Atmosphere Lesson
Plans
Grade Level: Middle
School
Time Allotment: 50- minute
class period
Day 1-2: Ozone Pollution and
Smog
Day 2: Effects of Air
pollution
Day 1-2: What is pollution
and smog?
General
Objective:
Describe the health effects
of polluted air
Lesson
Objectives:
The
students will learn about air pollution and how it forms
The
students will develop smog and infer how it occurs in
nature
The
students will learn the components of air pollution
Motivator:
To
get my students interested in the lesson I would show them various pictures
representing pollution and ask them what would it be like living in those
conditions. We would then discuss which areas of the world have the greatest
amounts of air pollution and why?
Activities and Materials
Needed:
Journal Article from Science
News Magazine
Water
Aluminum
foil
2-3
ice cubes per group
Ruler
Scissors
Science Journals and Lab
Books
Matches
Procedure:
I
will begin my lesson by reading the journal article entitled “Pollution Keeps Rain up in the
Air” from the Science News magazine. Reading can be done is small groups or
individual. Once they have finished, I will have the students answer the
following questions in their journals.
At
this time, we will discuss the article and go through the questions from the
article. I will then lecture giving the students background knowledge and
vocabulary about pollution and the components of pollution. The students will
take notes and write this information in their journals.
ü
What is air pollution and
where does it occur?
ü
Major pollutant sources
(examples of human activity)
ü
Harmful compounds that are
released into the environment (Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,
sulfur dioxide, particulates).
ü
Local and regional
pollution
ü
Smog and acid
precipitation
ü
Global scale
pollution
ü
Ozone
depletion
ü
The ozone is the same
molecule regardless of where it is found, but its significance
varies.
ü
High amounts of air
pollution at the ground level can be harmful to people, animals, crops and other
materials.
ü
Too high of levels may cause
lung and respiratory problems.
ü
Chemists have found that the
materials damaged by ozone include rubber, nylon, plastics, dyes, and
paint.
ü
Ozone pollution, a component
of smog, is mainly a daytime problem during the summer months because sunlight
plays a primary role in its formation.
ü
Large industrial areas and
cities with heavy traffic are the main contributors to ozone
formation.
ü
Weather conditions such as
lack of wind and thermal inversion can cause smog to build up in an area.
Students will now divide
into lab groups. Instructions on the lab will be given and safety issues will be
discussed.
**** This activity should be
done with adult supervision.
Procedure:
7. Release smog to outdoors
when finished.
Lab
Review Questions- In journal
3. How would this type of air affect
your health?
Presentation
Strategies:
Discussion
Observation
Investigation
Cooperative
learning
Laboratory
Vocabulary:
Air
Pollution-addition of harmful
substances to the atmosphere resulting in the damage to the environment, human
health, and quality of life.
Smog-intense local pollution
trapped by a thermal inversion
Thermal
Inversion-Occurs when a layer of warm
air settles over a layer of cool air that lies near the
ground.
Particulates-
a substance
that consists of separate particles especially air born pollution.
Inference
Recording
Assessment:
The students will be tested over the material and information discussed in class. Their journals and lab books will also be graded on completeness.
Extensions:
If I had more time I would:
Visit the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission website and do the ozone activities suggested.
Look at and analyze local newspapers to observe the pollution index.
Resources:
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/monops/lessons/ozonelesson.html
http://whyfiles.org/030air_pollution/
Encarta Encyclopedia
Webster’s Dictionary
Science News magazine
Dr. Milton Payne
Atmosphere Lesson
Plan
Day 3- The Effects of Air
pollution
General Objective:
To describe the health effects of polluted air
Lesson Objectives:
To students will discover the effects of polluted air
The students will determine if the air in their community is polluted
Motivator:
I will ask the students to close their eyes and picture themselves in this situation. Imagine you are a young child living in an area with intense smog and pollution. Imagine yourself struggling for air to breathe because the pollution is your community is so bad. How would living in these conditions be?
Answers and responses to this question will be written in the student’s daily journals.
Activities and Materials Needed:
For each group:
4 small rubber bands
1 wire clothes hanger
1 magnifying glass
County or city map
Index cards
Petroleum jelly
Science journals and lab books
Procedures:
The first thing we will do is going over there responses from the motivator. The students will share their thoughts and feelings of those living conditions as well as what areas or places might that occur. Next, we will review material from yesterday.
I will then lecture about the atmosphere. The students will write these notes in their journals.
Main Points:
ü The atmosphere is almost completely made up of invisible gaseous substances.
ü Most major air pollutants are also invisible.
ü Smog is mostly invisible however we can see it sometimes.
ü Carbon Dioxide is the primary gas that makes up smog.
Students will now be divided into small groups for the experiment.
Rubber Band Air Test
Experiment:
1. Discuss the causes and effects of air pollution.
2. Bend the hanger so that when you stretch the rubber bands over the hanger they are tight.
3. Now go outside and hang the hanger in a shady place so it is out of the sun.
4. Record what the rubber bands look like at the beginning of this experiment and keep a journal for 2 weeks recording the changes in the appearance of the rubber band.
5. When two weeks are up, or at the end of the unit, the students will look at the rubber bands with a magnifying glass and answer the following questions in their journals.
i. Do the rubber bands look the way they did before?
ii. Are the rubber bands cracked?
iii. Touch the rubber bands. Do they feel the way they did?
I will then discuss the results.
If the rubber bands looked and felt the way, they did before then the air they live in is quite clean. If the rubber bands looked cracked and feel hard, then the air they live in polluted.
Experiment
#2
As an extension activity to discover another type of pollution in the air, I will have my student’s brainstorm areas in the community where they feel the most pollution would be. Next, the students will write specific places on the back of the index card. They will then coat the front of the index cards with petroleum jelly and tape them to different surfaces in different areas of the community. The cards will be left up for about a week. After taking them down, they will inspect the cards and answer the following questions in their journals.
1. What do you see?
2. Which area had the most pollutants in the air?
3. Why do you suppose this is true?
4. How do these findings make you feel about the air you breathe?
Presentation Strategies:
Lecture
Discussion
Observation
Compare/Contrast
Inquiry
Laboratory
Vocabulary:
Pollutants-the contamination of the earth environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life or the natural functioning of ecosystems.
Carbon Dioxide- heavy, colorless, atmospheric gas that at increasing atmospheric levels may alter the Earth’ climate.
Learning Strategies:
Observation
Inference
Recording
Assessment:
The students will be graded on their journals and observation logs of the experiments.
Extensions:
If given the time it would be nice to locate other middle school science classrooms and have them complete these two activities as well. By doing this, students in every classroom could compare their findings. This could be done through Email and pictures could be shared using digital cameras and scanners. This would give the students a good understanding of the living conditions and pollution levels of other areas.
Resources:
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/monops/lessons/rubberlesson.html
Encarta Encyclopedia
Webster’s Dictionary
http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov