This article provides information about the health risks associated with particulate pollution.
Students will learn about different types of particle pollution, populations that are at risk for serious health problems, health risks associated with short-term and long-term exposure, recent findings from the EPA, and the sources of particle pollution.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The short video provides a good visual illustration for why particle pollution is dangerous for humans.
This well-outlined website resource provides findings from recent scientific studies and highlights the risks of particle pollution from various sources.
This resource is easy to follow and self-explanatory.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers should be aware that the information regarding serious health risks and premature death linked to particle pollution might be alarming to some students. Help students feel empowered by showing them how they can check the air quality in their area with this real-time air quality index and what they can do to protect themselves.
Differentiation
Teachers could divide students into small groups to research one of the sources of particle pollution and make a presentation to show what can be done to reduce the production of particle pollution from each source.
Students could make public service announcements about particle pollution to educate their community on the local particle pollution risks and solutions for reducing particle pollution.
Scientist Notes
The resource is elementary in explaining the impact of particulate concentration on human health and outlining the short-term and long-term effects. Sources of this pollution come from both natural and human factors. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
