Our Future with Clean Air

Years: All, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Duration: 60mins

Subjects: Art, Cross Curricular, D&T, English, PSHE, Science

60 minute to 240 minute lesson plans, which can be completed as individual lessons or a series of lessons.

While the effects of poor air quality are felt worldwide, the sources are usually local. Every day, air pollution and carbon emissions are produced by our commutes to work, by heating our homes, or through our daily lifestyles. Understanding how we live – and the restrictions we face in those choices – is key to improving air quality. Solutions at a local level can make a big difference.  Through scientific investigation, discussion and a variety of writing activities, we can empower our pupils to create local change in their own lives, those of family and friends, school life and local communities.

Engaging young people on these issues is critical – they are future voters! Many young people want to be heard and it is the responsibility of educators to give them a platform to voice their opinion.  The resources contained within this pack are the result of the collective effort of partner organisations across Europe, and the many young people who tried and tested them.

These resources aim to empower young people to lead the way towards a clean air and zero carbon future!

Curriculum Objectives

  • Year 3 and 4 (Age 7-9)
    • Discuss and record ideas.
    • Discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination.
    • Draw and justify inferences with evidence.
  • Year 5 and 6 (Age 9-11)
    • Ask questions to improve their understanding.
    • Assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.
    • Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, considering the impact on the reader.
    • Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion.
    • Draw inferences and justify them with evidence.
    • Identify the audience for and purpose of writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models.
    • Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
    • Perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume, and movement so that meaning is clear.
    • Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.
    • Propose changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to enhance effects and clarify meaning.
    • Provide reasoned justifications for their views.
    • Punctuate bullet points consistently.
    • Select appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning.

 

  • Age 7-11)https://www.sustainablelearning.com/resource/our-future-clean-air?destination=teaching-resources
        • Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments
        • Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
        • Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
        • Take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
        • Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests
    • Year 3 (Age 7-8)
      • Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them
      • Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
      • Make systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers
      • Report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
      • Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
      • Use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions
      • Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings

  • Year 3 (Age 7-8)
    • Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
  • Year 4 (Age 8-9)
    • Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
    • Recognize that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things.