The Air we Breath; the Sun that Shines

Secondary

Description

This resource comes from a collection of lesson plans submitted to the Evergreen Foundation by teachers from across Canada and made available for sharing at www.evergreen.ca.

It has been written for teachers and offers an inquiry approach to teaching about the interrelationships that exist among weather events, air pollution and human activity. Students collect weather and air pollution data over a two-week period, analyze the information and present their findings in a written and/or oral report. Prior to collecting the data, students establish the importance of atmospheric monitoring by reviewing the impact of recent significant weather events on the local community. Students also learn where to locate reliable sources of meteorological information, how to read a weather map, what indicators to measure and what procedures to follow in collecting their data.

Over the two-week period students use both print and on-line sources to gather daily values for each indicator in the study. In addition to these measures students will go outside each day and collect anecdotal weather and air pollution information by direct observation. Students use tables, charts, graphs and weather maps to present their findings in a final report.

Specific topics addressed in this resource include: causes and implications of weather patterns, causes and implications of changes in UV and ozone levels, the correlation between weather conditions and air quality and human impacts on microclimates. The resource provides planning notes for the teacher, a selection of weather-related web sites, questions to guide students in preparing their report and a sample data collection sheet.

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