I Can’t Breathe: A Look into United States Air Pollution

 

Jessica Morgan

Thomas R. Proctor High School

Spring 2015

 

 

The Introduction

          Imagine the United States when it was lush and green, when there were no factories or motor vehicles. Imagine taking a deep breath in the middle of grassy plain. Refreshing right? Now, imagine taking a deep breath standing in present day Los Angeles, California, where thick smog always hangs over the city. Did you cough? Most likely. Human influence has greatly altered the air quality of the United States, and of the entire world.

 

(Image: Los Angeles, CA)

 

The Task

          In this assignment, you and your group will act as members of the United States Environmental Protection Agency who are collecting data about air pollution in the United States. In a 15-20 slide PowerPoint presentation your group will try to inform Congress about the real problem air pollution is. You will discuss the causes and effects of air pollution, along with developing a policy that your group believes will be the BEST solution to alleviating the issues associated with air pollution in the United States.

 

 

The Process

          Step 1: Break up into groups of THREE.

          Step 2: Each group member will research a part of the project.

                             Person 1: What are the CAUSES of air pollution?

                             Person 2: What are the EFFECTS of air pollution?

                             Person 3: How can we REDUCE air pollution?

Step 3: After you collect your data, you will come together as a  

group and complete the six steps of the PPA. Make sure you

   complete the six corresponding worksheets.

                       (During the PPA process you will have to decide on a public

                      policy regarding air pollution in the Unites States. Make sure

                     the policy is FEASIBLE and EFFECTIVE.)

          Step 4: Your group will create a PowerPoint presentation that

discusses the causes, effects, and responses (use the PPA).

you should make your PowerPoint SELL your new policy to

                      Congress!                            

 

The Resources

·         The United States Environmental Protection Agency

·         Natural Resources Defense Council

·         National Geographic

·         Cleaner and Greener

·         California Environmental Protection Agency

·         New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

·         World Health Organization

·          

 

The Evaluation

          You will be evaluated using the following rubric:

 

The Conclusion

          This project opens your eyes, and your noses to the amount of air pollution affecting our country. Hopefully this project helps you understand the importance of this topic and has made you an advocate for a cleaner United States, and Earth.

 

Common Core State Standards

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.5
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.6
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.7
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.8
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.9
Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.10
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently

 

Earth Science Content Standards

 

·         STANDARD 1—Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

·         STANDARD 2

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information, using appropriate technologies.

·         STANDARD 7—Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.