A Fish Story

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=56 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="011a0a03.jpg"> <div> A Fish Story</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=135 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="21fa0c01dduajq.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Educators Science and Math Institute Ser"><U><B>Educators' Science and Math Institute Series</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the Series"><U><B>About the Series</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Goals"><U><B>Goals</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Institutes"><U><B>Institutes</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="lesson_plans_prepared_by_esmis_participants_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lesson Plans"><U><B>Lesson Plans</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Albums"><U><B>Photo Albums</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ed.mtu.edu/search.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ed.mtu.edu/search.htm"><U><B>Search</B></U></A><A HREF="http://www.ed.mtu.edu/search.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ed.mtu.edu/search.htm"><U><B> ESMIS</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=424 BGCOLOR="#EEEEEE" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="553" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 40 WIDTH="271"><div> LESSON #1 LEVEL: 9</div> <div> A FISH STORY</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> FORMAT: GUIDED DISCOVERY </div> <div> TIME: I PERIOD</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>SPECIFIC GOALS:</B></div> <div> Given a jar containing a fake fish and assorted simulated pollutants students will take an imaginary trip down a river accompanying a fish. Students will identify on a quiz the types of pollutants (point and non-point) that they encounter and offer solutions to remedy the situation.</div> <bR> <div> <B>CONCEPTS:</B></div> <div> Today, more and more people are concerned about the quantity and quality of our water supply. In one way or another, all people are affected by water and, therefore, we must all take responsibility for controlling, and hopefully, preventing pollution. Fortunately, in Michigan it appears that we will always have enough water, but the quality of that water is questionable. For decades, our waters have been a convenient dumping ground for wastes, which creates many problems. Wastes can be dumped directly into a stream, river, or lake through pipes or other easily traceable means (point pollution). Pollution that is very difficult to trace (non-point pollution) and may be caused by agricultural land run-off, from subdivision, or other broad sources.</div> <bR> <div> <B>MATERIALS:</B></div> <div> -Copy of A FISH STORY</div> <div> -Large glass jar (at least 1 gallon) filled 3/4 with water</div> <div> -Fish suspended form a string or wire (create or purchase one) --Handful of Soil</div> <div> -Pancake syrup</div> <div> -Salt</div> <div> -Pieces of paper</div> <div> -Liquid and powdered, dish detergent</div> <div> -Cup of hot water</div> <div> -Red food coloring</div> <div> -Sand (to represent fertilizer)</div> <div> -Clump of grass or water plants</div> <div> -VIDEO "Can We Fish Again"</div> <bR> <div> <B>TEACHER </B><B>INTRODUCTION:</B></div> <div> Question of the Day - Name some methods that pollutants get into our takes, rivers, and streams.</div> <div> <B>DEVLOPMENT 1: </B></div> <bR> <div> 1. Introduce vocabulary terms.</div> <div> A. Point Pollution - Wastes that are directly dumped into a stream, river, or lake through pipes or other easily traceable means. (Ex. Paper)</div> <div> B. Non-point Pollution - pollution that is very difficult to trace such as agricultural land run-off.</div> <div> 2. 1 will read A FISH STORY and ask students to add the pollutants where indicated in the story. After reading the story, I will hold up each pollutant and individually ask students how people can eliminated that pollutant form being added to the water.</div> <div> 3. Questions:</div> <div> 1. Divergent-thinking (low level)</div> <div> Describe how you would feel if you were this fish.</div> <div> 2. Divergent-thinking (high level)</div> <div> Imagine you just ate the fish - predict how the pollutants would affect your body.</div> <div> 3. Convergent (low/intermediate)</div> <div> If I threw a bottle into the river it is considered point pollution. Classify the following types of pollution as point or non-point.</div> <div> 1. Fertilizer                     2. Oil dripping from your car</div> <div> 3. Newspaper                4. Hot water</div> <div> 5. Sewage                     6. Grass clippings</div> <div> 4. Evaluative (high level)</div> <div> Should stricter laws be created to prevent further pollution?