Skip to main content

Kellogg Schools Teacher Workshop

Kellogg, Idaho, 2019 Teacher's Air Quality Workshop


On August 29, 11 Kellogg School District teachers and administrators attended the West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program Teacher's Workshop. Dan Smith from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality told teachers about the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Targeted Air Shed Grant that supports the West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program. Dr. Tony Ward, University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences department chair, provided a history and overview of the West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program. Brett Taylor, education coordinator for the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences , reviewed  air quality curriculum activities and demonstrated the use of available PM2.5 air quality monitors.

Brett Taylor demonstrates PM2.5 monitors.
The workshop concluded with a strategic planning session emphasizing increased student participation in the student research component of the West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program. Teachers discussed strategies for incorporating student air quality research into their curriculums and initiated plans where high school students would be available to mentor elementary and middle school students through their research projects. Teachers also discussed developing specific projects their students could work on in collaboration with their peers from New Zealand. They thought the I Wonder About Air Quality web site, https://sites.google.com/view/arrowtown-wonders-about-air/home, developed by Ayushi Kachhara from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, would provide an excellent communication platform for Idaho and New Zealand students. The Second Annual West Silver Valley Air Quality Symposium, where students can present their air quality research findings, will be held on May 20, 2020.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Culminating Air Quality Activities in Kellogg Schools

Students in the Kellogg School District finished the school year by participating in the West Silver Valley Air Quality Coloring Contest and the Kellogg High School Air Quality Symposium. Results from the West Silver Valley Coloring Contest The coloring contest was opened to Kellogg students in grades K-3. Approximately 60 students submitted entries. Entries were evaluated on coloring skill, creativity, overall artistic ability, and quality of writing as demonstrated by the response to the prompt,  “How can I help keep the air clean in the West Silver Valley?”  The contest was sponsored by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences. Special thanks to Sharon Waldo for creating the coloring contest art work and to the folks at Mountain Colors Yarn in Corvallis, MT who agreed to take on the difficult task of judging the entries. Winners from Canyon Elementary School: Left to ri...
Post a Comment
Read more
West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program is Underway for 2019-20 Brett Taylor talking with students at Canyon Elementary School Brett Taylor, the Education Coordinator for the West Silver Valley Environmental Education Program, introduced the program to Kellogg students. During the Fall, Taylor visited 13 classrooms and presented to nearly 300 students. The presentation included an overview of the program, the significance of particulate air quality issues in the West Silver Valley, and a discussion about  air quality research and possible research project ideas.  Wynd Air Quality Tracker New Air Quality Monitors to be Used in the West Silver Valley The Wynd Air Quality Tracker will be added to the arsenal of particulate air quality monitors available to students for their air quality research projects. The Wynds are compact, about half the size of a standard deck of cards, accurate, and they work in conjunction with a cell phone app. The Wynd ...
Post a Comment
Read more