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
General Public Talks
Houston Renewable Energy Group: Role of Renewables in Addressing Air Quality and Climate
NASA Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (AQAST): July 2014 Update
Classroom Connect: Climate and Air Quality in Texas and Beyond
Jewish Food Summit: Food and the Environment
Civic Scientist talk to Katy Cinco Ranch High School about climate change and air quality
Climate Change Science talk to American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Climate and Air Pollution overview at University of St. Thomas, September 2015
Rice University CEE departmental seminar, "Solving the Climate Challenge," January 2018
Climate Change: Problems and Solutions, February 2019
Additional Links:
Connexions digital education library
HISD news article about the curriculum initiative
Rice at Large article about fifth-grade outreach (see p. 6)