Pollution in Mexico City

Air Quality Teaching Box

Air pollution takes many forms - from particles of soot large enough to see, to individual molecules of ozone and nitrogen oxides. Air quality measurements let people know when the amounts of pollutants pose a health risk. This teaching box is filled with educational resources that help students explore the science of, and solutions to, air pollution.

Teaching Boxes are themed collections of classroom-ready educational resources to build student understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Resources highlighted within teaching boxes are from various science education programs and all have been vetted by the education team at the UCAR Center for Science Education.

  • Topic: Air Quality
  • Level: Middle and high school
  • The  Air Quality Teaching Box is made possible with generous support from NASA DISCOVER-AQ and UCAR.
Air Pollution: How We're Changing the Air

Introduction to Air Quality

Students learn about the sources and impacts of major types of air pollution.

Brown dots scattered across the surface of three green leaves of a potato plant.

Ozone

Students learn about the sources and impacts of tropospheric ozone.

A large aerosol particle (100 microns), a typical cloud droplet (20 microns), a small aerosol particle (1 micron) and a typical raindrop (2 millimeters)

Particulate Matter

Students learn about the sources and impacts of particulate matter (PM) or aerosols in relation air quality and human impacts.

Heavy traffic in Mexico City causes air pollution.

Case Study: Colorado Ozone July 29, 2014

Students learn that ozone varies through the hours of the day and over geographic area depending on the amount of pollution, sunlight, topography, and weather.