those goods. You will also come up of a video vlog that discusses some issues that revolve around water sharing and consumption. In the end, you get to publish your findings and work through a creation of a website that will raise awareness on the issue of water footprint.
The aim of this project is for students to explore the importance of water in our daily lives and to raise awareness on the ethical ways of sharing and consumption of this resource. The students will use 21 century skills in S.T.E.A.M. based activities to complete this project.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to learn about water footprint, and how much water they consume for a certain type of household activity.
Students will learn about the amount of water used in the production of a commercial good through research and interview from key people.
Students will be able to recognize ethical issues about the consumption and sharing of water, and share their views and opinions through a video vlog.
Students will be able to raise awareness about the issue that sorrounds water through a creation of a website that will highlight their results and findings from the different activities.
Activity 1: Household Water Use (ENTRY POINT)
Duration: 1 week
Students calculate the amount of water required for various activities including hand washing and tooth brushing.
Students can then keep track of how frequently they perform these activities throughout the day and determine how much water is consumed overall.
If information is available, students can expand this poll to include more water-using activities (for example using a washing machine, dishwasher etc.).
Activity 2: Water Footprint of Commercial Goods
Duration: 2 weeks
Students determine how much water is required to make various locally produced goods, such as a tiny automobile, a ton of paper, a pair of shoes, a bar of chocolate, a cotton t-shirt, or other items. This could entail looking up information online or getting in touch with nearby farmers, businesses, and water providers.
The students are expected to create a poster/infographic about the product they have chosen and the water required to produce it, along with the information they have gathered from their interview
Activity 3: Water Issue Video Vlog
Duration: 1 week
Students create a video vlog on issues about water use based on their research and interview from Activity 1 & 2.
Activity 4: Water Footprint Awareness Website (EXIT POINT)
Duration: 1 week
Students provide an overview of their research and findings that describes a product's water footprint, the importance of water, and the issues sorrounding its sharing and consumption. They will then publish them through their own Google sites.
The website should include the water activity table from Activity 1, the poster based on the interview and research finding from Activity 2, the video from Activity 3, and create a section where their peers can leave a comment.
21st Century Skills
Problem-solving:
Identify problems related to the STEAM project.
Analyze problems to determine root causes and contributing factors.
Brainstorm and test potential solutions to problems.
Evaluate the effectiveness of potential solutions and select the most appropriate one.
Collaboration:
Work together in teams to accomplish common goals.
Share ideas and skills to develop innovative solutions.
Provide feedback and support to team members.
Practice active listening and respect diverse perspectives.
Communication:
Express ideas and findings clearly and effectively.
Listen actively and respond appropriately to others.
Use technology to communicate work, such as creating presentations or videos.
Develop written and verbal communication skills.
Critical thinking:
Analyze and evaluate information to make informed decisions.
Identify and challenge assumptions.
Consider multiple perspectives to understand complex issues.
Evaluate evidence and arguments to make well-supported conclusions.
Creativity:
Generate innovative ideas to solve problems.
Experiment with new ideas and take risks.
Integrate art and design into STEAM projects to enhance creativity.
Use imagination and intuition to develop new solutions.
Information, media, and technology skills:
Use technology tools to research and analyze information.
Evaluate sources for accuracy and reliability.
Use multimedia tools to create and communicate work.
Collaborate online to share work and ideas.
Interdisciplinary themes:
Explore interdisciplinary themes such as global issues, environment, conservation, and sustainability.
Develop an understanding of how different disciplines contribute to STEAM projects.
Identify connections between different subjects and their application to STEAM projects.
Develop a global perspective to understand the impact of STEAM projects on the world.
Cross-disciplinary themes:
Integrate math, science, engineering, and art to solve problems and develop innovative solutions.
Apply knowledge from different subjects to develop holistic solutions.
Develop an understanding of how different disciplines are interconnected.
Use cross-disciplinary approaches to address complex challenges.
STEAM COMPONENTS
Science
Students can display exhibit the knowledge they have about water, and the process that certainmaterials have to go through in its production.
Technology
Students can utilize their proficiency in using technology, through video and website creation.
Arts
Students can employ the skills in color coordination, line, symmetry, etc. in making infographics ande in designing websites.
Math
Students can display their results graphically (e.g. tally chart, bar chart for different uses).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS SUPPORT
The students whose first language is not English will be provided with scaffolding (as shown in the table below).
Evaluation
STUDENT EVALUATION
The students will have an informal evaluation through peer comments on their video blog and website pages.
They will use these comments to improve their work before the final submission for teacher's evaluation.
TEACHER'S EVALUATION
The WATER PBL Rubric will be serve evaluation criteria for their exit point in this Project-Based Learning.
Each part will be graded by the teacher after every activity. Notes and comments will be given by the teacher as they move along the PBL topic. They will have the chance to redo their work after their peer evaluation before the final submission.
Janine Gail Bejo
References:
7 key elements of PBL. 7 Key elements of PBL - E2 Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.e2-project-based-learning.org/7-Key-elements-of-PBL-41.html
Frameworks & Resources. Battelle For Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/frameworks-resources
Gonser, S. (2020, July 24). Using project-based learning to prepare students for cutting-edge careers. Edutopia. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-project-based-learning-prepare-students-cutting-edge-careers
Lesson 0.5 - it's only a drop of water (Project Based Learning Plan). Baliga Systems Education Experiences. (2022, March 11). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://see.isbscience.org/modules/invisible-forest/lesson-0-5-its-only-a-drop-of-water-project-based-learning-plan-2/