Lesson 3 "The Human Element" Curriculum
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The Human Element Lesson & Activities
Lesson 3: Air
Objectives
After this lesson, students will be able to:
  • Distinguish how various chemicals are impacting the ozone as well as evaluate the effects of airborne chemicals on human health .
  • Discuss various sustainable clean air alternatives to energy sources such as coal and diesel fuel.
Overview/Purpose: 
Students will be able to assess the importance of clean air and how it relates to humankind.
Guiding Questions:
  • What is ozone?
  • How does the concentration of various airborne chemicals impact human health? 
  • How are clean air and socio-economic status related?
  • What are sustainable clean air alternatives?

Recommended Time: Approximately 2 hours
Materials:
Internet/Computer(s)
Access to the The Human Element official trailer: 
Air Clip #1 
Password: THE2018
Air clip #2
Password:THE2018
Pencils/Pens
Poster Paper (19 sheets)
Tape or tacks for wall display
Markers/colored pencils or crayons


Lesson Design:
Part 1
  1. Pass out copies of Part 1 Vocabulary Handout. Give students time to look up and define Lesson 3 Words. Encourage visual illustrations in addition to written definitions.
  2. Distribute copies of Reflection Template A. Direct students to consider this quote and to record their written responses in the space provided. Encourage students to share their responses with a partner or group. Ask for 1-3 volunteers to share their responses with the entire class and discuss as you deem necessary.
  3. Next, you will show the first clip of Air from The Human Element. Please direct students to take notes on:                    Air Clip #1 https://vimeo.com/289146802 (Password: THE2018)                                                                                            - Factors named that contribute to ozone formation in the Earth’s atmosphere and to climate change. (i.e. oil/gas          exploration, traffic…                                                                                                                                                                              - The effects of exposure to ozone and particle pollution.(i.e. asthma)
  4. Distribute copies Reflection Template B. Direct students to record their reflections in the space provided. Encourage students to share their responses with a partner or group. Ask for 1-3 volunteers to share their responses with the entire class and discuss as you deem necessary.
  5. Next, you will show the second clip of Air from The Human Element. Air Clip #2 https://vimeo.com/289144362 (Password:THE2018)
  6. Once you are done viewing this clip, please ask your students to participate in a ‘Motion Poll’. This means that you will ask a question or read a statement and the students will answer by moving to a section of your classroom. Please determine what works best for you space, then read the following statements giving students time to observe how they are distributed, or clustered about the room.
Motion Poll: 
  1. Say, “Please stand. I will be reading a question or statement and you will answer by moving to a section of the room. Let students stand/stretch, then begin. 
  2. Instruct students to leave their belongings at their desks and remind them to use courtesy and respect the belongings of others as well as the classroom as they begin to move about. 
  3. Say, “If you suffer from asthma, please stand on the left side (teachers, you can instruct movement based on classroom needs) of the room. 
  4. Say, “If someone you know suffers from asthma, please move to the right side of the room.” 
  5. Say. “All members of Yadira Sanchez’s family suffer from asthma. Pick a partner to discuss what you believe contributed to their diagnoses.” Give students 1 minute to find a partner and to discuss causes. Ask students to share responses. (Factories, freeway, refineries, etc.)
  6. Say, “If your last name begins with A-L, please move to the right side of the classroom. Your job is to find a partner and discuss the features of the school where Olivia attended.”  
  7. Say, “If you last name begins with M-Z, please move to the left side of the room. Your job is to find a partner and discuss how Yadira Sanchez responds when people say to her, ‘Why don’t you just move?’
  8. Instruct students to return to their desks and then ask the A-Ls and M-Zs to share highlights of their discussions regarding Olivia’s school and how Yadira Sanchez responds to being asked why doesn’t she just move. 

Part 2
  1. Visit the following link with your students: https://thehumanelementmovie.com/air/ 
  2. Next, scroll down to the section on the page titled “Resources” 
  3. There are currently 19 resources listed in this segment. Divide your students into partners or groups in a way that you deem appropriate to tackle each source.  
  4. Assign each group or set of partners one of the resources to explore. Perhaps assign group members a task: Observation leader, Note taker, Questioner, Artist .
  5. Permit between 20 and 30 minutes to complete note taking and research on their assigned resources. 
  6.  Instruct students to design an informational poster that highlights the most important elements of their resource. Perhaps this will include statistics, or questions, or a drawing about how sustainable energy sources are changing. If you instruct students to address Who What Where When Why and How about their resource, this will help to inform how they design their poster. 
  7. Once their posters are completed, ask each group to present the contents to the class, then create a gallery of the posters in a suitable space within or beyond your classroom. Be sure to take pictures and submit to the Planet 911 Showcase at planet911.org/planet-911-showcase.
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