Next Generation Science Standards for K-2
K-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity
Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Students will be learning about human impact on the water systems and determining some solutions that work to reduce that impact.
K-2-ETS1-1 Engineering Design
Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
Students will use the inquiry approach to design a water filtration system. They will use a collection of common materials to create a new tool to filter large and small objects and debris from “polluted” water.
K-2-ETS1-2 Engineering Design
Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
Throughout this unit, students will be documenting their ideas and sketching their designs in their science journals, which will also serve as an ongoing informal assessment.
K-2-ETS1-3 Engineering Design
Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
Student groups will be comparing their water filtration designs by analyzing system construction and resulting “clean water.”
New Haven District Inquiry Standards
A INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the environment.
A INQ.2 Use senses and simple measuring tools to collect data.
A INQ.3 Make predictions based on observed patterns.
A INQ.4 Read, write, listen and speak about observations of the natural world.
In conjunction with the NGSS, this unit will satisfy the district inquiry standards as students design, document and create a system that will filter objects and debris from dirty water.