EXTRA CREDIT: Can you grow your own air? (Due January 19)
EXTRA CREDIT: Can you grow your own air?
Points Value: 10
Instructions:
For this assignment you will read a few paragraphs about air pollution and then watch a video about how plants are being used to reduce air pollution in buildings. Then you will answer questions on a worksheet about what you have learned.
Click HERE to open the Can you grow your own air? Assignment.
Read through the questions on the worksheet, then read the background information below.
Background Reading:
Air pollution is a problem in many parts of the world. In cities, like Los Angeles, California in the United States or New Delhi in India, oxygen levels can drop to around 15% or lower many days a year. How low is 15%? That's about a 30% reduction in available oxygen compared to sea level oxygen levels. Now, if you think of how your body uses oxygen and what your body uses oxygen for, that's not a good situation. Keep in mind, this is just considering oxygen levels and doesn't even consider the various toxins people are breathing in these cities.
Make no mistake, air pollution at these levels will wear your body down. So what can you do? Well, NASA had to face the problem of air quality when they first started dreaming of space stations and sustainable off-world colonies. After all, how do you keep air fresh in a sealed container floating in an oxygen-free environment or on a planet where oxygen levels are limited? For a possible answer, NASA turned to the source of most of the oxygen on our planet...plants. They found not only could plants boost oxygen levels, but they also could clean the air of toxic chemicals. Now this work has been applied by Kamal Meattle to solve problems right here on Earth.
How To Grow Fresh Air from Ted: http://www.ted.com/talks/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air.html
- The worksheet will open in Google Docs
- Choose File then Make a Copy (this will give you a version that you can type in)
- Complete the assignment and save the document in Google Docs as LASTNAME Assignment Name (ex. LOPEZ Grow your own air).
- When you are finished click Share in the right hand corner
- Under Who Has Access click Change
- Choose People at Mountain Heights Academy who have the link can view
- Choose from the drop down Access field: Allow anyone at Mountain Heights Academy to Edit and then click Save. (Checking this box allows your instructor to write comments on your assignment)
- Copy the Link to the document (the top field of the Sharing Settings window)
- To submit your assignment, in Moodle click Add Submission
- Paste the link to your Google Doc in the box
- Click Save Changes to submit your assignment
After you have completed this assignment, it will be marked as complete with a checkmark after it has been graded by the instructor. 