Kevin+Hwang+-+Curriculum+Reviews+-+Air+Pollution

Clean Air Detective: Investigating Air Pollution http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/parentsteachers/lessons1_1.html ** W **** hat organization developed the curriculum module you are evaluating? **  This curriculum was developed by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), an American public broadcaster and television program distributer. The particular curriculum was published under the PBS Kids brand, which is the brand for the majority of PBS’s children’s programming. ** What is the mission of the organization? **  The mission of PBS is to serve “ the American public with programming and services of the highest quality, using media to educate, inspire, entertain and express the diversity of perspectives.” source: http://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/mission-statement/

** What is the educational mission and philosophy of the organization? **  The educational mission of PBS is to offer all American children educational media to help them prepare for success in school. In addition, PBS offers arts and cultural programming to help keep the arts alive today. Its philosophy is that  media can be used to “educate, inspire, entertain and express the diversity of perspectives,” and that doing so will empower individuals and strengthen “the social, democratic, and cultural health of the U.S.” source: http://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/mission-statement/

** What does the curriculum module aim to teach? In other words: what are the learning outcomes supposed to be? **

The curriculum aims to teach 1st graders to conduct a simple investigation and to use the data they collect. To this purpose, students are given an investigation to discover where in their homes have the dirtiest air using a simple procedure. In this procedure, students create imaginary creatures using paper and place them throughout their homes. They then observe how each particulate matter gathers on each of these creatures some more than others. Next, the curriculum aims to teach students that air can be clean or dirty. Finally, the students learn about sources of air pollution. After the investigation, students brainstorm together. They also track their own and their families' electricity and automobile use to see how they can reduce the emissions produced by these activities.

** Do you think the curriculum is appropriately designed to produce the intended learning outcomes? **  The curriculum is well-designed to produce the intended learning outcomes. The investigation is simple enough for 1st graders to conduct and depicts how basic data gathering can be done. Furthermore, by having students record how air quality differs in their own homes, they can more easily see how air can be clean or dirty. Through the brainstorming process after the investigation, students can be creative and come up with their own sources of pollution. Finally, tracking their own emissions allows them to see how their actions can affect air quality. ** Does this curriculum teach the kind of literacies the EcoEd Research Group advocates? **  The curriculum teaches many of the kinds of literacies that are advocated. They learn how air quality can be affected by their own actions such as electricity and automobile use. They learn how they can mitigate these actions by reducing electricity use or finding alternate methods of transportation. Furthermore, the investigative nature of this activity and the brainstorming involved teaches students to have creative info-seeking practices and helps students learn about causation and different sources of pollution. Finally, it teaches students that collaboration is important by showing how it is helpful to work with a team and share their findings with others. ** What could be layered into this curriculum so that it addresses more of the learning outcomes that the EcoEd Group advocates? **  To make the curriculum address more of the learning outcomes that the EcoEd Group advocates, more of an effort should be made to teach students about how the government works to regulate air quality. Furthermore, the curriculum could also cover how air quality can affect an individual’s health.