Environmental Science: Air Quality and Smog
Learning how air pollution forms and how people can help keep air clean
Environmental Science: Air Quality and Smog
Learning how air pollution forms and how people can help keep air clean
Environmental Science - Grade 4-5
- 1
Air is a mixture of gases around Earth. Explain what air quality means in your own words.
Think about whether the air is safe and easy to breathe.
Air quality means how clean or polluted the air is. Good air quality means the air has fewer harmful substances, while poor air quality means the air has more pollution that can affect people, animals, and plants. - 2
List two common sources of air pollution in a city.
Two common sources of air pollution in a city are cars and trucks that burn gasoline, and factories or power plants that release smoke and gases. - 3
Smog often looks like a brown or gray haze over a city. What is smog made from?
Smog is not just fog. It includes pollution mixed in the air.
Smog is made from air pollution, including smoke, dust, and gases from vehicles, factories, and other sources. Sunlight can help some pollutants react and form smog. - 4
Circle the activity that helps improve air quality: A. Riding a bike to school, B. Leaving a car engine running while parked, C. Burning trash in a yard. Explain your choice.
A. Riding a bike to school helps improve air quality because it does not burn fuel or release exhaust like a car does. - 5
A student says, "Air pollution only hurts people who live next to factories." Explain why this idea is not correct.
Air can move from one place to another.
This idea is not correct because air pollution can move with the wind and spread to other places. Pollution from cars, fires, and factories can affect people even if they do not live right next to the source. - 6
Look at an Air Quality Index chart. Green means good, yellow means moderate, orange means unhealthy for sensitive groups, red means unhealthy, and purple means very unhealthy. If the AQI color is red, what should children do during recess?
If the AQI color is red, children should spend less time doing hard exercise outside. They may need to play indoors or choose calmer outdoor activities to protect their lungs. - 7
Name one group of people who might be more affected by poor air quality and explain why.
Think about people whose lungs may need extra care.
Children might be more affected by poor air quality because their lungs are still growing and they often breathe faster when they play. People with asthma or older adults can also be more affected. - 8
A factory installs a filter that catches tiny particles before they leave the smokestack. How can this help the environment?
The filter can help the environment by keeping some particles out of the air. Cleaner air is better for people, animals, plants, and nearby communities. - 9
Sort these items into two groups: causes more air pollution and causes less air pollution. Items: gasoline car, electric bus, walking, coal power plant.
Ask whether the activity burns fuel and releases smoke or exhaust.
Gasoline car and coal power plant usually cause more air pollution because they burn fuels that release pollutants. Electric bus and walking usually cause less air pollution, especially walking because it does not produce exhaust. - 10
On a hot sunny day, some pollutants can react in the air and make smog worse. Why can smog be worse in the afternoon than in the early morning?
Smog can be worse in the afternoon because sunlight and heat can help pollutants react in the air. As the day gets warmer and sunnier, more smog can form. - 11
A class measures visibility from the school window. On Monday they can see a mountain far away. On Tuesday the mountain looks blurry behind a gray haze. What might the gray haze show about the air on Tuesday?
Clean air usually lets people see farther.
The gray haze might show that the air has more pollution or tiny particles on Tuesday. Poor air quality can make faraway objects look blurry. - 12
Explain how planting trees can help air quality.
Planting trees can help air quality because trees take in carbon dioxide and can trap some dust and particles on their leaves. Trees also provide shade, which can help cool neighborhoods. - 13
A family needs to go to the library. They can drive one car, ride bikes, or take a bus with many other people. Which choice would likely make the least air pollution, and why?
Compare how much fuel each choice uses.
Riding bikes would likely make the least air pollution because bikes do not burn gasoline or release exhaust. Taking a bus can also reduce pollution compared with many families driving separate cars. - 14
Write one rule a school could follow on poor air quality days to help protect students.
A school could move recess or sports indoors on poor air quality days. This would help students breathe less polluted air while they are active. - 15
The picture shows three pollution sources: a truck, a wildfire, and a factory. Choose one source and describe one way people could reduce the pollution from it.
Think of a change that would create less smoke or exhaust.
People could reduce pollution from a truck by using cleaner fuels, driving less, keeping the engine in good condition, or using electric trucks. Reducing pollution from one source can help make the air cleaner for everyone.