You are here:
Making Air Pollution Visual – Educational Resources using Air Sensors to Explore Air Quality
Citation:
Clements, A., R. Duvall, R. Smoak, O. Ryder, AND S. Brown. Making Air Pollution Visual – Educational Resources using Air Sensors to Explore Air Quality. Air Sensor International Conference, Pasadena, CA, May 11 - 13, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
Air sensors are a useful educational tool because they can provide visual information about air quality by displaying colors and/or numbers that correspond to pollutant concentrations. To support educators of all kinds (e.g., teachers, librarians, educational mentors), U.S. EPA created five lesson plans with hands-on activities to use air sensors to help introduce five different air quality concepts. Each lesson plan includes an instructor guide, participant guide, introductory slides, worksheet, resource list, frequently asked question document, and an alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and these resources are now available on the Air Sensor Toolbox website. This presentation, presented during the Air Sensors International Conference (ASIC) in May 2022 will share these new resources with attendees.
Description:
Poor air quality is not always visible to the human eye. Since it is hard to see, many people are unaware of the risks associated with their daily exposures. Air sensors can provide visual information about air quality by displaying colors and/or numbers that correspond to pollutant concentrations, making them powerful tools for educational efforts. To support educators and air sensor loan pilot programs, U.S. EPA created five lesson plans designed to introduce air quality concepts including (1) outdoor air quality, (2) indoor air quality, (3) personal exposure, (4) vegetative barriers, and (5) wildfire smoke. The first 4 lessons can be conducted with any handheld sensor that measures and/or interactively maps fine particulate matter (PM2.5), allowing participants to explore how pollution levels change in their community. The last lesson uses crowdsourced PM2.5 sensor data displayed on a map alongside satellite fire detections and smoke observations to allow participants to investigate the impacts of wildfire smoke in their community. Each lesson plan includes background information, hands-on activities to explore air quality conditions and pollution sources and provides questions that help participants consider how air quality can be improved. Each lesson plan includes an instructor guide, participant guide, introductory slides, worksheet, resource list, frequently asked question document, and an alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Disclaimer: Although this abstract was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
URLs/Downloads:
MAKING AIR POLLUTION VISUAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES USING AIR SENSORS TO EXPLORE AIR QUALITY.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 859.411 KB, about PDF)ORD 044693 MAKING AIR POLLUTION VISUAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES USING AIR SENSORS TO EXPLORE AIR QUALITY 508 FORM.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 199.33 KB, about PDF)