A KWL is a teaching tool used in classrooms. Implementing a KWL involves teachers activating students' prior knowledge by asking them what they already Know about a topic; then students set goals specifying what they Want to learn about the topic; and after completing the activity or lesson, students discuss what they have Learned.

A suggested method for performing a KWL with students is to use a flipchart, so as the information is filled in, it can be kept for future reference to complete the What we Learned portion. Also, using one sheet of paper for each question is beneficial to allow room for several student suggestions.

Ask one question at a time and allow the students enough time to brainstorm responses for the What We Know section. Then proceed to the What We Want to Find Out section. Once the activity is complete and if you have the wall space, it would be desirable to hang the sheets of paper around the room to continually prompt student thinking as they move through the lessons, and also allow the students an opportunity to add more questions to the What we Want to find out column. For example:

At the end of the unit, it is important to revisit this exercise and complete the final column, What We Learned with the students. This process helps to review the topics and information discussed in the unit and to show students their progress in understanding air pollution.

Information About Outdoor Air Pollution
Driving in cars, flying in planes, engaging in recreational activities, and being exposed to air pollutants pose varying degrees of risk. Some exposure risks are simply unavoidable. Some we choose to accept because to do otherwise would restrict our ability to lead our modern lives. And some are risks we might decide to avoid if we had the opportunity to make informed choices. The AIRNow web site (http://www.epa.gov/airnow/) was created to help citizens make informed choices by accessing real time outdoor air pollution information.

Air pollution is separated into two major categories, Indoor Air Pollution and Outdoor Air Pollution. The Air Pollution: What's the Solution? curriculum addresses outdoor air pollution.

Air pollution can make you sick. It can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as trouble in breathing or asthma attacks and can lead to lung disease. Some chemicals found in polluted air can cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages.

Outdoor air pollution damages the environment. Trees, lakes and animals are being harmed by air pollution. Air pollutants have thinned the protective ozone layer above the Earth; this loss of ozone could cause changes in the environment as well as more skin cancer and cataracts (eye damage) in people.

Outdoor air pollution damages property, deposits chemicals and soot on buildings and other structures. Some common pollutants eat away stone, damage buildings, monuments and statues.

Air pollution causes haze and reduces visibility.

Air pollution is released into the environment by stationary sources such as power plants, chemical production facilities, oil refineries, manufacturing plants, printers, dry cleaners, and residential wood stoves. Mobile sources such as cars, trucks, buses, all-terrain vehicles, jet skis, boats, snowmobiles, planes, construction equipment, etc. are also responsible for producing a significant amount of air pollutants every day. The pollutants can be released directly into the air from the sources, or formed in the air by combining with other pollutants.

The emitted pollutants are in the form of solid particulate matter (PM) or gases such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. Thousands of gaseous, liquid, and solid compounds contribute to the problem.

Local air quality affects how you live and breathe. Like the weather, it can change from day to day or even hour to hour. That is why the EPA's AIRNow web site  (http://www.epa.gov/airnow/) compiles real time ground level ozone and particulate matter monitor readings from across the country. The data is displayed in an easy to understand format, the Air Quality Index, so at a glance a person can determine if the current air quality is considered healthy or unhealthy.

While reviewing the sample questions below, or crafting your own, it is important to remember that air pollution is not a single entity.

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