Ready for action?
Resources
Tangible Resources
Low tech pollution kits (O-zone badge testers), pencil, workbooks
Human Resources
Extra adults to facilitate field trip
Preparation
Buy low tech pollution kits, explore where test kits could be placed before the Learning Unit, prepare paperwork for off-site visit if necessary.
Goals, messages & concepts
Specific goals
- Students will collect data on pollution in their local area.
- Students will compare pollution in different places in their local area.
- Students will learn how to use lichens as natural indicators of pollution.
Specific messages
- There are different levels of pollution in different areas.
- Lichens can indicate the presence and absence of pollution within an area.
Main terms
- pollution indicators
- ozone
- lichen
- data
Practices & skills
STEM practices
- Analysing and interpreting data
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Planning and carrying out investigations
Soft skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
Management skills
- Use of resources
Course of activity
step 1
Students will place test kits in 3 different areas: inside the classroom, in the playground and in a local park.
step 2
Students will then test each area at the beginning of the week, middle of the week and end of the week, to observe if levels of pollution changes and collect data.
step 3
While in the local park, students will also go on a lichen hunt. Lichens are regarded as pollution indicators because they are sensitive to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and do not grow in polluted areas. Their presence indicates the absence of pollution in an area, and their absence indicates that the area is polluted.
step 4
The students will create a table to show and compare the pollution levels in the 3 areas. They will analyse the data and write explanations about why they think the pollution levels varied on different days.