Air Quality Curricula*

Grades K-4

How Does the Air Get Polluted?
In this lesson, students listen to or read a story that raises awareness of environmental issues with a specific focus on air pollution.  They participate in simple science experiments that show and/or simulate pollutants in the air.  Students also learn how vehicle emissions and ozone cause air pollution.  This lesson is best suited for grades K-5 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills standards.

Clean Air Detective
In this lesson students will participate in a scientific inquiry activity regarding the air they breathe inside and around their house.  They will plan and conduct a simple investigation to gather information on air quality.  Students will also help to reduce air pollution by shutting off lights, toys, machines and appliances and by reducing their travel in cars.  This lesson is best suited for grade 1 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

The Air Around Us
In this lesson students will learn how using electricity causes air pollution.  Students will examine ways to save electricity and create a Save Electricity Tips sheet.  They will initiate the energy saving tips at home and compare two electric bills to determine how much energy they saved.  This lesson is best suited for grade 3 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Air Pollution: Visible and Invisible
Students will test for visible and invisible pollutants in the air.  They will keep a journal of experimental procedures, results, and conclusions.  This lesson is best suited for grade 4 and adheres to Texas Knowledge and Skills standards.

Particulate Matter: How Dirty is the Air We Breathe
Students will experiment with Vaseline-coated slides outdoors in order to determine how much particulate matter is suspended in the air around their school.  This lesson is best suited for grade 4 and adheres to Texas Knowledge and Skill standards.

A&WMA's Air Quality Lessons and Activities
The Air & Waste Management Association's members, teachers, and other leading experts have created a set of environmental education lessons and activities called the Environmental Education Resource Guides (EERG's.)  This curriculum is the core of A&WMA's award-winning Teacher-Training Program and environmental education efforts.  It provides approximately 15 lessons per grade classification in both Air Quality and Nonpoint Source Pollution, with clear and fun hands-on objectives that can be translated into every subject.  The EERG series is designed to develop critical thinking skills including observation, comparison, analysis, and problem solving.  Click here to download four free lessons.  These lessons are best suited for grades K-5 and adhere to National and Pennsylvania state science standards.

Clean Air Lesson Plans
This series of clean air lesson plans was created by The Clean Air Campaign and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, involving a collaboration of educators, environmentalists and health experts.  Lessons cross several subject areas including Health, Physical Science, Life Science, Earth Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Chemistry.  These lessons are best suited for grades 3-8 and adhere to Georgia state learning standards.

Air, Air - It's Everywhere!
Students engage in experiment activities, which illustrate that air is made of matter, does take up space, and is very important to our health.  This lesson contains activities for a variety of grade levels.  This lesson is best suited for grades K-5 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

Affecting Transportation Choices - Walk, Don't Ride!
Students will observe and record the use of carpools and become aware of alternative means of transportation.  Students will collect, tabulate, graph, and analyze information on how they get around.  They will compare advantages and disadvantages of different forms of travel.  This lesson is best suited for grades K-5 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

Grades 5-8

A&WMA's Air Quality Lessons and Activities
The Air & Waste Management Association's members, teachers, and other leading experts have created a set of environmental education lessons and activities called the Environmental Education Resource Guides (EERG's.)  This curriculum is the core of A&WMA's award-winning Teacher-Training Program and environmental education efforts.  It provides approximately 15 lessons per grade classification in both Air Quality and Nonpoint Source Pollution, with clear and fun hands-on objectives that can be translated into every subject.  The EERG series is designed to develop critical thinking skills including observation, comparison, analysis, and problem solving.  Click here to download four free lessons.  These lessons are best suited for grades K-5 and adhere to National and Pennsylvania state science standards.

Clean Air Lesson Plans
This series of clean air lesson plans was created by The Clean Air Campaign and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, involving a collaboration of educators, environmentalists and health experts.  Lessons cross several subject areas including Health, Physical Science, Life Science, Earth Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Chemistry.  These lessons are best suited for grades 3-8 and adhere to Georgia state learning standards.

Air, Air - It's Everywhere!
Students engage in experiment activities, which illustrate that air is made of matter, does take up space, and is very important to our health.  This lesson contains activities for a variety of grade levels.  This lesson is best suited for grades K-5 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

Affecting Transportation Choices - Walk, Don't Ride!
Students will observe and record the use of carpools and become aware of alternative means of transportation.  Students will collect, tabulate, graph, and analyze information on how they get around.  They will compare advantages and disadvantages of different forms of travel.  This lesson is best suited for grades K-5 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

Air Pollution and Health
Students use internet research to become familiar with the environmental and health effects of the six criteria pollutants identified by the U.S. EPA, along with the greenhouse effect and carbon dioxide.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-8 and adheres to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.