</div> <div> 5. Probing (high level)</div> <div> Do you think that the laws designed to stop or reduce pollution are enforced properly?</div> <div> 6. Divergent-thinking (intermediate)</div> <div> How should we dispose of the material in our jar?</div> <div> 7. Divergent-thinking (high)</div> <div> What ways could we help reduce both point and non-point pollution?</div> <div> 4. Video: Can We Fish Again," 14 minutes, RKO pictures 1977. Although the video is dated, it explores the effects of the toxic substances such as PCBs on the quality of life. It also examines the presence of PCBs in the Great Lakes and their effects on commercial and sport fishing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>CONCLUSION:</B></div> <div> Students see first hand what the fish experienced due to man's interference with his environment. Through discussion and questions students offer solutions to the problems of pollution.</div> <bR> <div> <B>ASSIGNMENT:</B></div> <div> Students will take notes during the video and focus on the definitions of PCBs and PBBS. They will also be instructed to observe solutions given in the video.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>A FISH STORY</B></div> <div> <I>(A Story of Our Effect on Water Quality and the Things that Live in Water.)</I></div> <bR> <div> Imagine a river as it meanders through the countryside, past the farmer's field, widening into a lake, but narrowing again as it passes through the city. In this river lives a fish. <I>(Point to the fish in the clear water in the jar.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH? (Allow students to respond aloud).</div> <bR> <div> The fish swims down river past an eroding bank. When it rains what will happen to the bank? What if it rains a great deal? <I>(Put soil into the water.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <bR> <div> Suppose part of the soil eroding into the water came from some farmland. The farmer has just put fertilizer on the field. Instead of staying on the field and helping the crops, the fertilizer rides "piggy- back" on the eroding soil and goes into the river. (Add <I>sand or vermiculite to simulate fertilizer.) </I>What effect will the fertilizer have on the plants in the river? If the plants grow too abundantly and too fast the river can't continually support them and supply the necessary nutrients. They die, fall to the bottom, and start to decompose. Decomposing things use oxygen. What else in the river needs oxygen? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <bR> <div> Farm fields aren't the only source of fertilizer in a river. Homes may also be a source. Where the river has widened into a lake several families have built their homes. Perhaps their septic tanks drain into the water or some of the fertilizers they've put on their lawn have washed into the water. (Add <I>Liquid dish detergent to represent pollution from septic tanks.)</I></div> <div> As the lake narrows back into a river, our fish continues downstream past the city. Even though the city people don't pollute the water directly, what they do at their own homes or subdivisions can affect the quality of the river's water. Have you ever seen a car leaking oil? Where does the rain wash this oil? <I>(Put pancake syrup, representing oil, into the jar.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <bR> <div> In the winter what do we put on our roads to make it easier to drive? <I>(Put salt into the water.) </I>When you eat or drink something salty, what do you do? Can this fish get fresh water to drink? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <div> Suppose the city has a park next to the river. People litter the park and some of it blows into the water. <I>(Put pieces of paper into the jar.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH? </div> <bR> <div> As the river leaves the city there are several factories that are located along it. Although regulations are strict, perhaps they are still dumping some chemicals, detergents or heated water into the water. <I>(Put powdered detergent and hot water into the water.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <bR> <div> The waste water plant for the city is also located along this section of the river. Sometimes rules aren't quite as strict as they are for factories and perhaps the treatment facilities aren't as thorough as they could be. The plant does its best but it has to put some polluted water into the river. The river has a large volume of water though and the plant only puts a small amount of pollution into it. It shouldn't cause too much of a problem, Right? It would be like putting 2 drops of this food coloring into this jar<I> </I>of water. <I>(Say it.) </I>HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THIS FISH?</div> <bR> <div> THE END (of a sad fish story.)</div> <bR> <div> Go back through the story, deciding ways YOU can help solve some of the problems.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>