One of the goals of the Air Quality Committee's public service effort is to encourage Committee members to foster environmental awareness in their communities. One method for doing so is through teaching. To encourage our members to go into schools this Earth Day and/or Clean Air Month, the Air Quality Committee is providing a lesson plan from US EPA's Project A.I.R.E website.

The lesson plan is designed for eighth through eleventh graders, and is intended to educate them about climate change. In the exercise, the students will role-play either "scientists" or "policymakers" at a panel on climate change. Have the teacher conduct Class #1 of the exercise shortly in advance of your scheduled program. As many schools have limited resources, the teacher would probably be very grateful if you could supply her with the necessary copies of the materials. The Section member may combine Class # 2 and Class # 3 into one session (approximately one and a half hours long), if desired. The Section member serves as a moderator and gives opening remarks, introduces the scientist teams and policy makers, and provides the wrap-up of the exercise in Class #2 and Class #3.

Contact the school or teacher as early as possible to give teachers sufficient time to work the presentation into the lesson plan. Consider contacting schools in disadvantaged communities rather than just the schools in your neighborhood. Invite your colleagues to participate! And above all…..have fun!