Lesson Six: What is Air Pollution?
Question: How has air changed over time? What threatens our air supply?
Virginia Standards Addressed:
Social Studies 1.6 The student will describe how the location of his/her community, climate, and physical surroundings affect the way people live, including their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and recreation.
Science SOL 1.5 The student will investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include
a) life needs (air, food, water, and a suitable place to live).
Objective(s):
The students will be able to discuss the effects of air pollution with classmates.
Materials
a. Student Materials
i. 26 food cans (the label will be removed and the can will be empty, but filled with rocks)
ii. 13 magnifying glasses (the students will be paired and share them)
iii. 13 Black permanent markers (the students will share them with the table)
iv. 5 Rolls of double-sided tape (one for each table group)
v. 26 copies of the Catch the Pollution worksheet (Appendix I)
b. Teacher Materials
i. White dry-erase board
ii. Dry-erase marker
iii. Dry-erase eraser
iv. Rocks (to make the cans heavy)
Assessment
The first part of the assessment will be observation based, by observing the students follow directions and make their pollution catchers. Another formative assessment will be the completion of the worksheet and observation based when they discuss their findings as a group.
The final summative assessment will be for the students to complete a poster. The poster will be divided into four parts: Food, Water, Shelter, and Air. The students will divide the poster into four equal squares and draw lines horizontally and vertically. Each section will be labeled with one of the four basic needs of a living organism. The students will work in partners to complete the poster. For each section, the students will draw pictures and under the pictures, they will write two sentences discussing how the four basic needs have changed over time and what they can do to help stop the threat to these basic needs. Once the posters are done, the students will present the poster to class and the teacher will take another assessment based on their responses.
Procedure
1. Ask the students the following questions: Why do we need air to survive? How do you know? Promote a discussion about the importance of air and going into air quality and air pollution. Discuss the activity for the day; the students will be creating their own air pollution collection cans to see how much pollution we collect over the period of one week. Go over the directions before passing out the supplies to the students.
2. The students will be making a pollution catcher. Each student will get a can and each table will get a roll of double-sided tape and two black permanent markers. Each student will take turns with the marker and write his or her name on the bottom of the can. The students will put the double-sided tape all around the can. Pass out a can to each student and a roll of double-sided tape to each table group. Once the students have put their name on the can and put the double-sided tape all around the can, the students will get it checked by the teacher.
3. Once the teacher checks the cans, fill the can with rocks. Once all the students complete their cans and have rocks in them then they will go outside as a class and put their pollution catchers outside. The students will fill out the worksheets before and after they put their air pollution catchers outside (Appendix I). One week later, the students will go collect their pollution catchers and discuss what was collected. Once the students put their air pollution catchers outside, the teacher will discuss the importance of clean air with the students.
4. One Week Later: The students will go outside and collect their air pollution catchers. As a table group, the students will discuss what was caught and what they think it was. Go over air pollution and the effects of it with a short PowerPoint presentation (Appendix J). The students will draw a picture of their pollution catcher once they bring it back inside.
Virginia Standards Addressed:
Social Studies 1.6 The student will describe how the location of his/her community, climate, and physical surroundings affect the way people live, including their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and recreation.
Science SOL 1.5 The student will investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include
a) life needs (air, food, water, and a suitable place to live).
Objective(s):
The students will be able to discuss the effects of air pollution with classmates.
Materials
a. Student Materials
i. 26 food cans (the label will be removed and the can will be empty, but filled with rocks)
ii. 13 magnifying glasses (the students will be paired and share them)
iii. 13 Black permanent markers (the students will share them with the table)
iv. 5 Rolls of double-sided tape (one for each table group)
v. 26 copies of the Catch the Pollution worksheet (Appendix I)
b. Teacher Materials
i. White dry-erase board
ii. Dry-erase marker
iii. Dry-erase eraser
iv. Rocks (to make the cans heavy)
Assessment
The first part of the assessment will be observation based, by observing the students follow directions and make their pollution catchers. Another formative assessment will be the completion of the worksheet and observation based when they discuss their findings as a group.
The final summative assessment will be for the students to complete a poster. The poster will be divided into four parts: Food, Water, Shelter, and Air. The students will divide the poster into four equal squares and draw lines horizontally and vertically. Each section will be labeled with one of the four basic needs of a living organism. The students will work in partners to complete the poster. For each section, the students will draw pictures and under the pictures, they will write two sentences discussing how the four basic needs have changed over time and what they can do to help stop the threat to these basic needs. Once the posters are done, the students will present the poster to class and the teacher will take another assessment based on their responses.
Procedure
1. Ask the students the following questions: Why do we need air to survive? How do you know? Promote a discussion about the importance of air and going into air quality and air pollution. Discuss the activity for the day; the students will be creating their own air pollution collection cans to see how much pollution we collect over the period of one week. Go over the directions before passing out the supplies to the students.
2. The students will be making a pollution catcher. Each student will get a can and each table will get a roll of double-sided tape and two black permanent markers. Each student will take turns with the marker and write his or her name on the bottom of the can. The students will put the double-sided tape all around the can. Pass out a can to each student and a roll of double-sided tape to each table group. Once the students have put their name on the can and put the double-sided tape all around the can, the students will get it checked by the teacher.
3. Once the teacher checks the cans, fill the can with rocks. Once all the students complete their cans and have rocks in them then they will go outside as a class and put their pollution catchers outside. The students will fill out the worksheets before and after they put their air pollution catchers outside (Appendix I). One week later, the students will go collect their pollution catchers and discuss what was collected. Once the students put their air pollution catchers outside, the teacher will discuss the importance of clean air with the students.
4. One Week Later: The students will go outside and collect their air pollution catchers. As a table group, the students will discuss what was caught and what they think it was. Go over air pollution and the effects of it with a short PowerPoint presentation (Appendix J). The students will draw a picture of their pollution catcher once they bring it back inside.