Colorado Reader Feb. 2020: Soil, Water, and Air Stewardship | Page 4

Air - Fresh Air
There’s no way around it – plants, animals, and humans
rely on air every moment of every day! Air is essential
to all life and it’s important we keep our air clean.
When the air is clean, we can breathe more easily and
be more active. Plants grow better and animals can
thrive when they aren’t breathing in pollutants.
Air pollution is the presence of a substance in the air
which has harmful or poisonous effects. Pollution
in the air is harmful to humans and animals, and it
can damage the environment. We can’t always see
pollution right in front of us, but have you ever noticed
a brown haze hanging in the sky? That is air pollution.
Unfortunately, we cannot get around some air pollution
because we, as humans, do a lot of things that cause
it. We drive cars, run factories, burn fossil fuels, and so
much more that can negatively affect our environment.
But there are ways each of us can minimize how
much air pollution we are responsible for!
Here are a few tips on how you and your
family can reduce air pollution:
1. Conserve energy by turning off lights,
using the furnace or A/C only when
needed and use appliances minimally.
2. Carpool, use public transportation,
walk, or bike whenever possible.
3. Make sure your parents aren’t letting
their cars idle before driving.
4. Use environmentally safe cleaning products.
5. Recycle! Plastic, glass, aluminum, and
paper goods are all easily recycled.
6. Carry around and refill a reusable water
bottle every day instead of drinking from
single-use plastic water bottles.
4 - Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom
What’s in the Air We Breathe?
In this experiment, you will learn
about pollutants in the air.
Materials:
• Wooden Block or Brick (or other heavy object)
• Clear plastic wrap (enough to cover brick)
• Duct Tape
• Petroleum Jelly
• Blank White Paper
Procedure:
1. Secure the piece of plastic to a wooden block,
brick, or other heavy object using the duct tape.
2. Coat the top of the plastic with a
smooth, thin layer of petroleum jelly.
3. Identify an outdoor location that is mostly
open with decent air circulation (on a fence
post is preferable to on the ground).
4. Let the plastic sit for at least 24
hours (avoid rainy/snowy days).
5. Bring the brick inside. Remove the plastic
and lay it on the blank white paper.
6. Examine the plastic for any particles collected.
7. Optional: Create multiple plastic/block
sensors and place them in different locations
– at home/at school, indoor/outdoor. Then
compare the particles collected by each.
Questions to answer:
1. What do you observe on the plastic? Make
a list of what you see. Be descriptive!
2. Are you surprised by the amount of
particles/pollution that were collected?
3. Where do you think these
particles are coming from?
4. How can you help improve the air quality
where you put your brick/plastic?