1 of 8

Lesson 1:�Why do we bike?

By Your Name

2 of 8

3 new things I learned

1

Why is biking good for health?

Answer here:

It builds muscle, increase focus, good for lungs and heart, improves mental clarity

2

How can cars harm our environment?

Answer here:

They cause air pollution in their exhaust.

3

What is one benefit of biking?

Answer here:

It’s free, it doesn’t pollute, it is good for our health

3 of 8

What are some Pros and Cons of these different types of transportation?

Cars

Can travel longer distance.

Is fast.

Protected from weather.

Multiple people travel together

Pros

Cons

Cost of gas and repairs

find/pay for parking

No physical activity

Air pollution

Bikes

Travel is free

Physical activity

Does not pollute

Pros

Cons

Inefficient for long distances

Can be difficult to ride where there are cars

Have to lock it up at destination

4 of 8

Do you know how to ride a bike?

YES

NO

What is something you already know about biking?

Type your answer here:

5 of 8

Pullutey Judy

Air Pollution

Cars, trucks, factories, power plants, trains, and planes create harmful gases that make the air dirty. When gases make the air dirty this is called air pollution. We measure air pollution in pounds, with 0.97 pounds of air pollution = 1 mile of driving.

Pollutey Judy loves to drive! She drive everywhere, even places that are close enough to walk.

Pollutey Judy never rides her bicycle, never carpools, and never takes the bus. She thinks driving is so convenient!

6 of 8

Pollutey Judy drives by herself every day. The chart below shows a typical day in Pollutey Judy’s life. Calculate how much daily air pollution Pollutey Judy’s driving produces. Round answers to the hundredths place.

Destination	Distance (round trip)	Mode of Transport	Air Pollution
Work	4.3 miles	Driving	4.2
Coffee Shop	1.2 miles	Driving	.19
Friend’s House	5.8 miles	Driving	5.6
Home	0.6 miles	Driving	.58

�Hand out Go on a Pollution Diet! worksheet. Tell students that Judy has other� transportation options: she can walk, bicycle, carpool, or take public transportation. Review the chart at the top of the Go on a Pollution Diet! worksheet. Briefly review the pros and cons of each transportation option.�
�Have students complete the Go on a Pollution Diet! worksheet. After they have finished, call the class back together. Ask students to share how they reduced the amount of air pollution that Judy produced. Pick one student’s pollution diet and work together to calculate how much air pollution Pollutey Judy will produce when she stays on that diet for one week, one month, and one year. Compare these computations to the amount of pollution Judy’s driving currently produces per week, month, and year. �

7 of 8

How can Pollutey Judy reduce the amount of air pollution her diving creates? She has the following options:

Destination	Distance (round trip)	Mode of Transport	Air Pollution
Work	4.3 miles	Bike	0
Coffee Shop	1.2 miles	Bike	0
Friend’s House	5.8 miles	Carpool with others	5.5
Home	0.6 miles	Walk	0

Transportation	Air Pollution	Comfortable Distance
Walking	0	2 miles or less
Bicycling	0	8 miles or less
Carpooling with others	0.94 pounds/mile	Any

8 of 8

The results are in:

What was the total air pollution before the Pollution Diet: ________________

What was the total air pollution on the Pollution Diet: ________________

What was the decrease in air pollution: _______________