Nicole Moorman

ELD376: Dr. Hester

Science Lesson Plan 3
November 22, 2015
Introduction
Dams can be formed by people, natural causes, or by animals. They
have a main purpose including storing water to be used later for
drinking or irrigation, diverting water from one place to another,
detention to contain sediment of other unwanted materials. Sometimes
dams are used simply to keep water in, and sometimes to keep water
out!
Today you are going to team up with 4 other classmates to form
a group of engineers. The challenge that you will be given is to build a
system that contains 5 liters of water. Youll have materials such as
cardboard, pvc pipes, tape, foil, plastic wrap, cups, straws, paper clips,
string, screen, fabric, and springs to construct your dam. You will have
a base of sand and small rocks at the bottom of your trough simulating
the rocky or sandy bottom of a riverbed. You'll need to not only stop
the water, but also develop a system so that you can release a little at
a time in a controlled way. You'll need to stop the water, let a little
come through, and stop it again.
Objectives

Students will make a trough with classroom materials and

then use inquiry based learning to figure out how to
construct a dam.

Students will continue to explore the flow of water over

and through land.

Students will learn about the construction and the

purpose of dams.

Students will learn about teamwork and how to

successfully work together with their classmates.

Students will record their observations and findings in

their science notebooks.

Main objective: To construct a dam that stops the flow of water, but
also develop a system that lets a little bit of water out at a time in a
controlled way.
Step 1: Students will meet in their assigned engineering groups made
up of 4 classmates. They will gather together with their science
notebooks to brainstorm they best way to build a dam. Students should
think about the different ways they can use the materials provided to
stop the water flow. Also, consider what mechanism you might create
that would allow a little water to come through when you want it to.
Draw a diagram in your science notebooks.
Step 2: One engineer from each group will gather the material needed
for their team. Each team will be required to gather 1 long, shallow,
clear Tupperware container, sand, small rocks, and any material that
the group decided to use to construct their dam.
Materials needed:
Long, shallow, clear Tupperware container
Sand
Small rocks
Fork and spoon
3 cups of water
Any material that your group chooses to build your dam
Available material:
o Cardboard
o Pvc pipes
o Tape
o Foil
o Plastic wrap
o Cups
o Straws
o Paper clips
o String
o Screen
o Fabric
o Springs

Step 3: Each group will fill their Tupperware container with sand and
small rocks. This will simulate a trough.
Step 4: Use the fork and spoon to dig a path of a river in the sand.
Then collaborate with your team to decide where along the river you
want to construct your dam.
Step 5: Put your plan into action! Start to construct your dam out of
the materials that your team gathered. Once you feel that your dam is
complete, take 1 cup of water and pour it slowly down the path you
dug for your river. Record your results in your science notebooks. If
your dam is unsuccessful, repeat steps 1-5 until you successfully
complete the main objective.
Step 6: Answer the following questions in your science notebook:
1. How many tries did it take your team to successfully construct a
dam?
2. What materials did you use in your dam? (Include materials used
in failed trials and list materials used in the successful trial. Make
a clear distinction between the two.)
3. What is the main purpose of a dam?
4. What were some challenges you faced in the process of this
experiment?
5. Draw a diagram of the successful dam your team constructed.

Resource list:
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/buildadam.html
http://tryengineering.org/lessons/engineeradam.pdf