All lessons › Human impacts on the environment › Lesson 2
Australian primary science · Years 5–6 · Lesson 2 of 7
From playground to waterway
Inquiry question: How can pollution on land reach living things in a creek?
Marked no materials needed
Research
What students learn
Rainwater can carry litter and other pollutants into waterways. Different pollutants harm living things in different ways, and preventing pollution at its source can reduce these impacts.
Success criteria
- I can trace a pollutant from land to a waterway.
- I can link it to a specific habitat change or harm.
- I can explain what a proposed solution can and cannot do.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students know rain can flow over the ground and habitats provide what living things need.
- iPads with Bottlebrush Education open — 13 (one per pair)
- Projector or big screen — 1
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view and supplied source on the projector.
- Check iPads are charged.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Offer a choice of focus, such as a local organism, habitat change or pollutant. Accept more than one defensible conclusion; ask students to explain their evidence.
- Read the source cards.
- Draw two pathways using labelled arrows.
- Compare each prevention card with the pollution it targets.
- Explain why one action will not remove every kind of pollution.
- Discuss how the school could prevent litter entering runoff without visiting drains or creeks.
Teacher modelling prompt
Trace wrapper on pavement → rain runoff → drain → creek → possible ingestion or entanglement. Model a separate sediment chain: exposed soil → runoff → suspended particles → less light → reduced plant growth. Keep the two mechanisms distinct.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: How can pollution on land reach living things in a creek?
| Pollutant | Pathway to creek | Effect on living things | Prevention action | What it cannot solve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Which explanation uses the solution cards accurately?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? Explain how a wrapper on pavement can reach a creek.
Explain with evidence: Why could muddy runoff affect aquatic plants?
Apply the idea: Choose an action to reduce litter entering stormwater and name a limitation.
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.