How does nutrient pollution affect the water in my community?
In this lesson, students will discover what nutrient pollution is, how it may be negatively affecting their community, and how they can test for it.
Supporting Question #1
Supporting Question #2
Supporting Question #3
Supporting Question #1
What is nutrient pollution?
- Discover the steps of the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
- Understand the function of fertilizer
- Define nutrient pollution
- Investigate where nutrient pollution comes from and how it spreads
Supporting Question #2
How do excess nutrients in water affect living things?
- Learn about how nutrient pollution can cause harm to humans
- Discover what eutrophication is and how it affects wildlife
- Analyze maps that depict global fertilizer use
Supporting Question #3
How can we determine the level of nutrients in a water source?
- Learn how to test well water
- Analyze a map of Nebraska, powered by citizen scientist data, that depicts nutrient pollution throughout the state
- Write a procedure for nutrient testing
- Complete nutrient testing at a local body of water
Discipline: Science
Sub-discipline(s): Chemistry
Grade level: 9-12
Summative Performance Task
Description: The students will write a lab report about their experience with nutrient testing at a local body of water.
Assessment method(s): Lab report (essay)
Assessment criteria:
- Did the student come up with a relevant “compelling question” for their experiment? (e.g. What is the water quality like at our local body of water?)
- Did the student provide a detailed and comprehensive procedure, including information about the materials they used?
- Did the student explain how and why they deviated from their original procedure?
- Did the student describe the data they collected?
- Did the student attach their filled-out documentation form to their lab report?
- Did the student draw reasonable conclusions based on their data?
- Did the student back up their conclusions with data-based evidence?
- Did the student identify multiple mistakes that might have been made during testing?
- Did the student describe multiple challenges they faced while testing?
- Did the student list multiple things they would like to do differently the next time they do nutrient testing, and why?
Taking Informed Action
Description: In this activity, the students will present their nutrient testing data to whoever is in charge of managing water quality at the testing site (or a relevant citizen science organization).
Assessment method(s): Presentation materials (will vary between students)
Assessment criteria:
- Did the student draw reasonable conclusions, using their data as evidence?
- Did the student present their data clearly and accurately?
- Are the student’s presentation materials aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching?
- Did the student reference credible and relevant external sources?
- Did the student’s presentation materials display considerable effort?
- Did the student demonstrate high school-level writing skills?
Types of activities featured in this lesson plan...
C3 Standards
- SC.HSP.4.2.D Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- SC.HSP.3.1.C Develop and use models to predict and explain forces that are in and between molecules.
- SC.HSP.3.3.D Evaluate a solution to a complex, real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and tradeoffs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Give your students a more integrated educational experience
Overlapping standards and skills
- Art/creative writing/music: This lesson contains multiple “creative choice” activities. During these activities, students can choose to demonstrate their learning through any creative medium (e.g. a drawing, a painting, a comic, a 3-D model, a poem, a short story, a play, or a song). Depending on which mediums they choose to use, your students may have a chance to practice their art, creative writing, and/or music skills. If you decide to collaborate with one or more teachers from other disciplines, you may need to narrow your students’ choices accordingly.
- Geography: During this lesson, your students will have the opportunity to analyze and discuss multiple data-based maps related to water quality. They will also consider how a country’s culture and /or economy may determine whether it overapplies or underapplies fertilizer. Finally, they will discover how human activity has interfered with the natural nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Consider collaborating with a geography teacher for this lesson. With the appropriate adjustments, this lesson could fulfill the following Nebraska geography standards: “SS HS.3.5.b Analyze how geospatial skills and geo-literacy are applied to improve standards of living and solve problems” and “SS HS.3.3.b Evaluate how humans have utilized and adapted to their physical environment.”
- Economics: In this lesson, your students will investigate the conflicting goals of growing enough food to feed the world and mitigating the negative effects of overfertilization. In an economics class, they could delve deeper into this topic. Your students could also consider how new types of fertilizer – and more precise methods of applying it – could change the economics of farming. Understanding the practical ramifications of reducing traditional crop fertilization could help your students design better solutions to the problem. Consider collaborating with an economics teacher for this lesson. With the appropriate adjustments, this lesson could fulfill the following Nebraska economics standards: “HS.2.5 Explain the role of markets in determining prices and allocating scarce goods and services” and “SS HS.2.10 Investigate how international trade affects individuals, organizations, the domestic economy, and other nations.”
- Civics: Once your students have collected nutrient testing data from a local body of water, they will need to somehow share what they have discovered. Identifying and communicating with community stakeholders is a crucial skill for citizens who want to make a difference. Meanwhile, by collecting and sharing data that will benefit their entire community, your students will get in touch with their responsibility to “take informed action.” Consider collaborating with a civics teacher for this lesson. With the appropriate adjustments, this lesson could fulfill the following Nebraska civics standard:”SS HS.1.2 Demonstrate meaningful civic participation by analyzing local, state, national, or international issues and policies.”
- English: During this lesson, the students will write a lab report as their summative performative assessment. Because they will need to draw conclusions about the scientific data they collected, they will have a chance to practice their argumentative writing. The students will also have multiple “quick write” opportunities that will allow them to practice writing strong paragraphs.
Relevant lessons from other disciplines
English Lesson: How do we write an effective paragraph using CREW?
Geography Lesson: How can maps contribute to our understanding of local water quality issues?
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