How's Your Atmosphere?

In this lesson, students discuss what they know about air quality, play a game to facilitate understanding of air quality, and create an action plan to inspire solutions in their community. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students spend some time wondering and writing about air quality, climate change, and health. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a classroom game called “How’s Your Atmosphere?” and reflect on their learning. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create an action plan to be presented next class and shared with others.

Positives

• This lesson utilizes student choice, active listening, and active participation.
• The How’s Your Atmosphere game is engaging, and the Game Cards give specific examples of everyday actions that can have a positive or negative impact on air quality.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teachers should know how to use the resources Padlet or Jamboard.
• Teachers should know how to facilitate a Socratic seminar style discussion.

Differentiation

• Movement is encouraged but not required for this game.
• Students in class who need support can be paired or grouped with others who can assist and give guidance.

In this lesson, students will learn about air quality and air pollution and its impacts on the human body. They will also discuss some of the causes of air pollution and think about ways they can make changes in their life to reduce the air pollution footprint. The resources on air quality all cite where they are getting their data from. Videos and links have been reviewed for accuracy. This resource is recommended for teaching.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.

Primary Standards

• Comprehensive Health & Physical Education
  • Personal and Mental Health
    • 2.1.8.PGD.4: Analyze the relationship between healthy behaviors and personal health.
    • 2.1.8.CHSS.6: Develop an advocacy plan regarding a health issue and share this information in an appropriate setting.
    • 2.1.8.CHSS.7: Collaborate with other students to develop a strategy to address health issues related to climate change.