The Urban Heat Island Effect and Air Quality
Students will learn about greenhouse pollutants.  They will examine how these pollutants either intensify or are intensified by the urban heat islands effects.  This lesson is best suited for grades 5-6 and adheres to Utah State Core Objectives.

Lichens as Air Quality Indicators: A Beginning Lichen Identification Study
Students study lichens as indicators of air quality.  They learn to use GPS units, track their lichen research using scientific data collection methods, and determine the air quality of a region based on their findings.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-8 and adheres to National Science Education Standards.

On the Air
The On the Air curriculum facilitates the understanding of air pollution by studying: Criteria Air Pollutants, the Air Quality Index, Ozone, Particulate Matter, the Health Effects of Air Pollution, Community Sources and Solutions of Air Pollution and Climate Change.  These lessons are best suited for grade 6 and adhere to Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia science standards.

Our Air: The Quest for Quality
Students will state examples of common resources in the environmental community, describe the impact of air pollution upon human health, identify common air pollutants, their sources and effects, and explain how people and corporations can promote clean air.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-8 and adheres to National Education Standards.

The Price of Power
In this lesson, students learn about air quality issues from power plant emissions.  They then research, formulate, and present arguments regarding selective catalytic reduction systems for coal-burning plants.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Fighting for Control
In this lesson, students examine and defend different sides of the argument about whether the Environmental Protection Agency should have the legal authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Wanted: A Breath of Fresh Air
In this lesson, students examine the causes and effects of air pollution, as well as ways in which various industries and government organizations are aiming to control it.  Students first use the internet to answer a series of questions about air pollution and to compile a list of related Web sites, and then use these Web sites to create informative posters about specific air pollution topics.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Calculate Your Contribution
Students will calculate the environmental impact of their personal and collective transportation habits on air quality.  They keep a transportation journal and use a website to calculate vehicle emissions for themselves and their class.  This lesson is best suited for grades 5-12 and adheres to Maryland Core Learning Goals.

Grades 9-12

Mercury Emissions "Cap and Trade" Game
Students identify the role of government in protecting the environment and participate in a game where they run a profitable or unprofitable power plant in changing market conditions.  They summarize the pros and cons of emissions credit trading.  This lesson is best suited for grades 9-12 and adheres to National Education Standards.

Air Quality Picture Project
Students recognize which human activities have positive and negative effects on air quality.  They discover how to measure air quality and brainstorm ways that humans can have a positive affect on air quality.  This lesson is best suited for grades 9-12 and adheres to National Science Education Standards.

Fuel for Thought
This lesson plan engages students in a real-life exploration of climate change as it is affected by greenhouse emissions from vehicles.  The aim of this activity is for students to realize the impact of vehicle use in their family and to give students the opportunity to brainstorm viable alternatives to vehicle use.  This lesson is best suited for grades 9-12 and adheres to National Education Standards.

The Price of Power
In this lesson, students learn about air quality issues from power plant emissions.  They then research, formulate, and present arguments regarding selective catalytic reduction systems for coal-burning plants.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Fighting for Control
In this lesson, students examine and defend different sides of the argument about whether the Environmental Protection Agency should have the legal authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Wanted: A Breath of Fresh Air
In this lesson, students examine the causes and effects of air pollution, as well as ways in which various industries and government organizations are aiming to control it.  Students first use the internet to answer a series of questions about air pollution and to compile a list of related Web sites, and then use these Web sites to create informative posters about specific air pollution topics.  This lesson is best suited for grades 6-12 and adheres to McRel academic content standards.

Calculate Your Contribution
Students will calculate the environmental impact of their personal and collective transportation habits on air quality.  They keep a transportation journal and use a website to calculate vehicle emissions for themselves and their class.  This lesson is best suited for grades 5-12 and adheres to Maryland Core Learning Goals.

Do you have air quality curricula you'd like to share?  Email it to us!

*The curricula listed on this webpage have been selected in light of their adherence to state, national, and/or NAAEE educational standards and are thus suitable for classroom use.