Educational Outreach

Rice Air Curriculum

The Cohan Research Group has developed inquiry-based atmospheric science lessons involving 5th grade students in measurements of air pollution and meteorology on their school campuses. The Rice Air Curriculum, funded as the educational outreach component of an NSF CAREER Award, was developed by Dr. Cohan and undergraduate Kavita Venkateswar in consultation with Lauren Topek and Markeshia Ellis of the Houston Independent School District, C. J. Thompson of the Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), and Dr. Janice Bordeaux. The curriculum includes age-appropriate ozone and meteorology measurement protocols from the GLOBE Program, along with newly developed atmospheric science lessons directly targeted to TEKS learning objectives. The curriculum was piloted at several HISD elementary schools and by other Houston area teachers trained through REMSL.

In Summer 2012, teacher Remelia Arpino worked with Dr. Cohan to adapt the stratospheric and tropospheric ozone lessons for use in high school Environmental Systems classes. 

The full original 5th grade Rice Air Curriculum, including teacher and student materials and measurement worksheets for seven lessons, can be downloaded from the Connexions digital education library. The new high school lessons for stratospheric and tropospheric ozone are available below. We encourage feedback on these lessons to Dr. Cohan at cohan@rice.edu.

Stratospheric Ozone Lesson: Teacher guide 

Stratospheric Ozone Lesson: Student worksheets 

Tropospheric Ozone Lesson: Teacher guide  

Tropospheric Ozone Lesson: Student worksheets 

Teacher Training Presentations

 Air Quality and Climate overview for teachers 

 GLOBE equipment overview  

General Public Talks

AMS air quality climate talk 

Jewish Food Summit: Food and the Environment 

Additional Links:

HISD news article about the curriculum initiative

Rice at Large article about fifth-grade outreach (see p. 6)

Blog of students using curriculum  

Introduction to Curriculum