Air Quality Educational Resources

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EPA joins with our partners to help teachers, families, and students find educational resources that spark interest in air quality and environmental protection during Air Quality Awareness Week 2020. This webpage highlights resources developed by EPA, as well as state, local, and tribal air agencies and our partner organizations. We hope you will share these resources and use them to make good choices for better air and better health, today and throughout the rest of the year!

Katharine Paleias, Broward County

EPA Air Education Resources:

• Lesson plans, activities, and resources for educators:
  • Lesson plans, teacher guides, and online environmental resources by topic: https://www.epa.gov/students/lesson-plans-teacher-guides-and-online-environmental-resources-educators
  • Air Quality Flag Program classroom curriculum (all age/grade levels): https://www.airnow.gov/air-quality-flag-program/schools/
    • Dusty the Goldfish and his Asthma Triggers Funbook: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-08/documents/dustythegoldfish_en.pdf
    • Why is Coco Orange? picture book: https://www.airnow.gov/publications/why-is-coco-orange/why-is-coco-orange-picture-book/
      • Why is Coco Orange? reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZzBB34ulb4&feature=youtu.be
      • Why is Coco Orange? reading (in Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKs0i3gjULY&feature=youtu.be
  • Air Quality Index Toolkit for teachers: https://www.airnow.gov/publications/teachers/aqi-toolkit-for-teachers/
  • Presentations given at recent EPA workshops for educators: https://www.airnow.gov/education/teachers/worskhop-for-educators/
  • Air Sensors and Monitors Toolkit: https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox

• AirNow website for kids:
  • https://www.airnow.gov/education/students/

State and Local Air Education Resources:

• Mid-America Regional Council - community air education resources:
  • http://airqkc.org/community/education/
• Air Central Texas – activities for parents, educators, and kids:
  • https://aircentraltexas.org/en/resources/air-quality-and-kids
• Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation – Educational Resources for Kids:
  • http://dec.alaska.gov/media/7472/dust-activity-book.pdf
  • http://dec.alaska.gov/media/5604/burnwise-activity-book.pdf
• Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet – Division of Air Quality
  Explore the topic of air pollution and how it’s monitored in Kentucky by using the links below:
  • Story Map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5210cbd87ba54201b05c9fa423b8e7bb
  • Lesson Plan: https://eec.ky.gov/Environmental-Protection/Air/Documents/Particulate%20Matter%20Collector%20Student%20Sheet.pdf
  • Student Response Sheet: https://eec.ky.gov/Environmental-Protection/Air/Documents/Particulate%20Matter%20Collector%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf
• National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) - Educational Activities and Resources:
  • http://www.4cleanair.org/sites/default/files/Documents/EducationalResourcesAQAW-2020.pdf
• Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Newsletter – Discover DEQ:
  • https://www.deq.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/DiscoverDEQ/2020/DiscoverDEQNewsletter-Issue99-April2020.pdf

Partner Organizations – Air Education Resources:

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Air and Health Educational Resources:
  • https://www.cdc.gov/air/default.htm
  • https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/air-quality-awareness/index.html
• National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
  • National Weather Service Air Quality Safety website: https://www.weather.gov/safety/airquality
  • Air Quality forecasting: https://airquality.weather.gov/
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
  • GLOBE educational resources:
    • Air Quality Module - What's Up in the Atmosphere? Exploring Sky Colors Storybook: https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/air-quality
    • Dust Observations: https://www.globe.gov/web/s-cool/home/new-dust-observations
    • Constructing a Model of Parts per Billion by Volume of Surface Ozone: https://www.globe.gov/documents/348614/3c3412e8-daee-4a10-9bf0-e8ffb4aed760
  • NASA Data:
    • Volcanic Eruptions Story Map: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/volcanic-eruptions-story-map
    • Which Eruption was Larger? A Data Expedition: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/mini-lesson/which-eruption-was-larger-data-expedition
    • Planet on Fire: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/mini-lesson/systems-and-system-models-planet-fire-2013
    • Tropical Atlantic Aerosols & Clouds: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/tropical-atlantic-aerosols-clouds
    • Aerosol Flipbook: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/flipbooks-earth-system-variables
    • Analyzing Global Patterns with Earth System Poster Activities: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/basic-page/analyzing-global-patterns-earth-system-poster-activities
    • How to Observe Dust: https://www.globe.gov/web/s-cool/home/new-dust-observationsttps://www.globe.gov/web/s-cool/home/new-dust-observations
    • Sky High: Keeping Track of Volcano Plumes - Blog for Kids: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/eokids/sky-high-keeping-track-of-volcano-plumes/
    • Watching Wildfires from Space - Blog for Kids: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/eokids/watching-wildfires-from-space/
    • Air Pollution: Seeing Small Specks from Space - Blog for Kids: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/eokids/air-pollution-seeing-small-specks-from-space/

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