6th Grade Reading And Interpreting Electric And Water Readings Lesson Plan Example (Math)

Topic: Reading and Interpreting Electric and Water Readings

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to read and interpret electric and water meter readings and calculate monthly charges.

Materials

• Electric and water meter readings
• Calculator
• Pen and paper for recording calculations

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever been in a home where the electricity or water was turned off because the bill was not paid.

Training Goal

• To learn how to read and interpret electric and water meter readings and calculate monthly charges.

Direct Instruction

• Show students a sample electric meter reading and a sample water meter reading. Ask them to identify the key information on the meters, such as the service provider's name, the apartment or unit number, the current date, and the reading (usually in kilowatt-hours or cubic meters).
• Explain that the readings show how much electricity or water the home has used over a given period of time (usually one month).
• Discuss the different ways that electricity and water can be used in the home: electricity for lights, appliances, and electronics; water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
• Ask students to brainstorm ways that they could reduce their electricity and water usage in the home.
• Review the formula for calculating monthly charges. For electricity, the monthly charge is the reading multiplied by the rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For water, the monthly charge is the reading multiplied by the rate per cubic meter (m3).
• Have students work in pairs to calculate the monthly charges for a sample electric meter reading and a sample water meter reading, using the formula.

Guided Practice

• Give each pair of students a different electric meter reading and a different water meter reading.
• Have them use the formula to calculate the monthly charges for each home, and then compare their calculations to the actual monthly charges.
• Ask them to explain why their calculations differ from the actual charges.
• What factors might account for the differences? (e.g. electricity usage was higher than expected due to unexpected weather conditions, or water usage was higher than expected due to a leak)

Independent Practice

• Have students choose two different homes to research, one that uses electricity and one that uses water.
• Have them find the current meter readings for each home and use the formula to calculate the monthly charges.
• Have them create a presentation in which they present their findings and explain their calculations.

Closure

• Review the steps for reading and interpreting meter readings.
• Ask students to share any questions or concerns they have about the activity.

Assessment

• Observe students as they read and interpret meter readings and provide feedback and guidance as needed.
• Collect and review students' completed worksheets to assess their understanding of the process for reading and interpreting meter readings.