Teachers

“A Breath of Fresh Air” Teacher Workshop a Success!

Have you ever poured air? Or learned how to sock the tailpipe of a car? How about lifted a table with someone sitting using your breath? Teachers from Durham, Franklin, Chatham and Orange counties all have!

On December 16, 2011, educators gathered at the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (NC DENR) new Green Square complex in Raleigh to participate in “A Breath of Fresh Air,” a free workshop offered to teachers within the 13-county Research Triangle Region. Workshop participants, each of whom earned 1.0 CEU, learned about air quality and got to try out, first-hand, educational activities to take back to their classrooms. These fun, engaging activities were drawn from The Adventures of Clair and CAM, Triangle Air Awareness’ air quality education curriculum for grades K-5, that is available free to schools within the region. Clair, the Clean Air Explorer, and CAM, the Clean Air Maniac, Triangle Air Awareness’ mascots and the curriculum’s namesakes, even made an appearance at the workshop!

Following a welcome from the NC Division of Air Quality’s Deputy Director, Mike Abraczinskas, Pam Wall, VP for Product Development for Research Triangle Regional Partnership and creator of Clair and CAM, gave a brief history of the Triangle Air Awareness program and the development of its mascots and curriculum. Dr. Denis DuBay, Ph.D., of thisviewofearth.com, explained ground-level ozone, including how it’s formed, its effects on our health and how we can take action to prevent it. Over lunch, Dr. Larry Hemmings, MD, talked about asthma and the role air pollution plays in its development and worsening of symptoms. Participants also got to hear about NC DENR’s Environmental Education Certification program, as well as the opportunities for learning offered by the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation.

Here’s what some of the participants had to say about the workshop:

“I enjoyed the workshop/training very much-thank you for the opportunity to participate and gain a much more informed perspective on the quality of the air we breathe!”
-4^th grade teacher, Durham Public Schools

“Thanks for the great presentation. I am looking forward to using the information in my classroom.”
-K-5 Science Teacher, Durham Public Schools

Look for future teacher workshops offered by Triangle Air Awareness, and expand your toolkit of air quality education activities for your students!

Clair and CAM appear at Hunter Elementary School!

Clair, the Clean Air Explorer, and CAM, the Clean Air Maniac, performed June 8, 2011, for Hunter Elementary School’s second grade in Raleigh. Clair and CAM taught 120 students what the Air Quality Index’s color code means and what level of activity is OK for each color. The students listened to The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up and found out about the health effects and sources of bad air and what they can do to pollute less.

In thank you notes to CAM, students told him what they learned from his appearance with Clair. Keep reading to find out what those lessons were!

“Dear Clean Air Maniac, Thank you for teaching me about air, like unhealthy moderate good. And turn your car off waiting for something. Walk or ride your bike.”

“To, CAM, I loved learning about air. It was so fun. CAM, thanks for coming to hunter. Green is good. Hope you could come back. Thank you for bringing your friends. I know why you have to stay [in] on red days. You can’t hold your breath! It’s OK to use the bus. Don’t use the car that much. See you later. Recycle your trash. Go green!”

The Adventures of Clair and CAM DVD

The Adventures of Clair and CAM

DVD

Now Available.

Looking for a great, easy lesson for your classroom to introduce important, environmental messages to your students? Look no further. The Triangle Air Awareness Program has completed an interactive, educational DVD designed for 3rd and 4th Grade classrooms. Contact us today to get your free copy and try it out in your classroom.

Call 919-715-7647 or email us at info@triangleairawareness.org to learn more. Stay tuned for free video Streaming of the video as well.

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Follow all the latest news and headlines about air quality while you poke your friends all day long!

Triangle Air Awareness on Facebook

Clair and CAM PSA

Clean Air Clues are all around … look what Clair and CAM have found!

Clair, the Clean Air Explorer and CAM, the Clean Air Maniac are helping people just like you learn how to keep our air clean and healthy. Check out this Public Service Announcement now planning on local WRAL Television in North Carolina (Triangle Region). To learn more about Clair and CAM, or how you can become a Clean Air Explorer or Maniac, call 919-733-1805, or email info@triangleairawareness.org.

Clair and CAM PSA Commercial

FREE BOOKS for Teachers!!!

“The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up”

Cover of the book The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up

EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program has partnered with Scholastic to write, illustrate, and publish a new book in the popular “Magic School Bus” children’s series. In this acclaimed educational series of books and videos for children from kindergarten through fourth grade, a teacher named Ms. Frizzle takes her class on several science-oriented field trips, riding in their magical school bus.

In “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up,” the children and Ms. Frizzle explore the pollution emitted from their own diesel school bus and learn about how to reduce the emissions as they find themselves traveling through a diesel engine. The children learn about idle reduction and ways the community can help reduce the health risks from diesel exhaust. At the end of the book, the “Magic School Bus” gets its own pollution control device, a diesel particulate-matter filter.

Released on October 18th, 2007, this special-edition book is intended to be used by libraries, schools, state and local air programs, non-profit education and outreach campaigns, and for other targeted opportunities to increase awareness of the importance of reducing diesel emissions.

The books are free and can be ordered directly from EPA at http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/.

