Air Pollution
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Lesson objectives
1) Understand why clean air is important
2) Understand experiments we can do to
prove air pollution exists
3) Understand where air pollution can come
from
What is air?
• Air is a mixture of gases that surrounds us.
• We cannot see it, taste it, or smell it.
Why is air important?
• Our bodies need air so that we can
breathe.
• Air is as important as food and water. We
could not live without it.
Air =
Why is clean air important?
• Just like food and water, the air can get
dirty.
• Something that makes the air dirty is
called air pollution.
• Our bodies do not like air pollution, it is
bad for our health.
Air pollution =
Two types of air pollution
Air pollution
Gases:
Small bits of dirt: • One of these gases
• This dirt is called is called Nitrogen
particles. Dioxide.
• We can also call it • We can also call it
PM. 𝐍𝐎𝟐 .
Can we see air pollution?
• We cannot see air pollution when it is in
the air.
• Particles are 5 times smaller than a
human hair!
• In order to see or measure air pollution,
we have to do some science experiments.
Science experiment:
Nitrogen Dioxide (𝐍𝐎𝟐 )
• We use a small tube
called a diffusion
tube to measure
𝐍𝐎𝟐 .
• Local councils use
these to measure air
pollution in their Diffusion
tube
area.
Science Experiment:
Particles (PM)
• It is more difficult to measure PM.
• We can wipe wet cotton pads on a
surface to pick up PM, so that we can see
them.
Particles
Sources of air pollution
• One cause of air pollution is traffic.
• Which of these vehicles do you think
release air pollution?
Sources of air pollution
• Answer: the car, bus, motorbike and lorry.
• They cause air pollution because they have
an engine which burns fuel.
Sources of air pollution
• Sources of air pollution are either:
Natural: caused by nature.
Man-made: caused by human activity.
• Below are some other sources of air
pollution. Which are natural, and which are
man-made?
Burning fuel Power stations
Industry Wildfire Volcanoes
at home
Sources of air pollution
Answer:
Man-made Natural
Industry Volcanoes
Man-made Natural Man-made
Burning fuel Wildfire Power stations
at home
Reflection
• How could the ways we travel to school
affect air pollution?
• How could we reduce air pollution at
school?
Activities
• Test what you have
learnt using the air
pollution quiz!
• Find all the words on
the word search!
• Design your clean air
superhero!
Key words
Air pollution: something that makes the air dirty.
Nitrogen Dioxide (𝐍𝐎𝟐 ): a form of air pollution.
It is a gas.
Particles (PM): a form of air pollution. It is small
bits of dirt.
Diffusion tube: a small tube we use to measure
𝐍𝐎𝟐 .
Feedback
• If you are a parent or guardian, please
offer any feedback you have about this
lesson using the short 2 minute survey
below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BXSJNKZ
