Environmental Justice and Air Quality

Positives

• The videos and messaging about young students taking action to influence change will empower and inspire students.
• Because this topic is directly related to student health, many will be motivated to engage with the activities.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should know the features of a map, such as the scale, key, and labels.
• Several of the activities and extensions use a Quick Write. It may benefit students to set and model expectations for this procedure.
• The link for the YVP Action Framework in the How to Develop Your Action Plan section is broken.
• The "PM2.5 and your health" link goes to a general YouTube home page. The specific video is here.
• The Key Elements section of "The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act" uses "mental retardation" as a clinical term. You may need to address this with students in contrast to its use as a pejorative term.
• The article "Children's Exposure to Exhaust on School Buses" centers around Connecticut statistics and information.
• The link for the video "Young Voices for the Planet: Kids vs. Global Warming" doesn't work. Teachers can find the video here.
• The Young Voices for the Planet "ACTION Plan" no longer exists.
• Some activities require materials such as microscopes, magnifying glasses, and air quality monitoring devices.

Differentiation

• Teachers can easily differentiate for different reading levels in the jigsaw reading activity, as the sections vary in length and complexity.
• While this lesson is intended for New York students, most of the information is general and would benefit students from anywhere in the United States.
• The unit plan includes countless options for extensions, interdisciplinary connections, and differentiation for older students.
• English language learners may benefit from additional visual aids when discussing unfamiliar concepts, such as particulate matter.