From
Global to City Air: Air Quality, City Design and Disease
Why is my asthma
worse today? This is a question that is increasingly asked by
students as the rates of children affected by asthma increases.
The quality of air impacts human health dramatically and in turn
humans affect air quality. The relationship between air quality
and human health is pointedly clear in this unit as students
explore the built community, buildings, highways, and industrial
parks, plus environmental and human health.
Using city
designs from across the globe students investigate the properties
of air and how a city’s physical layout and growth can
impact air quality. Throughout the unit students build their
understanding of how city development, air movement and air quality
contribute to respiratory illness. They demonstrate their grasp
of this topic via their design of a “healthy air” city
located in one of ten locations where large cities exist today.
Major
Project
Students take on the role of city planners as they design a city with health
at the top of their considerations. Using the actual physical geographical location
of major cities, they develop a scaled model of a city including the zones within
a city. Students focus on excellent air quality as a feature of a healthy city
and using their understanding of climate, weather, and air movement, design their
city accordingly.
In science class, students will discover how winds and water can carry pollutants
in predictable paths following currents, how geography affects climate, and how
microclimates can be affected by geography and human construction to prepare
them to consider these concepts in the major project. In language arts, students
work with non-fiction texts as they analyze historical journals and literary
devices to uncover values and beliefs held by the authors. Students also learn
to write formal papers to prepare them for the formal city proposal as part of
the major project. Finally, in social studies, students will learn about human
settlement, city design and how physical systems impact human systems as they
design and construct a scale model city conducive to air quality health.
Week
1
In science students will begin their study of global pollution problems by learning about air and water currents. Through social studies they will look at the cultural and economic advantages that lead to people live in cities. Language arts will support these two themes by introducing the many ways in which journal writing has been used for scientific, historical, and literary purposes. Math will help to expand on the concept of global interconnection by examining the radioactive contamination released by the Chernobyl accident.
Week
2
Students will delve into the development of atmospheric convection cells and the Coriolis Effect in science. In social studies students will analyze various aspects of Mexico City and the factors involved in human migration. Math supports this by examining how population density figures for large cities are calculated. Meanwhile in language arts students will conclude their exploration of journals by looking at how this literary form was crucial in documenting the tragic Shackleton Antarctic Expedition.
Week
3
Science will focus on what affects the world’s ocean currents. In social studies students will build upon the concepts learned in science by seeing how climate and geography influence how people live in cities. Students will identify what kind of readers they are in language arts and how to improve this skill.
Week
4
In science students will continue to explore the world’s ocean currents and how these affect the climate on land. Social studies classes will expand on this by looking at the connections between geography, climate, city functions, residents activities, and air pollution. In language arts students will examine cultural influences on the creation of and understanding of literature.
Week
5
As science classes examines how toxicants of environmental health importance are transported through the air social studies classes will look at how these affect city residents and how people try to minimize the negative aspects through laws. English classes will begin an in-depth study of literary analysis.
Week
6
Students will look at acid rain and weather patterns in science. In social studies the students will begin exploring the numerous and complex issues involved in creating a healthy city. Math will help the students understand Cartesian coordinates and the basic terms of navigation. In language arts students will apply their knowledge of literary analysis, look at the different levels of formality in speech, and learn about letter writing.
Week
7
In social studies students will begin the final project in which they apply their understanding of the effects of city design on air quality and environmental health. Meanwhile in science they will learn the differences between convection and inversion while also looking at the impact that a city’s size has on its air quality. In language arts students will learn about the components of a formal essay and begin writing one on city development.
Week
8
In both social studies and science classes students will complete their work on the final project of applying what they have learned about the effects of city design on air quality and environmental health. In language arts students will finish writing their formal essay on city development.