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3rd Grade PBL 1 2024-25

How can we as environmental scientist, be the solution to pollution in our community?

Driving Question
 

 Wall Display

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STEM Journal Samples

Journal 1

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Journal 2

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Related STEM Careers

Checkout the videos below to learn more about these STEM caeers.
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3rd Grade Partnerships

Thanks to all of our partners!
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Students had a learning session with the Fulton County Publics Works.
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Mayor Mario Avery
Students will submit letters to the major of Fairburn partitioning for recycling in Fairburn, Georgia.
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Students had a learning session with FCS Teaching Museum.

Interdisciplinary Connection

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Students read the force passage as a class then highlighted the high frequency words in the passage at their STEM station. 

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Students read "The Gingerbread Man" then discussed float vs. sink. Students designed a bridge that would float for the gingerbread man.

Students discussed how each object shows motion, then students identified the toys that were greater and less than.

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Students reviewed different types of materials then explored the classroom to identify different shapes with different types of materials.

Research and Build Background Knowledge

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Students use books to research air pollution.
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Students use online resources to prepare for experiment.

Technology Integration Samples 

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Students create pollution simulations using Scratch Jr. and code the clean up.

Students use Canva to create holiday cards with the media center specialist.

Math Integration Samples

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Students create science focused line plots.
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Students created bar graphs.

Rigor and Relevance Samples

Community Impact

Community Impact Summary

Our 3rd-grade STEM PBL project focused on the question, "How can we, as environmental scientists, be the solution to pollution in our community?" Students explored the problem of pollution through a local news article detailing Naeem Gilyard's concerns about illegal landfills and rising air pollution in Fairburn. Partnering with the South Fulton Watershed, students gained valuable insights into the effects of pollution on water systems and the environment. They conducted hands-on investigations by testing the quality of their school’s water, deepening their understanding of how pollution impacts their immediate community.

As part of their advocacy efforts, students wrote letters to the Mayor of Fairburn, urging the introduction of recycling programs to address waste management challenges. They also developed actionable solutions to combat pollution, such as creating awareness materials and proposing strategies to reduce illegal dumping and improve air and water quality.

Pretest data indicated a low initial understanding of pollution and environmental science, but post-test results are expected to show significant improvement, reflecting students' mastery of these concepts.

Standards Addressed:

  • Science Standards: Understanding human impact on the environment and exploring solutions to reduce pollution (S3L2).

  • Math Standards: Representing and interpreting data from water testing experiments (MGSE3.MD.3) and using measurement and estimation to support scientific findings (MGSE3.MD.2).

This project empowered students to apply environmental science concepts to real-world challenges, encouraging them to take active roles as problem solvers and advocates for a cleaner, healthier community. By connecting STEM learning to local issues, students developed critical thinking, collaboration, and civic engagement skills while making a meaningful impact.

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