Developmental Lesson Plan
Teacher Candidate: Janine Loessl, Tricia Connell,
and Kaylee Stahl
Date: 2/18/19
Group Size: 20 Students
Allotted Time: 1 hour
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Subject or Topic: Saltwater and freshwater
Common Core/PA Standard(s):
3.3.4.A4. Recognize Earth’s different water resources, including both fresh and
saltwater. Describe phase changes in the forms of water on Earth.
Learning Targets/Objectives:
Students will identify the characteristics of freshwater and saltwater bodies of water and
categorize each by completing a lab experiment.
Assessment Approaches: Evidence:
1. Lab observation inquiry sheet 1. Collection of inquiry
2. Thumbs up 2. Observational
…. …
Assessment Scale:
For Inquiry Sheet:
The students will be graded on the accuracy of the answers on the observation inquiry
sheet.
● 10- Proficient: all questions on the sheet correctly filled out.
● 9-8- Basic: 1-3 missing answers.
● Below 7- Below basic: more than 3 missing answers.
Subject Matter/Content: Saltwater and Freshwater
Prerequisites:
● Following directions
● Working in small groups
● Understanding of lab safety rules
Key Vocabulary:
● Freshwater- water that is not salty and is considered suitable for consumption
● Saltwater- water (as of the ocean) that naturally contains a significant amount of
salt
● Lake- a considerable inland body of standing water
● Ocean- the whole body of saltwater that covers nearly three fourths of surface of
the earth
● River- a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume
● Salinity- consisting of or containing salt
● Density- how much space an object or substance takes up (its volume) in relation to
the amount of matter in that object or substance (its mass)
Content/Facts:
● Rivers are mostly freshwater
● Oceans are saltwater
● Lakes are mostly freshwater
● Saltwater has higher salinity than freshwater
● Saltwater has higher density than freshwater
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
● The teacher will begin the lesson by displaying three pictures on the smartboard.
One will be of an ocean, one will be of a lake, and the third will be of a river. The
teacher will then ask students if anyone can name what they are called. The
teacher will choose three different students to each name the body of water in one
of the pictures.
● After the first student give an answer, the teacher will ask the student why they
thought that was the answer. The teacher will expand the discussion to the whole
class and ask students what characteristics they know about the first picture. The
teacher will then ask the same about the second and third pictures.
● The teacher will continue the discussion, making sure to ask students what kind of
water is in each body of water. Once freshwater or saltwater is brought up, the
teacher will inform students that they will be learning about freshwater and saltwater
today.
● The teacher will hand out guided notes and inform students to fill them out while we
talk about saltwater and freshwater.
Development/Teaching Approaches (students will be filling out guided notes as teacher is
teaching)
● The teacher will stand by the chalkboard and explain to students that the water in
different bodies of water has salt in it. Saltwater is water that has a large amount of
salt in it. “The amount of salt in a body of water is called salinity.”
● The teacher will explain, while writing on the chalkboard “saltwater has 35 grams of
salt for every liter of water.” They will hold up a picture of a liter tank of water and a
picture of 35 grams for everyone to see, then use a magnet to display them on the
chalkboard.
● The teacher will explain that freshwater only has a tiny bit of salt in it. Humans and
other organisms rely on freshwater to drink.
● The teacher will explain that when there is more salt in a body of water, that water is
denser.
● The teacher will get out a premade anchor chart titled “freshwater and saltwater”
and explain “Freshwater and saltwater have different characteristics.” One thing we
have to look for is the density of the water. “Density is a word we use to describe how
much space an object or substance takes up (its volume) in relation to the amount of
matter in that object or substance (its mass)”
● The teacher will pull out and display a tray with the objects that will be used in the
experiment. “Today we are going to do an experiment to find out if these objects will
float in saltwater or freshwater.”
● The teacher will remind the students that they are scientists and must use what they
have learned to predict whether the objects will float in saltwater or freshwater.
● The teacher will remind students that they can look at the poster for clues about the
outcome of their experiment.
● The teacher will instruct the students to think about the questions they have that they
will be answering through their investigation. Students will take a few minutes to think
about this while the teacher hands out trays of materials to each group of students.
● The teacher will ask three students to share their big question that they are trying to
answer through their investigation.
● The teacher will then explain that students are expected to behave and follow the
directions or they will not be allowed to finish the investigation.
● The teacher will hold up a copy of the inquiry sheet and explain to students that they will
be recording their observations on this paper.
● The teacher will instruct one student from each group to come to the front and get a tray
that contains two cups, each filled with two cups of water. One of the cups will be filled
with ⅓ cup of salt. The cups will be labeled as saltwater and freshwater.
● The students will then begin testing the objects on their trays and record their results.
● The teacher will let students complete these tasks and walk around the room to observe
their progress and answer questions.
● Students will test their objects and complete their worksheets.
● The teacher will instruct students that it is time to clean up. Students will pour out
their water into the sink and place their trays back on the front table.
Closure/Summarizing Strategies
● The teacher will pull out a premade Venn Diagram and place it on the chalkboard.
One side will be labeled saltwater and the other will be labeled freshwater. Middle
section would be labeled both. The teacher will hand students pictures of the
objects they tested with magnets on the back. They will instruct students to place
the magnets in whichever category they floated in.
● Students will then take turns placing the pictures into the correct category on the
chart.
● Once the chart is completed, the teacher will go through each picture and ask
students to put a thumbs up if they agree with the answer. If they do not, they will
put a thumbs down and explain why they think that. The teacher will clear up any
confusions and make sure all the pictures are placed in the right category.
● The teacher will tell students to take a look at the chart. After letting students look at
the chart for a few seconds, the teacher will ask them if they notice anything
interesting about this chart. The teacher will let the students answer. The teacher
will explain that more objects float in saltwater. They will ask students why and
allow them time to answer. If no one gets the correct answer, the teacher will
remind students that it is because saltwater is denser than freshwater.
● The teacher will collect the students inquiry sheets while asking if anyone has any
questions and answering them.
Accommodations/Differentiation:
The student will be provided with a different version of the guided notes that is easier for
them to follow along with. They could be a little more filled in or simple, but they will
receive the same information by the end of the lesson.
Materials/Resources:
● 10 18-ounce cups clear plastic cups
● Table salt
● Measuring cups
● 5 plastic spoons
● Assortment of small objects of various sizes
● Inquiry sheets
● Guided notes
Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels
Remediation Plan (if applicable)
Personal Reflection Questions
Additional reflection/thoughts
Name ____________ Date________
Saltwater and Freshwater Guided Notes
_________ is water that has a lot of salt in it. It has _____
grams of salt for every 1 liter of water. _____________ is
water with only a small amount of salt in it. The amount of
salt in a body of water is called ____________. The higher
the ____________ of the water, the denser the water will
be.
___________ describes how much __________ an object
or substance takes up (volume) in relation to the amount
of matter in that object or substance (mass). If a body of
water is ___________ dense than the object being placed
into it, the object will float. If the body of water is
__________ dense than the object, the object will sink.
Saltwater and Freshwater Floating
Before you start:
Write a question you want to answer
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Write what you predict will happen
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
List the objects that FLOATED in:
Saltwater Freshwater
List the objects that SUNK in:
Saltwater Freshwater
