Breathe Easy, What's Air Pollution?
In partnership with South Coast Science, learn about the causes and effects of air pollution, recognise some solutions to reducing air pollution.
In partnership with South Coast Science, learn about the causes and effects of air pollution, recognise some solutions to reducing air pollution.
Explain that air quality is a measure of how clean the air is all around us. Air pollution is caused by any undesirable substance which enters the atmosphere.
Find the interactive map of London here. Ask the children if they know what the effects of air pollution can be, including on people's health.

Discuss how these sources contribute to air pollution, both in London and around the world.
Discuss the children’s commute to school and the area they live in. Are there busy roads, is their school situated next to a main road?
How could the school community reduce air pollution around the school grounds? (walking or cycling instead of driving, using public transportation). Ask the children how they can use their influence to help effect change for cleaner, safer air, such as by writing to their local council or starting a campaign.

During the challenge section, explain how the more populated an area, the more human activity. For example: cars, factories and houses!
Divide the children into groups and give each group a set of pictures of things that pollute the air.
Ask the children to find these things outside, either on the playground or on a walk around the school.
Once they have found all the items, bring the groups back together and ask them to share their findings with the class.
Are you a teacher using these resources with your classes? Contact us for more information about the monitors and how they work, as well as log-in details to see live data from monitors placed near a busy road in Brighton, UK.