Environmental Module 2 Description

WHAT'S OUR WATER REALLY LIKE?

ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE: 90 minutes

MODULE OBJECTIVES: Students will gain an understanding of the biotic index including how to compute it and what it tells us about the quality of the water by manipulating algebraic and statistical concepts through Excel spreadsheets and the Internet.

CONCEPT(S) LEARNED IN THIS MODULE:

Estimation skills
Excel skills
Internet skills
Algebraic formula uses
Weighted averages
Real-world application of math and science

STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY UNIT MODULES:

Praxis(0016):

Curriculum components - Appropriate materials and technology
Problem solving

Investigate and understand content
Formulate problems for everyday situations
Verify and interpret results
Build student confidence
Solve problems that are developmentally appropriate

Probability and Statistics

Counting
Organizing
Representing
Interpreting data

Hand-held calculators and computers - Spreadsheet use in problem solving and concept development
Classroom management and motivation
- Problem solving
- Experimentation
- Small group instruction
- Whole group construction
- Efficient instruction
Analysis of students’ work - Use of rubrics
Use of manipulatives and developmentally appropriate materials - Variety and reliability
Content-specific pedagogy - Theories necessary for implementing sound representations of numeric and algebraic concepts

Praxis(0069):

Organize data into an appropriate presentation - Use of spreadsheet for organizing
Read and analyze data presented in various forms

Solve problems involving average
Draw conclusions from data

MSPAP 6-8:

Environmental Science - Students will use scientific skills and process to explain the interactions of environmental factors (living and non-living) and analyze their impact from a local to a global perspective.
Life Science - Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interactions, and the results from the interactions that occur over time.
Algebra, Patterns, and Functions - Students will algebraically represent, model, analyze, and solve mathematical and real-world problems involving patterns and functional relationships.
Statistics and Probability - Students will collect, organize, display, analyze and interpret data to make decisions and predictions and will use experimental methods and theoretical reasoning to determine probabilities to make predictions.
Number Relationships and Computation - Students will describe, represent and apply numbers and their relationships and will estimate and compute using mental strategies and paper/pencil.
Processes of Mathematics - Students will use reasoning to solve problems in mathematics, be able to communicate the processes used and the solution(s) while making connections within mathematics, to other disciplines, and to the real world.

TECHNOLOGY - ENHANCED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES UTILIZED IN THIS MODULE:
Technology enriched learning and real world problem investigations,
guided discovery learning with immediate feedback and computer based estimation skills.

Component	Brief Description of Module Activities	Student Grouping	Materials/Technology
Engagement	Students will search for an article concerning water pollution the night before. In class, they will be given an article to read concerning the pollution of a nearby river, stream or body of water. The article will motivate students to think about analyzing the health of a body of water and how the rate of pollution is determined. Introduce the idea of biotic index.	Whole class and individual	Article found independently and hand out article
Exploration	Study a sample of water for different organisms.- Students will study their samples for the organisms that can be found. Using a chart provided, students will tally the number of organisms they find in their sample of water.	Small groups	Bucket of sample water for each group, informational chart of aquatic insects, fine netting to sift out organisms
Explanation	Explain what the biotic index is and how it helps us determine the purity of a body of water. Give students a simple example of a water environment in order to practice finding the biotic index. (Teacher will guide students through this process). Once students have completed finding the biotic index for the sample environment, they will then go on to determine the biotic index for their jar of water. Students will use Excel to input data and determine the biotic index.	Whole class and individual	Water environment example, informational chart of aquatic insects, spreadsheet software, tally from group buckets
Extension	Students will be given a real-life problem that will provide the biotic index goal and other specifications for a water environment they are to create. Using Excel, they will find a combination of organisms to satisfy the biotic index range.	Whole class and individual	Real-life problem, spreadsheet software, chart of aquatic insects
Evaluation	The teacher will use a rubric to score the students’ work.	Individual	Copies of rubric for each student

EXPECTED MODULE OUTCOMES:

Students will be able to:

explain the components of the biotic index
determine the biotic index of a particular body of water
use the biotic index to determine the purity of a given body of water
use Excel to organize data and calculate and manipulate the biotic index
search the Internet for a pollution related news article
access biotic index identification tables through the Internet

PERFORMANCE BASED ASSESSMENT OF MODULE OUTCOMES:

Students will provide answers to the Reflection questions and submit an Excel spreadsheet containing final biotic index.

SCORING RUBRIC:

	Analysis	Displays
2	Thorough explanation of the process of determining the biotic index No errors in calculations	Spreadsheet organized well Answer clearly labeled Uses 12 pt font, Times New Roman No spelling errors or grammar errors
1	Minor errors in calculations Some steps missing in finding the biotic index	N/A
0	No explanation of finding the biotic index Major errors in calculations	Not in the correct format Spreadsheet is not understandable

TEACHER NOTES:

For Student Activity, URL’s for pictures of aquatic insects and biotic index values are as follows:
- Pictures of Aquatic Insects:
- Biotic Index Values:
  - http://www.rst2.edu/masters1999/ECOSYS/bioticindex.html
  - http://www.wavcc.org/wvc/cadre/waterquality/macroinvertebrates.htm
Appended are:
- Teaching Procedures: "What’s Our Water Really Like?"
- Student Worksheets:
  - "Biotic Index"
  - "Setting up your Excel Spreadsheet"
Exploration: If time does not allow for finding good samples of water to be used for this activity from nearby water sources, please consider using a graph such as the pictograph. Students can still identify organisms, but with less time needed for preparation.
Extension: Students can create their own environment by creating a pictograph describing the environment that would meet the set biotic index range for this activity.

Unit Description
Module 1 2 3 4