Introduction to Air Quality Lesson
Lesson Plan
55 minutesGrades3, 4, 5English Language Arts
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Written by Emiliano Amaro, Lindsey Pockl
About this lesson
In this lesson, students are introduced to air quality and the Environmental Protection Agency through reading the book Why Is Coco Orange?
Inquire: Using a KWL chart, students brainstorm what they know about air quality and what they want to learn.
Investigate: Students read Why Is Coco Orange?, a story about a chameleon and how his skin changes color depending on the air quality.
Inspire: Students complete a journal entry based on the lesson.
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Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Suggestions
- Teachers can use other reading strategies for the read aloud and develop other reading comprehension questions.
- Why Is Coco Orange? was written by Melissa Payne, Donna Rogers, Lori Tussey, Ellen Wildermann, and illustrated by Lori Tussey (EPA). Teachers can use the text to build empathy for those with underlying health conditions.
- This lesson can be taught in an extended ELA block with the read aloud in a reading block and the journal writing reflection activity in a writing block. Alternatively, the reading and writing sections of the lesson can be extended into one class period to allow for more skills practice in reading comprehension and writing.
- To combine creativity and comprehension, students can draw or color a chameleon that changes color based on different air quality conditions. Students can write a sentence explaining why Coco changed colors.
- Students can role-play in small groups how they could help Coco on a day when the air is unhealthy. Example ideas include wearing a mask or staying inside.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 1 of 5 in our 3rd-5th grade Air Quality unit.
- It may be best to split students who read the book and students who watch the read aloud video. Perhaps these two groups can use two separate spaces if possible.
- Students will use these journals throughout this entire unit. Students could create new journals or use journals that they use all year, or for different subjects.
- "Air pollution" is kind of a catchall term, referring to things like ozone, particulate matter, and even greenhouse gases. This can be tricky for elementary students to sort out. The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn that breathing in the pollutant ozone is harmful to their health.
Differentiation
- Students can complete the KWL chart in groups instead of a whole class. One student can act as the scribe while the group discusses.
- Students can read the book or watch the read aloud video, depending on their strengths and weaknesses.
- Students can use sentence stems for journaling, or teachers can provide a guided writing template.
- Teachers can provide a blank chart with AQI color bands for students to color and label, then add to their journal. Alternatively, students can replicate the chart in their notebook using the same colors and wording.
- Students can retell the story in a graphic book form, sketching out animals and adding color.
From the scientist review
The lesson introduces students to basic knowledge of air quality and how it is interpreted using the AQI. This lesson is void of any scientific misconceptions. Thus, it is recommended for classroom use.
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About the teacher writers
Emiliano Amaro
3-5 ELD and ELA Teacher
Emiliano Amaro holds a Bachelor's degree in Society and Environment from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Education from the UCLA Teacher Education Program. He has been teaching since 2020 and has six years of experience in elementary education, middle school English, and middle school mathematics. Emiliano holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and specializes in social and environmental justice through interdisciplinary teaching and environmental education.
Lindsey Pockl
Lindsey worked with SubjectToClimate to develop accompanying materials for lesson plans for grades 3-12.
