This video segment adapted from Playing with Poison describes how children in the Yaqui Valley, one of the largest farming areas in Mexico, have been harmed by chronic exposure to pesticides. To study the long-term health effects of agricultural pesticides, anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette tested children in the Yaqui Valley. The children showed deficits in hand-eye coordination, visual perception, and motor skills. Children in a nearby area that uses little or no pesticides did not share these problems. In North American cities, Guillette saw similar patterns with children exposed to pesticides from indoor spraying and food residue. Includes an essay and discussion questions. [4:58]

Concepts

pesticides

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Additional Tags

environmental health, pbs learningmedia, pbs learningmedia: environmental public health: the effects of pesticides on children, insecticides and pesticides

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 5 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)
• The intended use for this resource is Instructional