Quantities are limited due to the popularity of the book. Individuals, schools, and libraries may order up to 20 copies. Non-profit organizations working on diesel emissions issues and outreach may order up to 500. Other organizations, including for-profit companies, may order up to 100. Larger requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Real Magic School Bus Gets a Retrofit

Based on the magical yellow school bus of the “Magic School Bus” children’s series, Scholastic operates a traveling science laboratory housed in a yellow school bus. The bus tours the United States, offering hands-on science lessons to children at schools, fairs, and other community events.

Similar to the story line in “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up,” this traveling bus was retrofitted with a diesel particulate filter. With the filter on the engine exhaust system, particulate matter will be reduced by up to 90%.

The physical representation of the Magic School Bus that visits events.

Photograph of the diesel particulate filter installed on the Magic School Bus

IN THE RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGION, contact the Triangle Air Awareness Program Coordinator to get your free copies.

919-715-7647.

NOT JUST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY … HEALTHY ACTIVITY!

What color is your air today? It’s important to ” Know the Code ” so you know what’s in the air you breathe and when it’s safe to be outside. Learn how to sign up to get Air Quality forecasts sent right to your Inbox! Forecasts help you protect yourself and your family by letting you know if its safe to be outside and what’s in the air you are breathing that day!

http://www.enviroflash.info/

Teaching tools

This section is designed to provide you with all the resources you’ll need to present clean air issues to all age groups – from kindergarten to high school. Browse our links to find government and corporate sources of environmental information, streaming video, and web cams, and lesson plans from other teachers.

Links for teachers…

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Project AIRE

This site contains dozens of warm-up exercises, activities, and reading materials formatted as PDF files. Adaptable for all grade levels.

www.epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/aire.html

EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Education and Outreach Group

Timely and accurate information delivered via satellite conferencing allowing participants to interact with the nation’s leading authorities on air pollution control findings. Over 100 governmental and university broadcast affiliates located across the United States are listed where seminars are available.

www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/eog/

Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act

Tired of interpreting legalese for your students? This collection of pages explains what the clean air act really means.

www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaain.html

History of the Clean Air Act

Ever wondered why the Clean Air Act was created in the first place? Do you need to know the history of the Clean Air Act for a school project? This site is the place to find out.

http://www.cleanairprogress.org/classroom/cleanairact.asp

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission

A good resource containing dozens of specific lesson plans for students in grades K through 12 on topics including air quality, pollution control, acid rain, and ozone concerns.

www.tceq.state.tx.us/nav/resources/env_resources.html

EPA Environmental Education Center

A valuable resource for teachers covering curriculum ideas and activities, community service projects, workshops and conferences, plus much, much more.

epa.gov/teachers/

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

A list of agencies, institutions, and organizations offering environmental education packages. While aimed at Virginia, the information lists materials of use to educators in any state.

www.deq.virginia.gov/education/

Air Pollution: What’s the Solution?

An educational project for students, grades 6 – 12, that uses online real time data to guide student discovery of the science behind the causes and effects of ground level ozone.

www.k12science.org/curriculum/airproj/

EPA Student Center

Aimed at junior and senior high school students, this site offers a multitude of ideas, resources, and games, even help for homework.

epa.gov/students/

Clean Coal Technology

America’s electric power industry is implementing clean coal technology to reduce emissions and meet the nation’s growing demand for affordable electricity.

www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/cleancoal/

The Know Zone

The Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Teachers’ KnowZone is the place to find information and teaching materials on air quality and environmental issues.

www.arb.ca.gov/knowzne/teachers/teachers.htm

Spare the Air

A wide variety of information related to cleaner air from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.

www.sparetheair.org/

American Lung Association

Loads of information about air quality and lung disease, including indoor air quality.

www.lungusa.org

Teachers’ Tools & Workshops

EPA Annual Air Quality Workshops for Educators

USEPA has a lot of air quality, health and teacher sites. USEPA in RTP has annual (usually in July) air quality workshops for teachers. Participants receive 1 CEU and Criteria 1 credit towards Office of Environmental Education certification.

www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/teachert.html

Review Lesson plans

Look at what other teachers have done for their students.

www.cleanairprogress.org/classroom/review_lessons.asp

Submit Lesson Plans

Share your expertise with your colleagues.

www.cleanairprogress.org/classroom/submit_lessons.asp

Anti-Idling information for School Buses

Unnecessary school bus idling pollutes the air, wastes fuel, and causes excess engine wear. Fortunately, it’s easy to implement practices that reduce school bus idling.

www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/antiidling.htm

Order Educational Materials for the Classroom

The following materials are available for local teachers and educators. Feel free to display air awareness posters around school and in faculty areas. Be sure to order a copy of the Ozone Education Video which has segments aimed at all age groups.

Fun, games and more

Hi Kids! Did you know that breathing clean air keeps us healthy?

On this page, you can learn about things that cause air pollution and what you can do to keep the air clean. Plus, there are lots of of fun games, puzzles and coloring books that you can download!

Natural Resources Management for Kids

Thanks to Ms. Hernandez’s class at a Valley Charter School in Northern California for telling us about this site! Follow the link above, and scroll down the page to find informative links about air quality. Answer the “Have You Ever” questions from Maryland’s Department of the Environment to discover what things you’re already doing to help the environment.