AQI and COVID-19

Instructions

Goal: Educate the public about air quality and AQI and the health effects for the population.

Role: Either a ecological fieldwork scientists OR a news journalist .

Audience: General public. Young and old.

Situation: You have noticed significant environmental changes occurring since the beginning of the quarantine period of COVID-19.

Product/Performance: Scrapbook/Science Fieldwork Journal, Newspaper Report, a News Report Broadcast, vlog video or blog entry, or a poster.

Goal more detailed: Compare pictures of air quality & data before the quarantine period and during the quarantine period and discuss the impact of less people on the roads and less people in factories on air quality. Using the drastic, easily observable changes in air quality in a short period of time prove the human source of air pollution and that it is possible to take action. Explain what air quality is and how it is affecting the health of the people - and how good it is now that it improved. This should motivate the general public to take action for better air quality after moving “back to normal” to improve the general health.

What needs to be included in my report?

Explain how energy flows and matter cycles throughout an ecosystem. Include as much key scientific language as possible.
Describe with the use of a model how Carbon Cycles through the ecosystem
Explain how human activities can impact/influence the carbon cycle.
Ecological Investigation: Conduct research and look for picture based evidence AND/OR quantitative data on air quality before the quarantine period and during the quarantine period.
- Evidence is needed from at least three named locations throughout the world.
  - What differences do you notice? What may have caused these differences?
  - What is the difference between air quality and carbon emissions? How are they similar?
- Research and summarize at least two noticeable environmental changes/case studies that have occured around the world (ex. Venice, Italy’s canal’s are clearing) that are not related to air quality.
Discuss the impact of less people on the roads and less people in factories

Works Cited in MLA format. Pictures/data/ and quotes have in text citations

Link to the rubric, progress documentation sheet

Format Options - Draft examples of your product

You have a lot of options for your work or performance. Just pick one:

a blog article
create a large poster (like A0 - analog or digital)
record a vlog about this topic
create a brochure (paper or digital)
write a scientific paper like you would find it in nature or science
presentation (powerpoint or google slides) with voiceover - including camera picture of you with loom?
animation video that explains the topic and reflects the rubric

Our student Phineas Flynn created some example draft documents for each type to give you an idea hot this might look like:

Youtube video vlog

Beatrice Prior

Article for a science journal

Teresa Agnes

Information brochure - digital

Sheldon Cooper

Information brochure - analog

Amber Smith

A0 poster for school/public space

Peter Parker

Blog entry

Selena Gomez

Criterion D strands

The student is able to:

i. explain the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue,

ii. discuss and evaluate the implications of using science and its application to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor,

iii. consistently apply scientific language to communicate understanding clearly and precisely,

iv. document sources completely.

I have…

i. explained in great detail how energy flows and how matter cycles through an ecosystem using 1 or 2 examples and models/diagrams to demonstrate my understanding. I have explained how Carbon cycles through an ecosystem & explained the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle.

ii. Discussed how AQI is a tool to measure air quality. Provided evidence (picture based & numerical data) & analyzed on how human activities may have influenced changes in air quality before and during the quarantine period. Explained the implications of reduced human activity on other environmental examples using two cited examples.

iii. Used appropriate terminology consistently & correctly in 100% of the presentation to communicate understanding clearly & precisely

iv. All research and images are cited correctly using MLA8 Formatting. Appropriate & reliable sources are used. Paraphrases, quotes, or referenced data have in text citations present.

Examples from Phineas Flynn

Our student Phineas created two documents to plan his work:

Background study with source materials, reports, videos, scientific publications, news articles, works cited
Material collection with script, images to use and concept drawings

Using these documents he created these sample draft works: