Grade 3 Lesson plan
Why the Frogs Left Pebblemoor Marsh: A Grade 3 Claim Lesson
A 55-minute grade 3 lesson where students compare two plans for a drained marsh and make a written claim about which one better helps the animals return.
NGSS · Grades 3–5
3-5-ETS1-2 Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Why water teaches this standard well
Comparing two or three filter recipes, or two rain-garden layouts, against the same clarity and cost targets is exactly the trade-off analysis this standard asks for. Water problems give students several plausible designs to weigh, which is harder and more realistic than a single right answer.
Materials tagged with this code are written to the full standard , and each carries a written note explaining the alignment. See how we review materials.
53 materials aligned to 3-5-ETS1-2
Lesson plans
Grade 3 Lesson plan
Wrenmoor's Cloudy Tap Water: A Grade 3 Treatment Steps Lesson
A 50-minute grade 3 lesson in which students order the steps that clean creek water and compare two treatment plans for a made-up town.
Grade 4 Lesson plan
Three Ways to Keep Bramley Ford Road Above the Flood
A 55-minute grade 4 lesson comparing a raised road, a wider culvert, and an upstream holding pond against the same criteria chart for a fictional flooded crossing.
Grade 5 Lesson plan
Three Hills Above Havershill: Choosing a Water Tank Site
A grade 5 lesson where students test three hilltop sites for a fictional town's water tank against height, pipe length, and storage rules using decimal subtraction.
Grade 3 Lesson plan
Larkspur Farm Water Lift: Designing a Tool to Raise Water
A grade 3 engineering lesson where students design and compare two tools that lift water from a low tub to a higher tub, modeling how a pump moves water uphill.
Grade 4 Lesson plan
Cleaning Willowmere's Muddy Water: A Two-Step Treatment Design
A grade 4 lesson where students design and compare the order of two cleaning steps, settling then filtering, to clear a fictional river town's muddy water.
Grade 5 Lesson plan
Fenwick's Wren Creek Dam: A Grade 5 Build-and-Improve Challenge
A grade 5 engineering design challenge where teams build a model dam across Wren Creek, test it for leaks, then improve one feature at a time in a fair second round.
Grade 4 Lesson plan
Why the Munstock Wells Ran Low: Comparing Three Fixes
A grade 4 science lesson in which students use a fictional town's daily well budget to compare three ways of closing a summer groundwater shortfall.
Grade 3 Lesson plan
Foxhollow's Flooded Playground: A Grade 3 Rain Garden Design Lesson
A grade 3 lesson where students compare test data for two flood-reducing playground designs, a rain garden and packed bare dirt, and make an evidence-based claim.
Grade 4 Lesson plan
Protecting Fenwick's Water Plant From a Flood: Two Solutions
A grade 4 lesson where students compare a levee and a detention pond to protect a fictional town's water treatment plant.
Worksheets
Grade 3 Worksheet
Elmbury Orchard Watering Design: A Grade 3 Worksheet
A grade 3 worksheet comparing a sprinkler and a drip line at a fictional orchard, using liters and setup minutes to pick a design and improve it.
Grade 4 Worksheet
Portwick Camp's Wash Station Drain Field: Checking Two Designs
A grade 4 worksheet checking two gravel drain field designs for a fictional camp wash station against a creek setback, a gravel depth rule, and a token limit.
Grade 3 Worksheet
Birchpond Water Tower and Pipe Map: A Grade 3 Worksheet
A grade 3 engineering worksheet where students read a water tower and pipe plan for the town of Birchpond and add, subtract, and multiply to size the design.
Grade 3 Worksheet
Willowmere Water Plant Steps: A Grade 3 Design Worksheet
A grade 3 engineering worksheet where students order the cleaning steps at the fictional Willowmere water plant and compare two plant layouts to pick the better design.
Math problem sets
Grade 3 Math problem set
Lowmeadow Park Pipe Loop: A Grade 3 Design Math Set
A grade 3 problem set measuring two water pipe routes around a fictional park ball field, then choosing the plan that reaches four fountains within a limit.
Grade 4 Math problem set
Vinefield Orchard's Water Haul: Tank Trips and Tree Blocks
Ten grade 4 problems on hauling water to a fictional orchard during a pipe repair, ending with a choice between a trailer plan and a truck plan on time and cost.
