Oil Spill Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Lauren Moulin Date: April 28 and May 1, 2017

Group Size: 20 Allotted Time 90 mins Grade Level 3rd Grade

Subject or Topic: Oil Spill

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

4.5.3.C Identify different types of pollution and their sources.
Learning Targets/Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain why it is so hard to clear up an oil
spill by investigating a model oil spill and trying to clean it up themselves.
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
1. Observation 1. Annotated Notes
2. Think-Pair-Share 2. Observation/Annotated Notes
3. Inquiry Worksheet 3. Graded worksheets
Assessment Scale:
The inquiry worksheet will be graded using letter grades.

The goal is to have all kids be proficient or advanced by the end of the lesson.
Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
Students will have basic knowledge of water pollution. Students will have basic knowledge of
why oil and water do not mix.
Key Vocabulary:
Water Pollution The pollution of bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, the oceans, as well as
groundwater. It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies of water, without treatment.
Oil- A general term used to denote crude oil or a variety of petroleum products such as fuel
oils, propane, kerosene, benzene, etc.
Crude Oil- unrefined oil
Oil Tanker- A ship designed to carry a large amount of oil
Skimmer- a device used to remove oil slicks on the surface of the ocean
Absorb- to take in or soak up a liquid
Content/Facts:
Water Pollution
Oil Spills
Causes
Car leaks
Boats
Oil rigs
Exxon Valdez
Prince William Sound
11 million gallons of oil
March 24, 1989
Hard to clean up
Skimmers
Absorbent products
Water and oil do not mix
Harmful to wildlife even after cleanup has occurred.
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
Read the book Oil Spill! By Melvin Berger
Development/Teaching Approaches:
Class starts off by reading the book Oil Spill! By Melvin Berger
After reading the book ask the kids to do a Think-Pair-Share
Have them turn to their partner and share one of the facts that really stuck out to
them
After they have shared have them share with the entire class.
Especially have them focus on how the cleanup happened
Today you are going to try to clean up your own oil spill.
I am going to give you a pan with water in it.
You will be adding a few drops of oil into the water
Once the water has been added you will use a variety of things to try to clean it up.
You can use a spoon, cotton balls, Dawn dish soap, Q-tips, paper towels, and
sponges.
As you go you will fill out an inquiry worksheet on the processes you try.
You can try more than one way just add more oil after trying to cleaning it up the
first time.
You will be doing this in groups of 4.
Once you get into groups I want you to form a theory on which one your group
believes to be the best method.
Break the class up into 5 groups of 4 kids.
Allow them to begin their discussion on which method they believe will be the best.
Hand out the inquiry sheets.
Let them write down their theory
Allow the students to follow the inquiry sheet and explore how they find best to
clean up the oil.
Answer questions and guide their learning during exploration.
 After 30 minutes have the children cleanup and explain they will pick up the inquiry
where they left off on Monday.
Monday allow them to get into groups and continue where they were.
After another 20 minutes have the children start writing down which method the found
to have worked the best
After another 10 minutes have the children cleanup and hand in their inquiry sheet.
Go over the students findings.
What did they find worked the best at clean up the oil?
Did any of the methods clean up the oil completely?
Finish class by reading the Newsela article about the Exxon Valdez oil spill 25 years later.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
Read the Newsela article on 25 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
Allow the student with dyslexia to be in a group with a strong reader and allow them to help
each other.
Materials/Resources:
6 aluminum pans, water, 6 small containers of black dyed vegetable oil, 6 tweezers, 6 eye
droppers, bag of cotton balls, box of Q-tips, 12 plastic spoons, bottle of Dawn dish soap, Roll
of paper towels, 12 sponges, 25 inquiry sheets, 25 pencils,

Book:
Berger, M. (1994). Oil Spill! New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Article:
https://newsela.com/articles/exxonvaldez-anniversary/id/3189/

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Did the students understand the content I was trying to get across to them?

How can I make this lesson better the next time I do it?
 What more can I do to support their learning?

Additional reflection/thoughts