This special education lesson plan, developed for students in substantially separate classrooms, guides students in monthly outdoor field work to collect litter, test water quality, and report their findings.
The lesson references taking student to the Cheese Cake Brook in Boston, but can be adapted to any local watershed.
The lesson is designed to target IEP goals including one-to-one correspondence, accurate recording, cooperative work, and community safety, and includes extensive visual supports, adaptations, and scaffolding notes throughout.
Consider using the lesson in general science classrooms.
Prerequisites:
Ensure students familiarity with clean vs. dirty and the difference between natural materials and litter or trash.
Go over the data collection tools in the classroom extensively.
Depending on students' ages and needs, consider introducing the topic with this lesson, which includes an activity for building a watershed model.
Preparation:
Follow school and district protocol for outdoor and off-site learning.
For the data collection, teachers will need:
Nitrile gloves
A bucket on a rope
A tightly sealing container to transport water back to school if not measuring in the field
A sharps container
Test strips
Visual supports (included)
Tracking forms (with clipboard and writing implement) or marine debris tracking app
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Related Teaching Resources
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
