Clearing the Air

Air, air, everywhere, but what's in it, and what makes Earth's air so unique and special? Journey through the layers above us to uncover our atmosphere's composition and how it works to make life possible below. Pupils conduct research...

This lesson plan certainly will not be a drag! Little engineers design parachutes that make use of air resistance and, as a result, slow the descent of the payload as much as possible. It is an opportunity to teach about many motion...

Learners learn to recognize air as an actual substance and come to understand that clean air is important and why. They become aware of adverse effects that air pollution can cause and examine how simple steps can be used to keep our air...

In class, your emerging environmentalists construct dust catchers. They take them home for a week or two, and then bring them back into class to examine under a magnifier. From this activity, they learn what makes up dust and that...

If floating were easy, everyone would do it! How does the Coanda Effect work? A video from a fascinating physics playlist shows how balanced upward and downward forces float a ping pong ball in a stream of air.

Take a deep breath before watching this video from PBS Digital Studios that models for viewers how humans are connected through the air we share. The video explores how small the earth's atmosphere is compared to the rest of Earth.

Students participate in many activities examining air quality. They examine the purpose of a greenhouse and make predictions. They also collect data and make graphs and charts.

Students examine the causes and effects of air pollution, as well as ways in which various industries and government organizations are aiming to control it. They research the topic on the Internet and create posters based on their research.

Learners are introduced to the concept of specific heat. In groups, they are given a set of data showing the temperatures of air and soil samples in which they calculate the ranges of the data. They identify whether the air or soil...

Students discover how clouds form and how air pressure and air temperature affect their formation. The lesson is delivered in the story of Mike Breezy, Air Detective, who tries to solve The Cloud Case.