Lesson 9: And Further On – Research Into the Environmental Impact of Certain Materials

 Preparation

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Students watch and listen to the Plastic in the Environment video on YouTube. After the clip, discuss with the students:
  • whether the video presented an unbiased view of plastics
  • how the video made them feel
  • whether this video could solely be used for a research project or whether other sources would need to be found.
• Explain to the students that, in this lesson, they will learn how to undertake a research activity to gather information about the environmental impact of a particular material.

Teacher Instruction

• Display the Genius Hour Research Flowchart Poster on the board. Explain the six research steps for the students:
  • Brainstorm
  • What Sources Can I Use?
  • Note-Taking
  • Summarising and Paraphrasing
  • Synthesise the Information
  • Present Findings.
• Display the three source type posters on the board: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources and Tertiary Sources. Explain the following to the students:
  • Primary sources are original materials that have not been changed or altered. They are created at a specific time in history.
  • Secondary sources are accounts that have been written about an event later on by someone who was not present at the time.
  • Tertiary sources consist of information which is a collection of primary and secondary sources.
• Discuss the accuracy of each source type with the students and the validity of the information they contain.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Distribute the Research Notes Template to individual students. Explain that this sheet is for one source only and that the students will need to use a new sheet for each new source in their research task.
• Allow sufficient time for the students to compile information about their chosen material from a variety of sources. As the students begin to amass their research notes, hand out the Research Summary Template and explain how it can be used to collate:
  • source details
  • key words
  • key points
  • overall findings.
• Allow sufficient time for the students to organise their data for a presentation. Display the Genius Hour Presentation Ideas Poster as a visual aid to help the students make a decision about the best way to present their findings with the class.

Wrapping Up

• Set aside some time to hear and view the reports on the materials the students have researched.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage students who require extension to develop a possible solution to the environmental impact caused by the production and use of their chosen material.

Supporting Students

• Direct less confident students towards more common materials to research e.g. wood, plastic, glass.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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