SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK

How does surface water contamination in our local area impact downstream environments?

OUTLINE

*For more detailed instructions, see the full lesson plan. 

In this activity, the students will share what they have learned about trash pollution in bodies of water by creating either a slideshow or a pamphlet. 

You may decide which medium you want your students to use for this assessment, or you could offer them a choice (which may increase student engagement). 

The students’ slideshows and/or pamphlets should address all of the following questions:

  • How does trash end up in bodies of water?
  • Which local bodies of water are most likely to be affected by improper waste disposal at your school (or whatever location you used for your experiment)?
  • Describe the journey trash takes from a nearby body of water to the ocean; use maps to illustrate your ideas. 
  • What are some negative effects of trash pollution in bodies of water?
  • Describe the Marine Debris Tracker experiment we conducted (both the procedure and the results). Be sure to include any photos you took during data collection, as well as some data visualizations. 
  • Include some call to action – what you want your audience to do after witnessing your presentation.

Consider who might be willing to serve as your students’ audience for this activity. For example, besides sharing their presentations and/or pamphlets with each other, they could visit other classrooms. They could also vote on which presentations/pamphlets they like best, and the winning products could be shared with the principal during a private meeting, with the whole school during an assembly, or with parents during an afterschool event. The possibilities are endless. 

ASSESSMENT

Grade the students’ end products based on the following criteria:

  • Does the student’s end product display sufficient effort (e.g. Is it neat and largely free from errors? Is it eye-catching? Did it take some time and effort to create?)
  • Did the student explain multiple ways that trash can end up in bodies of water?
  • Did the student correctly identify local bodies of water that are likely to be affected by improper waste disposal at the location in question?
  • Did the student clearly and accurately explain how water travels via rivers and streams to the ocean?
  • Did the student use maps to illustrate their ideas?
  • Did the student describe multiple negative effects of trash pollution in bodies of water?
  • Did the student clearly, accurately, and thoroughly explain the Marine Debris Tracker experiment? 
  • Did the student clearly, accurately, and thoroughly describe the results of the Marine Debris Tracker experiment?