Created byNadine Baki

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Clean Water Challenge

Grade 8Science3 days

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design and build an effective water filtration system using readily available materials to address specific water contaminants, and what chemical reactions make this purification possible?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

What are the different types of water contaminants?
How do different filtration materials work to remove specific contaminants?
What chemical reactions occur during the filtration process?
How can we measure the effectiveness of our filtration system?
What are the real-world applications of water purification technologies?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Students will be able to identify different types of water contaminants and their potential health effects.
Students will be able to design and build a water filtration system using readily available materials.
Students will be able to explain the chemical reactions involved in the filtration process.
Students will be able to measure the effectiveness of their filtration system using scientific methods.
Students will be able to apply their understanding of water purification to real-world scenarios.

NGSS

MS-PS1-2

Primary

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.Reason: This standard directly aligns with the project's focus on chemical reactions during filtration.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Contaminated Water Crisis

Present students with a video depicting a real-world scenario where access to clean water is limited due to contamination. Following the video, pose the question: "How can we, using everyday materials, create a filtration system to make this water safe to drink?"

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Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.

Activity 1

Contaminant Detective

Students will investigate different types of water contaminants commonly found in polluted water.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Research and identify various types of water contaminants (e.g., bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, sediments).

2. Categorize the contaminants based on their properties (e.g., biological, chemical, physical).

3. Describe the potential health effects of each type of contaminant.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA categorized list of common water contaminants and their potential health effects.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsMS-PS1-2: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Activity 2

Filtration Face-Off

Students will explore different filtration materials and their effectiveness in removing specific types of contaminants.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Research different filtration materials (e.g., activated carbon, sand, gravel, cloth).

2. Design experiments to test the effectiveness of each material in removing specific contaminants.

3. Conduct the experiments and record observations.

4. Analyze the data and create a chart comparing the effectiveness of different filtration materials.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA chart comparing the effectiveness of various filtration materials against different types of water contaminants.

Alignment

Activity 3

Filter Engineer

Students will design and build their own water filtration systems using the materials they researched.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Based on their research, select appropriate filtration materials for their system.

2. Design a blueprint for their filtration system, including the arrangement of materials.

3. Gather the necessary materials and construct their filtration system.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA functional water filtration system prototype.

Alignment

Activity 4

Water Purifier

Students will test the effectiveness of their filtration systems and analyze the chemical reactions involved.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Test their filtration system using contaminated water.

2. Collect samples of the water before and after filtration.

3. Analyze the water samples to determine the effectiveness of the filtration system.

4. Identify and describe the chemical reactions that occurred during the filtration process.

5. Compile their findings into a lab report.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA lab report documenting the filtration process, results, and analysis of chemical reactions.

Alignment

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Water Filtration Challenge Assessment Rubric

Category 1

Understanding of Water Contaminants

Assesses students' understanding of various water contaminants and their health effects.

Criterion 1

Identification of Contaminants

Ability to accurately identify and categorize various types of water contaminants.

Exemplary

4 Points

Correctly identifies and categorizes all listed contaminants, providing additional details beyond the basic types.

Proficient

3 Points

Identifies and categorizes all main types of contaminants accurately.

Developing

2 Points

Identifies and categorizes some contaminants but misses key types or misclassifies one or more.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to identify or categorize contaminants accurately.

Criterion 2

Health Effects Description

Explanation of potential health effects caused by different contaminants.

Exemplary

4 Points

Provides a comprehensive description of health effects, including detailed explanations and references.

Proficient

3 Points

Provides clear, accurate descriptions of health effects related to contaminants.

Developing

2 Points

Provides basic descriptions with some inaccuracies or omissions.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to articulate the health effects of water contaminants.

Category 2

Filtration Material Evaluation

Assesses how students research, evaluate, and choose filtration materials based on their effectiveness.

Criterion 1

Research and Selection Justification

Quality of research into filtration materials and justification for selections in design.

Exemplary

4 Points

Conducts thorough research into a variety of materials and provides a strong justification for chosen materials, considering all contaminant types.

Proficient

3 Points

Conducts adequate research and provides satisfactory justification for selected materials.

Developing

2 Points

Conducts limited research with mediocre justification; choices are not always optimal.

Beginning

1 Points

Little research evident with weak or no justification for material choice.

Criterion 2

Experiment Design and Data Interpretation

Design and execution of experiments to test filtration materials and interpret the collected data.

Exemplary

4 Points

Designs and executes comprehensive experiments with insightful data interpretation, highlighting filtration effectiveness.

Proficient

3 Points

Designs and conducts successful experiments with clear, accurate data interpretation.

Developing

2 Points

Experiments are poorly designed or data interpretation lacks depth and accuracy.

Beginning

1 Points

Experiments are simplistic or inaccurate, with weak data interpretation.

Category 3

System Design and Construction

Evaluates students' ability to design and construct a working filtration system.

Criterion 1

System Design

Effectiveness and innovation in system design using researched materials.

Exemplary

4 Points

Designs an innovative and highly effective filtration system using all available research insights.

Proficient

3 Points

Designs an effective filtration system that meets all basic requirements.

Developing

2 Points

Design shows initial planning but may lack effectiveness or clarity.

Beginning

1 Points

Design is rudimentary with many missing elements or vulnerabilities.

Criterion 2

Construction and Functionality

Execution of construction and functionality of the filtration system.

Exemplary

4 Points

Constructs a highly functional system that performs well under varying conditions and includes innovative features.

Proficient

3 Points

Constructs a fully functional system that operates as intended under set parameters.

Developing

2 Points

Constructs a system that has some functional elements but may not consistently succeed.

Beginning

1 Points

Construct's limited or non-functioning system; many elements failed to work.

Category 4

Analysis and Reflection

Evaluates the ability to analyze results, identify chemical reactions, and reflect on learning.

Criterion 1

Lab Report Quality and Analysis

Quality of the lab report, including analysis of results and identified chemical reactions.

Exemplary

4 Points

Provides a detailed, well-organized lab report with in-depth analysis, identifying nuanced chemical reactions.

Proficient

3 Points

Provides a clear, well-structured lab report with solid analysis and accurate reaction identification.

Developing

2 Points

Lab report is basic with some unclear analysis or incomplete reaction identification.

Beginning

1 Points

Lab report is poorly organized with weak analysis, failing to identify key reactions.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning

Question 1

What were the most significant challenges you encountered during the Water Purification Challenge, and how did you overcome them?

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Question 2

How did your understanding of chemical reactions evolve throughout this project? Provide specific examples from your experiments to illustrate this growth.

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Question 3

How effective was your filtration system in purifying the contaminated water? Support your answer with data and observations from your experiments.

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Question 4

If you were to redesign your filtration system, what changes would you make and why?

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Question 5

How can the knowledge and skills you gained during this challenge be applied to real-world situations?

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Question 6

On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you in your ability to explain the chemical reactions involved in water purification?

Scale

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