Air Quality, Health, and Justice

Positives

• This lesson utilizes student choice, active listening, and active participation.
• Students are guided through a Fishbowl discussion which facilitates respectful listening and exchanging of opinions.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teachers should feel comfortable offering choice, allowing students independence and autonomy in their learning. This lesson encourages open conversation and monitoring regarding student held discussions.
• This resource is helpful for facilitating a Fishbowl discussion.
• Students will need access to the Teacher Slideshow in order to conduct their independent work.

Differentiation

• Students are able to work at their own pace and order for the playlist activity, but teachers can scaffold certain steps for students who need additional support.
• Teachers can create a sample guide for the independent playlist activity.
• Teachers can embed the necessary adjustments into the playlist and check boxes for students with special needs or considerations.
• Teachers can add a sixth check box that includes a chat with the teacher so that questions and checks for understanding can be incorporated.

This lesson illustrates how air quality is related to cardiorespiratory health and how environmental injustice exacerbates these issues in marginalized communities. A well-sourced list of resources is provided where students can learn about human respiration, environmental justice, air quality in New Jersey, and what is being done to address environmental injustice by both the state and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance. Students are tasked with reviewing these sources and then sharing what they learned in a fishbowl discussion. This lesson is recommended for teaching.

Note On Standards:

This lesson is aligned to Wisconsin standards. Review the aligned standards directly in the lesson plan document and teacher slideshow.