Grade 5 Math problem set
Bramcote Water Works Leak List: A Grade 5 Repair Choice Set
Ten grade 5 problems converting quarts and pints to gallons so a fictional town's crew can rank three leaks and assign its one long-lasting repair.
Grade 5 Math problem set
Stannerly School Playground: A Grade 5 Runoff Volume Set
Nine grade 5 problems comparing a sealed mat and a porous pad for a fictional playground, using decimal volume work to pick the surface that meets a limit.
Grade 5 Math problem set
Sorrelton School Garden: A Grade 5 Sprinkler or Drip Decision
A grade 5 problem set where students test a sprinkler and a drip line against a school garden's water allowance, watering slot, and budget, then recommend one.
Labs & experiments
Grades 5–6 Lab / experiment
Gravel, Sand, and Charcoal: Building a Column Water Filter
Teams build two column water filters in different layer orders, pour standardized muddy water through each, and compare clarity data in a fair, science-fair-ready test.
Grade 5 Lab / experiment
Fenmere Orchard Mulch Depth: A Grade 5 Water-Saving Fair Test
Teams weigh three soil cups over two days to find whether thin or thick mulch holds water better, then recommend a ring depth for a fictional orchard.
Classroom activities
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Hartsmere Ridge Land Placement: A Grade 3 Design Challenge
A grade 3 model watershed challenge where teams place land cards and one grass strip on a paper ridge, then test two placements to protect a town water intake.
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Pipergate Low Pressure Design Review: A Grade 3 Role Play
A grade 3 role play where four water utility roles weigh a booster pump against a wider pipe for a fictional hilltop street and must agree on one fix.
Grade 4 Classroom activity
Foxmarsh Pond Oil Spill: A Boom Material Fair Test
A grade 4 hands-on station activity in which teams fair-test three floating boom materials against hold, float, and setup rules before recommending one to a park.
Grade 4 Classroom activity
Marlowbend's Storm Day: A Stormwater Placement Game
A grade 4 team game in which students spend a fixed credit budget placing rain gardens, barrels, and porous pavement on a town grid to keep two low corners dry.
Grade 5 Classroom activity
Pennick Creek Intake Screen: A Grade 5 Mesh Choice Activity
Teams pour a model of leafy creek water through three mesh screens, time each one, and choose the mesh that meets a fictional town's two intake rules at once.
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Ranking Three Cleanup Plans for Marlden Brook: A Grade 3 Activity
A 45-minute grade 3 activity in which groups rank three cleanup plans for a made-up brook against three posted conditions and defend a final pick.
Grade 4 Classroom activity
The Denhollow Hill Pipe Route Challenge
A grade 4 activity where teams read an elevation grid, then lay a pipe route from the plant to the tower under token rules that charge for climbs and wet ground.
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Marsh Bend School Water-Saving Redesign Stations
A grade 3 engineering station-rotation activity where teams redesign four spots in a fictional school to save water and compare their fixes against a shared goal.
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Sedge Creek Farm Irrigation Channel Design Challenge
A grade 3 engineering activity where teams build and fair-test a tray channel that carries water from a well to three crop rows with the least spill.
Grade 4 Classroom activity
Wickmere's Broken Main: A Valve Shutoff Grid Game
A grade 4 engineering activity where teams choose which two valves to close after a water main break and count how many homes lose water.
Grade 5 Classroom activity
Sable Ridge Gravity Canal: A Grade 5 Downhill Water Route Activity
A grade 5 hands-on activity where teams lay channels across a tilted tray to carry spring water downhill to a reservoir, then compare two gravity routes.
Grade 3 Classroom activity
Oakenshaw Farm's Three Ways to Water a Row of Beans
A 50-minute grade 3 station rotation comparing flooding, sprinkling, and drip watering on soil trays, with one liter of water measured for each fair trial.
Grade 5 Classroom activity
Lifting Water Uphill: A Grade 5 Timber Ridge Hand-Crank Lift Challenge
A grade 5 build activity in which groups lift a cup of water uphill on a narrow pencil axle and a wide tube axle, then compare turns and spills.
Grade 5 Classroom activity
Clear the Creek: A Grade 5 Water Filter Design Challenge
A hands-on grade 5 engineering activity where teams layer filter materials to clear simulated muddy creek water, test results, and redesign for a second round.
