The Science of Air Quality
For more than five years, we have connected area teachers to local air quality experts and have coordinated presentations at elementary, middle and high schools. In addition, we have a free, professional curriculum available to teachers, along with state-of-the-art, hand-held air quality monitoring devices we loan to schools, so students can conduct their own studies about the air they breathe.
Hundreds of students have learned about the science of air quality, and one thing remains consistent in every classroom: young people truly enjoy learning about our environment, atmosphere and climate. They’re interested in science and they want to make a difference in our community.
The Curriculum:
Written by an Educator, for Educators
The Little Steps Cleaner Air curriculum unit provides information, resources and links to help you introduce the concept of air quality to your students, as well as suggestions for how you can help your students become citizen scientists and collect their own data about local air quality.
The unit aligns with both Nebraska and Iowa Science Standards in addition to Next Generation Science Standards. Features of the curriculum include:
Comprehensive & Customizable Lesson Plans
The curriculum includes lesson plans, activities, resources, worksheets and more. It can be taught verbatim, or you can personalize it based on your students’ interests or other lessons you may be teaching surrounding air quality (for example: soil quality or water quality).
Activities Geared Toward a Variety of Ages
While the curriculum was written with older elementary age students in mind (grades 3–5), it includes ways to make it more in-depth and challenging for older students, and ways to simplify it for younger students. It can also be used by scouting groups, after-school programs and more.
Online Friendly Learning Strategies
This unit is best taught in person using the air quality monitoring devices, which we can loan to teachers at no cost. However, the curriculum is adapted easily to a virtual environment using our pre-recorded presentations by local air quality experts.
Featured Projects in Schools
Additional Resources For Teachers
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Activity Guide
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Activity Guide
A great resource for teachers and parents alike, this activity guide is filled with fun puzzles, Mad Libs, word searches and more!
Download
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Video Presentations
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Guest Presentation: Russ Hadan, Douglas County Health Department
In this video, dive into what exactly air quality is and how we can all work to reduce air pollution in the metro area.
Watch Video -
Guest Presentation: Dan May, City of Omaha
Learn more about the harmful effects of ground-level ozone, why this is a concern for our air quality and what you can do to help.
Watch Video
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Our Air Quality is in Your Hands
As part of the science of air quality curriculum, Little Steps Cleaner Air provides professional hand-held air quality monitoring devices to local classrooms. Students measure air quality around the schools (or other high traffic areas nearby) to help them understand the impact of vehicle emissions on air quality.
Book a Presentation, Reserve Air Monitors and More
Contact us to bring Little Steps Cleaner Air to your classroom. We’d be happy to schedule one of our local experts to come visit your students and make a presentation. Our air monitors are also free to borrow — and we’ll deliver them and pick them up. Shoot us an email and we’ll be in touch.