Filtering Water - Complete Packet
Includes Lesson Plan and Student Worksheets for high school life skills students.
Lesson Plan
Adapted for high school life skills students. Includes video links, vocabulary, activities, and
assessments.
1. Objective
Students will learn why clean drinking water is important for health and practice filtering
dirty water using simple materials.
Student-Friendly Objective: “I can explain why clean water is important and show how to
filter dirty water.”
2. Materials
• Clear plastic bottles (cut in half)
• Coffee filters, paper towels, cotton balls
• Sand, gravel, activated charcoal (if available)
• Dirty water (tap water + soil/food coloring)
• Clear cups
• Worksheets
• Projector or computer for videos
3. Suggested Videos
1. Why Clean Drinking Water is Important (NatGeo Kids / SciShow Kids)
2. How to Filter Water (PBS / Smithsonian)
3. What Happens Without Clean Water (UNICEF Kid-Friendly Video)
4. Vocabulary
• Filter = to clean by passing through something
• Dirty water = water with germs or dirt
• Clean water = safe water to drink
• Health = staying strong and not sick
5. Lesson Activities
A. Warm-Up: Show two bottles of water (clean vs dirty). Ask: Which would you drink?
B. Video Viewing: Show Video #1. Discuss: Why is clean water important?
C. Hands-On Activity: Students build a simple filter with bottles, cotton, sand, and gravel.
D. Guided Practice: Students complete sequencing worksheet.
E. Closing/Assessment: Exit ticket – Why is clean water important? How do we filter it?
6. Differentiation / Supports
• Use step-by-step visual posters
• Pair students for peer support
• Provide sentence starters: 'Clean water is ___.', 'I filter water with ___.'
• Allow drawing instead of writing
7. Extension
• Watch Video #2 (DIY filtration) and compare methods
• Connect to daily life: Why do we use filters at home?
Student Worksheets
Worksheet 1: Clean or Dirty?
Directions: Circle the water that is safe to drink.
[ Picture of clean water (clear cup) ] [ Picture of dirty water (muddy cup) ]
Worksheet 2: Filtering Steps
Directions: Cut out the steps and glue them in order.
Step: Put cotton in bottle
Step: Add sand and gravel
Step: Pour dirty water
Step: Collect filtered water
Worksheet 3: Fill in the Blank
Directions: Write the missing word.
1. Clean water keeps us _________ (healthy/sick).
2. Dirty water can make us _________ (happy/sick).
3. We can filter water using _________ (sand, gravel, cotton).
Worksheet 4: Exit Ticket
Directions: Answer the questions.
1. Clean water is important because ___________________________.
2. I can filter water using ___________________________.
