Citation:

Ryder, O., S. Brown, A. Clements, R. Duvall, S. Batka, AND M. Gavin. The Power of Plants! How Vegetation Can Help Protect Us from Air Pollution. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2022.

Impact/Purpose:

To determine ambient air quality conditions around the U.S., criteria air pollutants are measured at a limited number of sites using expensive, regulatory-grade instruments. New, lower-cost air sensors have become available to the public who are using the devices to learn more about air quality in their communities. As part of a Regional/State/Tribal Innovation Project (RSTIP) with EPA Region 5, air sensor loan programs were developed in partnership with several educational institutions in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. This is one of five interactive lesson plans developed through RSTIP projects with EPA Regions 5, 9, and 10. It is designed to help people learn about the interactions between plants and air quality by using a handheld particulate matter sensor to measure air quality near and behind roadside vegetative barriers. This project advances our knowledge of air sensors and promotes participatory science while simultaneously advancing EPA’s goals of collaborating with impacted stakeholders and providing ways for the public to engage in research studies. Groups that would be interested or could apply the results from this research include public libraries, museums, schools, communities, state/local/tribal air agencies, EPA Regional Offices, and other federal agencies.

Description:

Air sensors can help make invisible air pollution visible! This hands-on, interactive lesson plan is designed to give users an introduction to air sensors and provides activities for exploring how plants grown as roadside vegetative barriers can improve air quality using a handheld, mobile, air sensor. This suite of materials has been compiled to support classroom, individual, and/or group program instruction. While this 1-hour lesson is targeted to 6th grade learners, it can be adapted for any learner level or learning context. This lesson plan includes the main lesson plan document with an extension activity and alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), an introductory slideset, and a participant worksheet with answer key.

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