This unit starts with engaging students’ prior understanding and emotions around air quality, and introduces the phenomenon of air pollution in the San Bernardino-Riverside area. This elicits wonders about what air pollutants are made of and how they impact humans and the environment. Students investigate the sources of air pollution in the area, connections between climate change and pollutants, and the influence of the local landscape and weather.
Students also explore how some groups are disproportionately impacted by air pollution, including how it is possible for people who live near each other to have different experiences. Students investigate solutions that are available to improve air quality, including actions taken individually, within businesses, and at the community and government level. The unit culminates with students developing an action plan to address one or more aspects of poor air quality in California.
Want to talk through the lesson plans? Need support customizing a unit for your classroom?
Drop into office hours on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 4:00-5:00pm PT for free support from Holly or another Seeds to Solutions team member.
“The message that there are solutions to help us combat climate change and that people are working together to solve problems helped students stay in a place of curiosity; they didn’t show anxiety over the content.”
“My kids have said, ‘Oh good, I like doing this,’ when we were starting the lesson each day. It’s a great topic. I also think it has made them more curious and do their own research.”
“There is something for all different kinds of learners. We are moving spaces, drawing, talking in big and small groups, writing. Some of my kiddos who would have been disengaged quite possibly the entire time were engaged in at least two or more parts of this lesson.”
“From my students: ‘Thank you for teaching us this lesson because if you didn’t it would be bad for our environment.’ ‘This was awesome! Can you do more? Thank you!’ ‘Thank you for helping us in taking care of the environment.'”
“I love how the data was more interactive and chunked into smaller pieces. I also like how there was a way to bring all the knowledge and wondering back to come up with a conclusion to the problem.”
“I heard comments like, ‘I didn’t realize how much climate change affects my community,’ and, ‘This project made me think about what I can do to help.'”
“This is engaging because it uses real data about the state students live in and shows changes within their lifetime, like the rise of warehouses and trucking during the pandemic.”
“Students really wanted to share their food traditions and look into how climate change might affect their food traditions.”
“When you’re out in the workforce, you’re trying to solve problems that don’t have a clear, immediate answer. So doing stuff like this helps give students practice.”
“Using the maps and seeing things like schools and how close they are to hazards is really cool. They may not be super connected personally, but they can put themselves in the shoes of other kids and try to relate. I know it’s working because I have a kid that just watches Netflix all day, every day and he pulled out his earbud and participated!”
“Every lesson was so thoroughly designed, the case study design book was beautifully organized, and it helped to give my class a real-life understanding of how college/graduate-level academic research works. Being able to connect their research back to environmental issues they actually experience was simply icing on the cake. Well done!”
“The kids become more engaged because now they are actually actively doing things. They’re really having to look for themselves. It’s not given to them on a platter, but all the resources are right there.”
Melissa Campanella, University of Colorado Boulder
DeAnna Lee Rivers, STEMSoul TEACH
Mary Borobia, Environmental Education Collaborative
Jacqueline Gardner, Environmental Education Collaborative
Chanell Grismore, Environmental Education Collaborative
Jason Martinez, Environmental Education Collaborative
Joseph Or, Environmental Education Collaborative
Ryan Sinclair, Environmental Education Collaborative
Mary Valdemar, Environmental Education Collaborative
Sara Yeh, Environmental Education Collaborative
Tobias Aguilera, Almansor Academy
Patti Barros, Oakland USD
Paula Baucom, San Juan USD
Daniel Damelin, Concord Consortium
Patricia Dickenson, National University
Michelle Fitts, East Bay Innovation Academy
Francisco Garcia, San Diego USD
Eleanor Gilchrist, St. Isidore School
Brooke Gorman, WestEd
Gloria Harwood, Laguna Beach USD
Michelle Hyun, Irvine USD
Linda Liam, Los Angeles USD
Corinna Low, South San Francisco USD
Arbin Lubiano, Los Angeles USD
Ashley Mazanec, St. James Academy
Christopher Moreno, Dos Palos Oro Loma JUSD
Ciel Muir, AEOE Board Member
Kim Parfitt, Science Educator
Diane Renteria, Almansor Academy
Henry James Vasquez, Native American Community Council of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
Ladie Malek, Development Editor
Matt Ellinger, Designer
Stacey Lane, Illustrator
Darin Newton, Curriculum Writer
Anita Palmer, GIS Etc
Heidi Pernett, Illustrator
Jennifer Coriell, Albany USD
Michelle Fitts, East Bay Innovation Academy
Daniel Gottheiner, Albany USD
Nikol King, Laguna Beach USD
Regine Mateo, New Heights Charter School
Chris Moreno, Dos Palos-Oro Loma JUSD
Melah Muckelroy, New Heights Charter School
Keoni Yu, Petaluma City Schools
Zeke Zarate, Dos Palos-Oro Loma JUSD
