EHP Science Education Lesson Topics
Since 2005, EHP Science Education Program has developed more than 100 science and interdisciplinary lessons. With our newly expanded Science Education Program we are updating existing lessons, publishing new lessons on current and emerging topics, and translating selected lessons into Spanish. All updated and new lessons (in English and Spanish) and corresponding EHP articles can be downloaded free of charge here. All other existing lessons can be downloaded free of charge on the lesson archive page.
Air Lessons
The quality of air we breathe is critical for our well-being. Air pollution caused by vehicle exhaust, natural disasters, industrial emissions, atmospheric chemical reactions, and cigarette smoke affects both indoor and outdoor air quality. Exposure to air pollutants is associated with increased incidence of asthma, respiratory allergies, and airway diseases; there is growing evidence that systems besides the respiratory system also are affected. By understanding where air pollution comes from and how it acts, we can better protect our health, especially the health of children and other vulnerable subpopulations.
- Mapping the Air in Your School
- Death by Particles
- Cleaner Air and Water on the Fly
- Cross Out Secondhand Smoke
- Particles: Size Makes All the Difference
- A Table or Figure Is Worth a Thousand Words
- Investigating PAHs: Your Own Mini-Epi Study
- Using a Spoon to Clean the Air
Water Lessons
The availability and quality of water for use by humans, plants, and animals is affected by the increasing demand for water and increasing pollution of our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. Run-off from farms and paved surfaces, effluent from factories and power plants—all contribute to pollution of groundwater and surface water. This pollution makes its way to the oceans, where, added to overfishing and effects of climate change, it is altering the health of the ocean biota and marine resources. Awareness of these changes and their consequences is crucial if we are to protect this most precious natural resource.
- Streamside Schematic
- Water Alchemy
- Cleaner Air and Water on the Fly
- Consider the Source
- Debating the Control of Scarce Resources
- Robolobsters: Smelling Underwater Like a Lobster
Land Lessons
Changes in land-use patterns are impacting microenvironments across the globe. Industrial-scale agriculture typically leads to loss of biodiversity and increased use of fertilizers. Sprawling urban growth takes over lands once used for traditional agriculture and fragments wildlife habitats, affecting the biodiversity of the surrounding ecosystem. Conversion of pervious to impervious surfaces—think pavement, parking lots, and rooftops—increases how much stormwater flows into sewers and surface waters, carrying with it heavy metals, oil and grease, and pesticides. Sustainable land use practices can help resolve these environmental problems.
Climate Lessons
The changing climate is one of the most visible environmental issues of the 21st century; increases in average temperatures, climate-sensitive diseases, and extreme weather events, along with rising sea levels and declining air quality, already affect many regions. Climate change is not just a problem of the future; it is a current problem that will become more pronounced, with more noticeable effects. This is a key consideration to keep in mind as we develop a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between climate change, our environment, and our health; as we seek to alleviate the impact of climate change; and as we choose the most efficient and effective adaptation strategies.
- The Kyoto Protocol: What Should We Do?
- The Buffer Zone: Acid-base Chemistry in the World's Oceans
- Ocean Acidification
- What's All the Buzz About? Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change
- The Heat is On: Climate Change and Our Health
- Climate Change: A Human Health Perspective
Food Lessons
"We are what we eat." But what are we eating? Obesity is an important public health concern facing multiple social strata. Childhood exposure to organophosphate pesticides has been associated with increased risk for developmental disorders. There is ongoing public debate about the safety of genetically modified foods in the absence of sufficient data describing the potential health and environmental risks associated with growing and eating these foods. Foodborne illness is on the rise due to contamination during preparation of prepackaged foods. Understanding what we are putting on our plates and in our body can help us make the healthiest choices possible for the overall well-being of society.
- Is Organic Food Worth the Extra Cost?
- Is Your Community a Food Desert?
- Lettuce Explore Perchlorate in Food
- Triple Washed, Twice Shy?
Health Lessons
Interactions between genes and the environment can increase the risk of a number of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Often that risk is greater when there is synergy between two environmental factors. For instance, smoking and high cholesterol each increase the risk of heart disease, but together they increase the risk even more. Additionally, when people carry altered forms of gene(s) that are involved in the disease process, the risk is further more. The role of the environment in disease was largely ignored until recently. But not anymore! Today many more researchers are studying the role of the environment, together with genetic susceptibility, to determine the underlying causes of many human diseases.
