Mississippi Science ENV.4.4
The Standard
- ENV.4
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence of human sustainability and the environment.
Enrichment: Explore online resources related to air pollution to determine air quality in a geographic area and communicate the possible effects on the environment and human health.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Human Sustainability
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use an online map to check air quality in a chosen place. They identify the reported pollutant and explain possible effects on people and the environment.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student records the location, update time, AQI category, and reported pollutant. They explain one possible health effect and one environmental effect without treating a single reading as a long-term trend.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think a higher AQI means cleaner air or that one reading shows a long-term pattern. They may confuse ground-level ozone with the protective ozone layer.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Look up your ZIP code on AirNow. Record the AQI, pollutant, and update time, then name one possible health effect and one environmental effect.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Enter two ZIP codes on AirNow, then mark each location's AQI and reported pollutant on a printed map.
Write two sentences explaining how the pollutant on a local AirNow report could affect breathing and plants.
Give pairs three AirNow screenshots to rank by AQI, then have them check their rankings against the color key.
Check the AirNow forecast before a school track meet, then write a recommendation to the coach about holding practice outside or indoors.
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Printable ENV.4.4 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to ENV.4.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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