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PBL Unit Name: Water-What are YOU Drinking

Facilitator Name: James Austin

School Practicum Location: Decatur Central High School-Indianapolis, IN

Grade: 10th-12th

Subject(s): Chemistry

Course Name: Chemistry 1B

PBL Unit Description & Content Topics Addressed: This project looks at the critical nature of water treatment and water delivery and how it intersects with chemical reactions and being scientifically informed so as to be able to educate others about a facet of our daily lives to which most people do not give a second thought.

PBL Unit Planning Form: Water What are YOU Drinking PBL Planning Form

A. Learning Goals: Content Knowledge & Skills Addressed (Standards)

C.4.1 Describe, classify, and give examples of various kinds of reactions: synthesis (i.e.,
combination), decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, acid/base, and
combustion.
C.4.2 Predict products of simple reactions as listed in C.4.1.
C.4.3 Balance chemical equations and use the law of conservation of mass to explain why this must be true.
C.4.4 Apply the mole concept to determine the mass, moles, number of particles, or
volume of a gas at STP, in any given sample, for an element or compound.
C.4.5 Use a balanced chemical equation to calculate the quantities of reactants needed and
products made in a chemical reaction that goes to completion.

11-12.LST.2.2: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.
11-12.LST.3.1: Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11-12 texts and topics.
11-12.LST.4.1: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

Env.8.6 Understand and describe the concept and the importance of natural and human recycling in conserving our natural resources.

B. Authenticity & Relevance (Real-World Connections): Water What are YOU Drinking PBL Planning Form

C. Driving Question: How do we as scientifically literate chemists educate the public about the water treatment process & the importance of water conservation?

D. Entry Event: The entry event started with a 3000ml beaker of untreated water from a local reservoir that serves as a source of drinking water for a large number of our city's residents. It was sitting on a magnetic stir plate, and I informed the students of its contents and origin, and how millions of gallons of water just like this is turned into clean, potable water every single day, and that I would create that water through chemical means before their very eyes. I then introduced our community partner and had him explain the challenges of water treatment and how most people do not even realize that this crucial resource is a massive undertaking to keep running on a daily basis. Students were put into groups, introduced to the project calendar & rubric, and we created a list of "Need to Knows" that would drive our project.

E. Benchmarks & Scaffolding: There was a Padlet of NTKs generated by each class after the entry event. There were also 4 written reflections that I included at points in the unit after lessons I considered most impactful, such as the water test, the labs & information literacy workshop, and a final reflection. More could be used, I simply used 4. There were guided notes over the reaction typed and a lab over the reaction types that drew on their previous knowledge about balancing chemical equations. There was a quiz over reaction types after they had been seen both in lecture and lab, and the 2 abbreviated plans had easy to complete activities that were meant to expose the students to new ideas or expand their understanding of concepts not directly related to the content. All of these can be seen in the lesson plans or at the links within the lesson plans.

F. End Products: Students were required (in groups) to produce and present an informative product (infographic, PSA, podcast, etc.) of their choosing that highlighted the importance of water conservation, water quality, water scarcity, or another topic of their choosing that represented an increased awareness about the difficulties of providing clean, potable water to our civilization that they felt should be brought to the attention of others.

G. Formative & Summative Assessment Activities: The majority of my assessment tools are under license. Any assessment tools not under license are attached to my lesson plans.

H. Rubric: Water-What are YOU Drinking Rubric

I. Employability (21st Century) Skills Addressed: Presentation was assessed in this project, but collaboration and (scientific) information literacy were part of the project as well. All of these could be assessment points during the course of this project.

J. Community Partnerships:

  • Kyle Vester, Environmental Engineer, Chicago, IL. | Contact: kyle@kylevester.com

    Mr. Vester presented a letter he crafted for them at the beginning of the project and looked over their final products with me. He was intended to be present at the entry event and the presentation of their final products, but due to circumstances beyond our control, he was unable to attend both (first due to heavy snow, later due to starting a job with a new engineering firm).

K. Inquiry: The students had a wide array of ideas about what problems they thought was most important to talk about solving regarding water. Ideas ranged from pollution awareness, water scarcity, lack of access to clean water for those in need, conservation practices, all the way to overcoming treatment/engineering challenges.

L. Student Voice & Choice: Students were allowed to choose any topic within the realm of water that they thought was important to increase awareness about, and their final product type was completely open. I made it clear that if they wanted to do a deliverable that was of a type I did not mention, that they could bring it to me for approval, no matter what it was.

M. Required Materials and/or Tools: Access to the internet and a chemistry lab is all that you will really need. Quality community partners also.

N. Examples of Student Work: These are three infographics the students came up with for their final products.