This unit was created as part of the California NGSS Early Implementation Initiative, developed by the K-12 Alliance at WestEd and the initiative’s teacher leaders. The project included close collaborative input from the CA State Board of Education and the California Department of Education as a fast-start demonstration program to build district capacity to fully implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as a core subject in the elementary grades (K-5) and integrated in grades 6-8.
Score: 6
Science Discipline: Physical Science, Engineering
Length: Unit
Year Reviewed: 2021
The Grade 5, What’s in Your Water? is a physical science unit on physical properties of matter with an engineering design component. Students make sense of the anchoring phenomenon for this unit that sewage water can be consumed by people, but they do not get sick. Students are introduced to water samples that have been gathered from a local town. The town hires the students to find out what is in the water and how to clean it. Using three-dimensional learning experiences, students explore matter and its properties and discover that matter can be identified and grouped by its properties. Properties include size, shape, color, magnetism, conductivity, and solubility. They investigate quantifying matter by weight and volume. Using their understanding of physical properties, students design a solution, including a filtration system, to determine what is in the town’s water samples.
Link to Materials
The following link will direct you to the K-12 Alliance Unit Overview Page: What's in Your Water?
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