What's Making Our Teacher Ill?

A WebQuest about Pollution for Multi-age 
(First and Second Grade Science)

Designed by
Gail Maxwell
gmaxwell@griswold.k12.ia.us

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page
 

Introduction
 

Your teacher has suddenly become ill!  The doctor says it is something from the environment that is causing it.  Your job is to find out what it is that is making her ill. 
 
 

The Task

Your group will create a Kidspiration web showing what can pollute the air, water, and land.  You will investigate our air, water, and land to determine what has made your teacher ill. You will then write a letter to the doctor telling him what you think has caused your teacher's illness. 
 
 

The Process

You will work in teams of 3 detectives.  As a group you will read about our environment, what can harm it, and what you can do to take care of it. 

Click these links to read about the environment.
Sharon Finds the Environment
Sharon Cleans Up
 
 
 
 

Assign roles in your group.  One of you will be a water detective, one a land detective, and one an air detective. 
 

Water Detective:  Explore this link:
   Water Pollution
 
    Using the materials your teacher gives
    you, collect water from the sink, the
    drinking fountain near your room, and
    from the playground (if it's rained or 
    snowed lately).

Land Detective:  Explore this link:
   Land Wastes
 
    Using the materials your teacher gives
    you, collect dust from your room, soil
    from the playground, and dirt from the 
    floor.
 
Air Detective: Explore this link:
   Air Junk

    Using the materials your teacher gives
    you, collect particles from the air in your
    classroom, from the hallway, and from
    the flagpole (or someplace right outside
    your school).

Using the Intel Microscope study your samples and take pictures on your computer.  Study your slides.  See if you found any pollutants.  Use the fact sheet to help you. 
Consult our guest expert on the environment for his (or her) opinion. 
Discuss with your team and determine if there is anything that could possibly make someone ill. 

Write a letter to the doctor telling him (or her) what you have found in the air, water, and land.  Explain what you think might be causing your teacher's illness and why.

Open the Kidspiration web and complete it by typing things that pollute our air, water, and land.

Evaluation
 
 

	Uh-Oh! 1	O.K. 2	Yippee! 3	Score
Group Work	I did not work with my group.	I worked with my group some of the time.	I worked with my group all of the time.
Letter format	Our letter does not have a greeting, body, or closing.	Our letter has 2 of the 3 parts.	Our letter has all 3 parts.
Letter mechanics	Our letter does not have capital letters and correct punctuation.	Our letter has some capital letters and correct punctuation.	Our letter has capital letters and correct punctuation.
Letter Content	We could not tell the doctor what caused our teacher's illness.	We were able to tell the doctor what caused our teacher's illness but not why.	We were able to tell the doctor what caused our teacher's illness and why.
Kidspiration Web	We listed 3 things that cause pollution.	We listed 4-5 things that cause pollution.	We listed 6 or more things that cause pollution.

Conclusion
Congratulations, detectives!  You have done a great job in looking carefully at our environment and what can pollute it. Remember to take good care of our environment!
 
 

Credits & References
 
 

Last updated on June 5, 2001. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page