Projects
Grade 4 Project
Garden to Salad Bar at Harlowick Elementary: A Produce Safety Plan
A four-session grade 4 health project in which teams run a soil-splash test, choose how to water a school garden, and write a produce rinse plan for the cafeteria.
Grade 3 Project
Brindlewood Cafeteria Grease Catcher: A Grade 3 Design Project
A five-session grade 3 project building a sink catcher for a fictional school kitchen, tested twice against stated flow, catch, and cleaning limits.
Grade 4 Project
A Sampling Pole for Thrushwater Creek: A Grade 4 Design Project
A four-session grade 4 project in which teams build and refine a pole that dips a water sample from four feet out over a creek without spilling or tipping.
Grade 5 Project
Halverd Farm Co-op Well Site: A Grade 5 Design Proposal
A three-session grade 5 project where teams rule out two well sites on setback and depth rules, price the survivors, size a tank, and pitch a site.
Grade 5 Project
Rushbeck Brook Sediment Plan: A Grade 5 Site Design Project
A four-session grade 5 project where teams design, model, test, and revise a mud-control plan for a fictional building site above a brook, then pitch it.
Grade 3 Project
Camp Alder Creek Filter Challenge: A Grade 3 Design Project
A four-session grade 3 engineering project where teams design and fair-test a sand and gravel filter for a fictional camp's muddy creek water on a fixed budget.
Quizzes & test questions
Grade 3 Quiz & test questions
Coppergate Screen Choice: A Grade 3 Design and Math Quiz
A grade 3 quiz where students work out daily cleaning times for three bar screens at a fictional plant, then choose the screen that meets both goals.
Grade 3 Quiz & test questions
Pinfold Farm Well Cover Choices: A Grade 3 Design Quiz
A grade 3 engineering quiz on three well cover designs for a fictional farm town, sorting design goals from limits and judging which cover to build.
Grade 4 Quiz & test questions
Calderbrook Mill Waterwheel: A Paddle Design Review Quiz
A grade 4 quiz on choosing among three model waterwheel paddle designs, using a test table of turns, lifted washers, and supply-token costs.
Grade 4 Quiz & test questions
Ellaby Island Camp's Dry Month: Comparing Three Water Plans
A grade 4 design-review quiz in which students judge three water-supply plans for a fictional island camp against a supply target, a no-rain rule, and a token limit.
Grade 5 Quiz & test questions
Merrowgate Hydrant Map: A Grade 5 Design Review Quiz
A grade 5 quiz where students review a fictional town's hydrant plan on a coordinate grid, test it against a coverage rule, and judge a proposed move.
Grade 5 Quiz & test questions
Thackeray Mill Dam Fish Ladder: A Grade 5 Design Choice Quiz
A grade 5 quiz on two fish ladder designs for a fictional mill dam, mixing multiple choice, decimal computation, and a written design recommendation.
Graphic organizers
Grade 3 Graphic organizer
Limbrook Creek Mud Problem: A Grade 3 Design Frame
A grade 3 organizer that walks students from a muddy runoff chain behind a fictional school to written design goals, limits, and a choice between two fixes.
Grade 3 Graphic organizer
Longmoor Dry Summer Water Plan: A Grade 3 Design Organizer
A grade 3 decision organizer where students chart three water-saving fixes for a fictional school against a weekly saving goal and three stated limits.
Grade 4 Graphic organizer
Choosing a Hand Pump for Brindlefield Garden: A Trade-Off Matrix
A grade 4 trade-off matrix organizer for picking one of three hand pumps for a fictional village garden well, with a rule-check grid and a completed exemplar.
Grade 4 Graphic organizer
A Reed Bed for Quillton Park Pond: A Design Decision Chain
A grade 4 six-box decision chain organizer tracing a fictional park board's choice of a planted reed bed over a settling box or a chemical feeder, with an exemplar.
Grade 5 Graphic organizer
Oldencote Microbe Bed Choice Board: A Grade 5 Trade-Off Chart
A grade 5 trade-off organizer comparing three microbe-powered cleaning beds for a fictional town's small wastewater plant against four stated criteria.
Grade 5 Graphic organizer
Wistman Row Storm Inlet: A Grade 5 Failure Point Chain
A grade 5 cause-effect chain organizer that turns a clogged model storm drain into a named failure point, a cause, two possible fixes, and a retest plan.