EHP Science Education Program

Lesson PlanThe EHP Science Education Program offers high-quality science and interdisciplinary lessons based on selected news and research articles published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the leading environmental health science journal. Lessons advance critical basic skills through the context of engaging, current environmental health topics.

Lessons are aligned with National Science Education Standards in biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, and physical science, and are targeted at students in high school and undergraduate college. All lessons and corresponding articles can be downloaded here FREE.

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January 2009 — How Do You Spend Your Time?

Students read an article about how youth spend less time outdoors than in years past, which reduces their exposure to nature and may also reduce their interest in the natural sciences. Students then participate in a survey to assess how much time members of the class spend outdoors and use sampling principles to develop a sampling plan to conduct the survey on a larger scale.

Objectives: By the end of this lesson students should be able to

  1. describe survey research methodology
  2. develop a sampling protocol
  3. analyze data using descriptive statistics
  4. graph data

EHP Article:
Wild Child: Guiding the Young Back to Nature
Environ Health Perspect 116:A436?A439 (2008)
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/116-10/spheres.html


January 2009 — The Power of Cell Phones

Students conduct an experiment to measure the electromagnetic emissions on various cell phones and make recommendations for reducing exposure using the inverse-square law.

Objectives: By the end of this lesson students should be able to

  1. collect data on electromagnetic emissions from various cell phones
  2. identify the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that cell phones use
  3. mathematically express the relationship between power and energy
  4. mathematically express the inverse-square law for electromagnetic radiation
  5. apply the inverse-square law when making a recommendation for reducing exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones

EHP Article:
Strong Signal for Cell Phone Effects
Environ Health Perspect 116:A422 (2008)
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2008/116-10/forum.html#stro

Previous Lessons:

December 2008 — All Eyes on Chemical Safety Testing
December 2008 — Which Graph Is Best?
November 2008 — Thinking Outside the Box to Estimate Community Drug Use
November 2008 — Is Your Community a Food Desert?
October 2008 — Traffic Congestion Charging: Will It Improve Air Quality?
October 2008 — The Buffer Zone: Acid-Base Chemistry in the World's Oceans
September 2008 Thematic Lesson — Traveling Pathogens: From Farm Fields to Groundwater
September 2008 Thematic Lesson — Will I Get Sick? Modeling Microbial Exposure with Math