Air Quality - Lesson 5: How Can We Tell What the Quality of the Air Is Today?
Air Explorer
This is a collection of web-based visualization tools that use daily air quality data from EPA. The tools generate
maps, graphs, and data tables dynamically. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/airexplorer
Air & Waste Management Association
A&WMA has a variety of resources for educators including the Air Quality Environmental Resource Guides
and fact sheets. The Understanding Air Quality Slide Show Presentation simplifies the communication of
air quality issues. The slide show script was reviewed by many people to ensure unbiased and technically
accurate information. The Understanding Air Quality—Outreach Kit CD-ROM contains the slide show
as well as EPA and North Carolina State’s video, Ozone: Double Trouble. Air & Waste Management
Association. Website: http://www.awma.org
Air Pollution: What’s the Solution?
This is an educational project for students, grades 6 - 12, that utilizes online real-time data to guide student
discovery of the science behind the causes and effects of ground-level ozone in the context of an authentic
real world problem. The project contains applications of the Internet by having students access real time
atmospheric data, weather data and other sources. United States Environmental Protection Agency and
partners. Air Pollution: What’s The Solution. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.k12science.org/
curriculum/airproj/index.html
Air Quality Forecast Guidance for Michigan
For information about ozone throughout the year, the National Weather Service has a forecast guidance
map with 1-hour and 8-hour ozone concentrations updated twice daily. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s National Weather Service. Air Quality Forecast Guidance-Michigan. Retrieved
June 4, 2011, from http://www.nws.noaa.gov/aq/sectors/michigan.php
Air Quality Index for Kids – Teacher Materials
The U.S. EPA AIRNow site has a wealth of AQI materials including handouts, games, and posters.
Check out the School Flag program and the AQI Toolkit for Teachers. United States Environmental
Protection Agency. (2011) AIRNow. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.airnow.gov/
Haze
Regional haze is a problem in some areas. Students can follow haze patterns and correlate the AQI
to weather patterns by looking at Internet sites that show:
• Real time visibility and air pollution information
CAMNET. Realtime Air Pollution and Visibility Monitoring. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from
http://www.hazecam.net/
• National Parks
National Park Service. Nature and Science. National Parks Service Web Cameras Overview.
Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/index.cfm
• Air quality web cams
AIRNow. Visibility Cameras. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/airnow/
• Web cams around the nation University of Michigan Weather. Weather Cams. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from
http://weather.engin.umich.edu/wxnet/wxcam.php
How Ozone is Formed
This animation from EPA shows how ozone is made from VOCs and NOx. United States
Environmental Protection Agency. Air Info Now. How Do You Make Ozone? Retrieved June 4, 2011, from
http://www.airinfonow.org/html/makingozone/o3play.htm
Norwich Air Quality Curriculum Pilot Project
This curriculum is designed to incrementally lead students, grades 6–8, through Internet-based and handson
learning experiments to discover not only the science behind air quality, but also the health implications
related to poor air quality exposure. The Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE).
(2003). Is Your Bus Exhausting? Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/norwich/
index.shtml
Ozone: A Sourcebook
This book is part of the GLOBE-NET Project, which is a partnership of science teachers and research
scientists working on air quality issues. The Project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation;
teachers helped to write the lessons in the book. Anderson, Norman. (1996). Ozone: A Sourcebook
for Teaching About Ozone in the Troposphere and Stratosphere. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel web site has pollen and mold counts. Students can study the relationship
between weather and elevated counts. Local weather data and air quality information are available.
Note: this site has advertisements. The Weather Channel. Pollen Count Indexes. Retrieved July 9, 2018,
from https://weather.com/forecast/allergy/l/USDC0001:1:US
Weather Underground
Type in a city name or zip code for local conditions and weather history. Air quality and UV maps may
be found at this site. It is a commercial site so there are advertisements. A nominal yearly membership
will provide access to an ad-free site. Weather Underground. Current Maps. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from
http://www.wunderground.com/
Western Michigan Ozone Study
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required that the U.S. EPA conduct a demonstration project to address
the effect of transported ozone and ozone precursors in Southwestern Michigan. This report reviews
the scope of the ozone problem in Southwestern Michigan and what it will take to meet federal air quality
standards. There are full color maps of ozone episodes. Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium. (2009).
Western Michigan Ozone Study. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.ladco.org/reports/ozone/post08/
western_michigan_report_final.pdf