Name:
Sr. Mary Regina Whitney, O.P.
Standard:
E.ES.07.42 Describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere,
geosphere, and hydrosphere (car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain,
and natural sources), and how pollution impacts habitats, climatic change,
and threatens or endangers species.
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Lesson Title: A Breath of FRESH Air?
Lesson Overview
After completion of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Identify some of the major sources of air pollution.
 Describe atmospheric and geographical conditions that contribute to pollution
concentrations.
 List some of the effects that high levels of air pollution can have on humans and
animals.
 Value the contributions of a variety of scientific disciplines.
List of Materials
Case study handouts, world map, large glass jar with lid, crushed ice, matches, white
sock that has been attached to the tailpipe of a car which was running, computers with
Internet access for each group of students, student copy of “Explosion at Chernobyl”,
pencils, sticky dots or stickers to mark the map, world map, an atlas of encyclopedias,
map of Europe, “Pollution Points” handout.
Engage:
Teacher will read aloud the case study introduction.
Explore:
Divide students up into six different groups and give each group its portion of the case
study. Tell students to read the information and come up with a brief summary of the
facts that they believe will shed light on the case. Draw a large bubble map on the
chalkboard and in the center write “Meuse Valley Tragedy.” When all groups are ready
with their summaries, hold a mock “Inquiry” session, interviewing each group and
writing down the most important facts on the bubble map. After all facts have been
presented, have the students synthesize the information in the bubble map to come up
with an explanation of the Meuse Valley Tragedy.
Explain:
Fill the bottom of the large glass jar with crushed ice to create a temperature inversion
in the jar. Tell students that the conditions in the jar are representative of the conditions
in the Meuse Valley at the time of the tragedy: explain the temperature inversion that
is present in the jar and how the sides of the jar keep any wind from blowing. Light the
match and quickly throw it into the jar, closing the jar immediately. Students will
observe how the smoke from the match lingers near the ice surface and does not rise in
the jar. Explain how this illustrates what happened in the Meuse Valley Tragedy.
Define air pollution as “airborne substances that occur in concentrations high enough
to threaten health or harm structures.” Tell students that there are both natural
(volcanoes, forest fires, dust storms, etc.) and human (transportation, fuel combustion in
stationary sources, and industrial processes) sources of air pollutants, and describe each
source. Illustrate the visible pollution that is emitted by automobiles by showing students
the white sock that has caught pollution particles while attached to the tailpipe of an
automobile.
Explain to students that air pollution can also affect locations which are very far from
its source(s) and describe how this can happen using the background information given in
the “Path of Pollution” lesson plan at the following web address:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/assistance/education/air/path_pollution.pdf
Divide the students into groups with two or three students in each group. Give each
group a world map, stickers, “Explosion at Chernobyl” text, and “Pollution Points”
handout (both found at above web address). Have the groups use reference books to find
the locations of the “Pollution Points” and use stickers to plot the points numerically and
in sequence chronologically to view the travel of the pollution emitted during the
Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Elaborate:
Divide the students into groups with two or three students in each group. Have each
group choose a city from the list of the most polluted cities in the United States, using the
following web address:
http://www.stateoftheair.org/2010/city-rankings/most-polluted-cities.html
Then have the group research the reasons that this city is on the list: what are the major
sources of pollution, the geography of the city, its weather patterns, its proximity to
sources of pollution, etc. Each group should also research one pollution control method
that its particular city has implemented or could implement to reduce pollution.
Evaluate:
Teacher will evaluate students’ participation in the Explore activity and will check
each group’s Chernobyl charting activity for accuracy.
Each group will present its “Elaborate” research, which the teacher will evaluate for
accuracy and thoroughness.
After pollution in the geosphere and hydrosphere are taught in subsequent lessons, a
paper and pencil test will be given which will include questions about atmospheric
pollution.
References:
Air Pollution Tragedy activity:
http://www.vcapcd.org/AirTheFilm/pubs/AirPollutionTragedyLessonPlan.pdf
Chernobyl activity:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/assistance/education/air/path_pollution.pdf
White sock on tailpipe:
http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Enviro-imprints/Teaching-and-LearningApproaches/Air-pollution-activities
Air pollution definition:
PowerPoint presentation in Weather and Climate for Elementary Teachers class at
Eastern Michigan University, Dr. Thomas Kovacs