In this curriculum unit I will be discussing three environmental problems, all relating to our atmosphere and the air we breath. Although this unit can be taught at any time during 8th grade Earth Science, it is particularly appropriate right after the required curriculum unit on the atmosphere.
The unit will use a variety of teaching techniques and emphasis is placed on hands-on experiences. How Connecticut and New Haven are affected by these three problems (ozone, global warming and acid rain) will be emphasized. Also, the realities and myths of each problem will be discussed. Furthermore, an appendix of data supporting each problem will be included. This enables the unit to be adaptable to different student abilities and also provides practice in a critical area of science and math-interpretation of data.