The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
Particle Pollution Exploration
Particle Pollution Exploration
A 9-12th grade STEM lesson
Author: JABV
Date: January 30, 2023
Notes for teachers
Background Information:
CO2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide
2.5PM
https://www.epa.gov/air-research/history-air-pollution
Drone-monitoring of vehicle pollution
https://sustainenvironres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42834-021-00099-3#Sec2
List of Materials
Standards
Earth and Space – E1: The composition of the Earth and its atmosphere and the natural and human processes occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.
Weather & Climate
Earth and Space – E1: The composition of the Earth and its atmosphere and the natural and human processes occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.
Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
Earth and Space – E1: The composition of the Earth and its atmosphere and the natural and human processes occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.
Earth’s Systems
Earth and Space – E1: The composition of the Earth and its atmosphere and the natural and human processes occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.
Earth and Human Activity
Standards
Plus HS+E.E1U1.3 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make evidence-based predictions of current rate and scale of global or regional climate changes.
HS.E1U1.11 Analyze and interpret data to determine how energy from the Sun affects weather patterns and climate.
HS.E1U1.12 Develop and use models of the Earth that explains the role of energy and matter in Earth’s constantly changing internal and external systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere).
HS.E1U1.13 Evaluate explanations and theories about the role of energy and matter in geologic changes over time.
HS.E1U3.14 Engage in argument from evidence about the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, changes in climate, and human activity and how they influence each other.
Standards
Science and Engineering Practice:
Core Ideas of Knowing and Using Science:
Crosscutting Concept:
U1: Scientists explain phenomena using evidence obtained from observations and or scientific investigations. Evidence may lead to developing models and or theories to make sense of phenomena. As new evidence is discovered, models and theories can be revised
Systems and System Models A system is an organized group of related objects or components; models can be used for understanding and predicting the behavior of systems.
Objectives
Phenomenon:
What are the levels of CO2 and PPM outdoors versus indoors, which is of more concern recently and why? How does air quality relate to the topics of both global warming and climate change?
Objective:
Use tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) to
generate and analyze data in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or
determine an optimal design solution.
Consider limitations (e.g., measurement error, sample selection) when analyzing and interpreting data.
Agenda (lesson time several weeks for short intervals of time)
Schema/ Students have knowledge about types of chemical reactions, products, reactants, the composition of gasses in Earth’s atmosphere, balanced chemical equations, climate change, and global warming basics.
Video Introduction: Alone-zone: Quick Write (Warmup) Prompt/ Picture “Reflection into science notebook” Write a T- chart to compare and contrast Climate Change and Global Warming
Partners: think, ink, pair and share and peer-review
Small Group: have students together set up lab
Whole Group: discussion and review meaning after data was collected and analysed and described.
Partners: think, ink, pair and share and peer-review; have students work together to share what they wrote, ask kids to brainstorm: if they could thermal image anywhere around campus, where would they do it and why?
Alone-zone: Quick Write (Cooldown) Prompt/ Picture “Reflection into science notebook”: revisit original thinking
Intro/Driving Question/Opening
Video Introduction: Alone-zone: Quick Write (Warmup) Prompt/ Picture “Reflection into science notebook” Individually view the phenomena https://www.co2levels.org/ with I see, I think, I wonder. https://youtu.be/JZx_mRTpSts What is PPM?
Partners: think, ink, pair and share and peer-review; have students work together to share what they wrote, ask kids to brainstorm: if they could CO2 and PM (particle pollution) test anywhere around campus, where would they do it and why?
Small Group: (last day) graph predicted and actual measurements, then calculate percent error.
Whole Group: discussion and review meaning (view additional videos and summarize implications)
Alone-zone: Quick Write (Cooldown) Prompt/ Picture “Reflection into science notebook”: Respond to questions
Hands-on Activity Instructions
Assessment
Watch and discuss: https://youtu.be/wl3BkTE4TEc Add answers to original I see I think I wonder, and one last check with partner.
ANSWER:
Indoors: “Because humans produce and exhale carbon dioxide (CO2), concentrations of CO2 in occupied indoor spaces are higher than concentrations outdoors.” (Satish, etal., 2012)
Outdoors: Because Harvard video discussed the impact of car emissions.
2. Were your indoor or outdoor measurements close to the average? Why or why not? (Include source for average measurements found through online research).
Although typical outdoor CO2 concentrations are approximately 380 ppm, outdoor levels in urban areas as high as 500 ppm have been reported (Persily, 1997).
Differentiation
For students requiring additional help use:
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
Extend with further research and or talks about how to improve current study, then have students conduct those measurements.
Brainstorm: What can be done to lower levels?
Research: What types of health concerns present with in various ranges?
Any positive sides to pollution?
References
Satish, U., Mendell, M. J., Shekhar, K., Hotchi, T., Sullivan, D., Streufert, S., & Fisk, W. J. (2012). Is CO2 an indoor pollutant? Direct effects of low-to-moderate CO2 concentrations on human decision-making performance. Environmental health perspectives, 120(12), 1671–1677. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104789
Persily, A. K. (1997). Evaluating building IAQ and ventilation with indoor carbon dioxide.