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Desalination Design Challenge: 04 Fresh Filters: Get the Mud Out

Desalination Design Challenge: 04 Fresh Filters: Get the Mud Out
Contributors
Beyond Benign
Beyond Benign, Inc.
Learning Objets
Summary
In this hands-on engineering laboratory lesson, students build, test, and improve water filtration systems designed to remove mud and salt from water. Using readily available materials, students evaluate how effectively their prototypes separate mixtures and solutions, collect observational and quantitative data, and apply the engineering design process to revise their designs. The lesson emphasizes sustainable problem solving, green chemistry decision-making criteria, and the real-world challenges of providing clean drinking water safely, affordably, and at scale.
Keyword Tags
Water Filtration
Engineering Design
Separation of Mixtures
Clean Drinking Water
Sustainable Science
File (PDF, PPT, image, etc)
fresh_filters.docx
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
- Explain how filtration systems separate mixtures and solutions.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a water filter using observational and measurement data.
- Apply the engineering design process to improve a prototype.
- Use particle models to explain why salt is difficult to remove from water using filtration alone.
- Communicate experimental results through written discussion and conclusions.
Object Type
Laboratory experiment
Audience
Elementary School
Other Faculty Educators/Teachers
Green Chemistry Principles
Waste Prevention
Designing Safer Chemicals
Design for Energy Efficiency
Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Good Health and Well-Being
Clean Water and Sanitation
Responsible Consumption and Production
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
-Muddy and saltwater mixtures are non-potable; tasting is prohibited
-Care required when handling funnels, hydrometers, and containers
-Spills possible; paper towels and waste containers recommended
-Hand washing after activity encouraged
-Overall risk level: Low to Moderate with standard classroom supervision
NGSS Standards, if applicable
3–5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints.

3–5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

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Submitted by

Tyler Schisler
Published on
Moderation state
Published
Collection
5th Grade Resources