Deliverable
✏️ Ocean Problem Statement Draft
Effective Communication
Collaboration
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Content Expertise
Product
Assessment
Reflection
Core Content
Project Launch
Essential Question
Critique and Revision
Submission Required
Grading Required
Each student writes a one-sentence problem statement using a scaffold such as: 'In our local water or beaches, ___ affects ___ because ___.' Students then pair and share drawings and draft statements, give feedback to 2 peers using Glows and Grows, and revise their writing to make the problem clearer and more evidence-based. The final version is added to the Marine Pollution Research Notebook as the gate for moving into idea generation.
Plan day
Day 4
Duration
45 min
Grouping
Pair
Steps
7 steps
Lesson plan
7 steps · 45 min| # | What teachers do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome students back to their marine pollution thinking and briefly connect today’s work to the essential questions about protecting ocean animals and keeping local water and beaches clean. Model how to turn evidence into a clear one-sentence problem statement using the scaffold: 'In our local water or beaches, ___ affects ___ because ___.' (5 min) |
| 2 | Invite students to review their drawings, notes, and examples from the launch, pattern sort, stories, videos, and local observations. Have them name one pollution problem, who or what it affects, and one reason or piece of evidence before writing a first draft in their Marine Pollution Research Notebook. (10 min) |
| 3 | Give students quiet writing time to draft their one-sentence problem statement and sketch or label a quick matching picture if helpful. Offer sentence starters, a word bank, and oral rehearsal for students who need language support. (8 min) |
| 4 | Pair students to share their drawing and read their draft aloud to one partner. Partner 1 gives one Glow and one Grow about clarity or evidence, then students switch roles and repeat so both students practice listening and speaking with care. (7 min) |
| 5 | Rotate students to a second peer partner for another round of Glows and Grows. Ask students to listen for whether the statement clearly names the problem, who or what is affected, and why the issue matters. (7 min) |
| 6 | Have students revise their problem statement using peer feedback and evidence from their notebook. Confer with students as needed and check that each final sentence is focused, understandable, and ready to serve as the checkpoint before idea generation. (6 min) |
| 7 | Close with a quick reflection in pairs or whole group: students read their final statement aloud and say one way it got stronger after feedback. Remind students that this statement will help guide their later multimedia PSA product and community sharing. (2 min) |
Preparation (8 items)
- Prepare each student’s Marine Pollution Research Notebook with a space for first draft, peer feedback notes, and final draft.
- Create and display the sentence scaffold: 'In our local water or beaches, ___ affects ___ because ___.'
- Prepare a grade-appropriate word bank with terms such as pollution, habitat, ecosystem, evidence, affect, plastic, animals, beaches, water, and local.
- Gather student materials from earlier learning experiences, including drawings, observation notes, pattern sort results, and any anchor charts from videos, stories, or discussions.
- Post or print a simple Glows and Grows feedback guide with examples such as 'Glow: I understood your problem clearly' and 'Grow: Add one fact or example.'
- Plan peer pairings in advance, including a second partner rotation, and consider supportive matches for students with varying reading or language levels.
- Prepare a short teacher model problem statement and one non-example that is too broad or missing evidence for comparison.
- Have pencils, crayons, clipboards or notebooks, and optional sentence starter strips ready for easy access.
Student-facing instructions
Today you will write one strong sentence that names a real marine pollution problem in our local water or beaches. You will use your notebook, your earlier drawings and notes, and what you learned from videos, stories, and discussions. First, you will think about what problem you noticed, who or what it affects, and why it matters. Then you will write your draft using the sentence frame 'In our local water or beaches, ___ affects ___ because ___.' After that, you will share your drawing and sentence with two classmates, give and receive Glows and Grows feedback, and revise your writing. Your goal is to add a clear, evidence-based final problem statement to your Marine Pollution Research Notebook so you are ready for the next part of the project.