Clean Air Campaign: Idlers: Please Stop Your Engines
Grades: 3-5
Description: In groups, students will research background information on the main air pollutants. After collecting car idling data at school for one week, students make graphs using the information and create slogans for mock no-idling bumper stickers. The class will discuss idling and why it's not good for our health.
5 Star Rating:
Likes: I like the application of knowledge. Love the rubric and pictures of student examples!
Dislikes: I dislike the way it cannot be implemented in my room without severe adaptations. The backbone of this activity is the data collection, and that woudn’t work at my school.
Helpful Hints: Define idling- length of time stopped….
Missing Elements: N/A
Additional Comments: Rubric and examples are great. Perhaps higher picture quality to share with students. Perhaps a “suggested grade” for the example pictures from students.The second year I do lessons is always better than the first. The more information provided about suggested grades and the clearer the rubric is, the better.
5 Star Rating:
Likes: I like the bumper sticker idea. Once the kids have gathered the data and created graphs, I think they would really like to share their findings creatively via the bumper sticker or poster.
Dislikes: Logistically, it is difficult to have classes outside near parking lots. I’d think they could do it as homework with a parent. How many cars are idling at the grocery store? Movie Theater? Soccer Field?
Helpful Hints: I would encourage students to use computer software to create their graphs. Once they enter their data, most software programs allow the student to make a variety of graphs, such as pie, bar, and line graphs. This provides the student with the opportunity to see the same data results in various visual contexts.
Missing Elements: N/A
Additional Comments: I would encourage including activities where students demonstrate their level of understanding using technology. In this lesson, they could produce computer graphics(graphs) but there’s also podcasts, photo journals, Comic Life, and interactive Smartboard lessons that students create to demonstrate their understanding.