Learners will identify sources of air pollution, explain the greenhouse effect, and detail procedures for improving and maintaining air quality. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.

Students observe and discuss a cup and pencil model of a cyclone to better understand the science behind how this pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution.

The goal of this activity is for students to learn how to tell a story in order to make a complex topic (such as global warming or ozone holes) easier for a reader to grasp. Students realize that the narrative impulse underlies even scientific and technical writing and gain a better understanding of the role of myth as a "science" of imagination that helps us to gain insight into human motivation.

In a class demonstration, students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of pollution in a lake and the resulting environmental consequences.

SYNOPSIS: In this final lesson in the air quality unit, students learn about vehicle idling, gather and interpret data, and take action at their school.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to car idling. Then students research about it and design a program to include posters, bumper stickers, and school campaigns to raise awareness about car idling and its impact on air quality and the environment. All materials embedded in the lesson are thoroughly sourced. Accordingly, this lesson is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson provides students with a concrete action plan to reduce emissions and improve health at their school.
-This lesson plan could create terrific climate and health conversations at home for many students and their families.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This lesson plan is listed as 90 minutes. This lesson may take less or more time depending on many factors, including the best time to observe vehicles at or near your school.
-If students are adamant about launching a full-fledged No Idling Campaign at their school, this lesson could become a class project that takes weeks, months, or even the entire school year.
-If your students choose to launch a full campaign, make sure to support them in their interactions with different stakeholders at school like teachers, administration, families, and bus drivers. Make sure to let the students take the lead.
-Make sure to remind students that walking and biking are zero carbon options. Perhaps the best outcome of this lesson is not fewer idling cars, but fewer overall cars.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students are given three choices in the Inspire phase of this lesson: design a poster, create a bumper sticker, or launch a No Idling Campaign. Some students may want to pursue the schoolwide campaign while others may not. Perhaps you can form a smaller group of students to take this on if all the students are not interested.
-It may be difficult for students to arrive early or depart late from school depending on family circumstances.
-There may not be a good spot for you to observe vehicles at your school. If that's the case, perhaps you can walk with your students to a nearby intersection to observe traffic there.

Students explore the causes and effects of the Earth's ozone holes through discussion and an interactive simulation. In an associated literacy activity, students learn how to tell a story in order to make a complex topic (such as global warming or ozone holes) easier for a reader to grasp.

Students are introduced to acids and bases, and the environmental problem of acid rain. They explore ways to use indicators to distinguish between acids and bases. Students also conduct a simple experiment to model and discuss the harmful effects of acid rain on our living and non-living environment, as well as how engineers address acid rain. In an associated literacy activity, students learn how persuasive techniques are used to develop an argument, and create an environmental case study.

This module teaches students about ozone’s role in the atmosphere and explores authentic data to compare and contrast conditions that affect ground-level ozone values.

Looking at models and maps, students explore different pathways and consequences of pollutant transport via the weather and water cycles. In an associated literacy activity, students develop skills of observation, recording and reporting as they follow the weather forecast and produce their own weather report for the class.

Students work in engineering teams to optimize cleaner energy solutions for cooking and heating in rural China. They choose between various options for heating, cooking, hot water, and lights and other electricity, balancing between the cost and health effects of different energy choices.

This ChemMatters article provides a history of the study of ozone, a description of an experimental simulation called "The World Avoided," a brief introduction to the chemistry of ozone, an explanation of how ozone is measured, and the difference between "good" ozone in the stratosphere vs "bad" ozone in the troposhere. ChemMatters is an educational magazine published by the American Chemical Society.

Solar energy in the form of light is available to organisms on Earth in abundance. Natural systems and other organisms have structures that function in ways to manage the interaction with and use of this energy. In this storyline, students compare resources used for energy and their effect on the atmosphere. Students will explore how light energy interacts with materials and how light energy can be transformed into energy for heating and cooling.

The growth of Chinese and Indian economies is improving their well being, but at a very high environmental cost. Widespread air pollution and greenhouse gases are having a range of complex effects on both regional and global climate. Join Scripps Oceanography atmospheric science researcher V. Ramanathan as he explains that while science can offer practical solutions, the effectiveness of these strategies will hinge on global cooperation and immediate implementation. (54 minutes)

To gain a better understanding of the roles and functions of components of the human respiratory system and our need for clean air, students construct model lungs that include a diaphragm and chest cavity. They see how air moving in and out of the lungs coincides with diaphragm movement. Then student teams design and build a prototype face mask pollution filter. They use their model lungs to evaluate their prototypes to design requirements.

Students learn how a bill becomes law in the U.S. Congress and research legislation related to global warming.

To develop an understanding of modern industrial technologies that clean up and prevent air pollution, students build and observe a variety of simple models of engineering pollutant recovery methods: scrubber, electrostatic precipitator, cyclone and baghouse. In an associated literacy activity, students become more aware of global environmental problems and play a part in their solution by writing environmental action campaign letters.

Why do we care about air? Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in... most, if not all, humans do this automatically. Do we really know what is in the air we breathe? In this activity, students use M&M(TM) candies to create pie graphs that show their understanding of the composition of air. They discuss why knowing this information is important to engineers and how engineers use this information to improve technology to better care for our planet.

In Uncommon Scents, students investigate a chemical accident and learn about the health effects of exposure to toxic chemicals. They will discover that many common household products contain toxic chemicals, learn how inhaling these product can severely damage the nervous system and other parts of the body, and find ways to protect themselves from exposure to toxic vapors. This game consists of three consecutive episodes with a continuous storyline. We recommend playing the episodes in order

Students learn about five types of renewable energy that are part of engineering solutions to help people in rural communities use less and cleaner energy for cooking and heating. Specifically, students learn about the pollution and health challenges facing families in rural China, and they are introduced to the concept of optimization. Through an energy game, students differentiate between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.

Science and education experts caution that climate-change topics can overwhelm and frighten young children. Science lessons chosen for this article focus on general environmental issues, such as the effects of litter, air pollution, and water pollution. The lessons also include actions and solutions to environmental issues. The free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle focuses on integrating age-appropriate science learning with literacy experiences.