How to teach Earth’s atmospheric pollution

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Everything you need to teach your 11–14 year-old learners about climate change, acid rain and smog

Atmospheric pollution is when chemical compounds in the atmosphere, usually made by human activity, have a negative impact on us and our environment. Often, burning fossil fuels produce these chemical compounds and they contribute to climate change, acid rain and smog.

A diagram showing the greenhouse effect with greenhouse gases, increased by pollution, trapping radiation from the sun as heat

Source: © Dan Bright

Burning fossil fuels produce large volumes of carbon dioxide which is the main gas that causes the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. Other gases, such as methane, also contribute to this effect

Download the resources

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Infographic poster and fact sheet

Display the poster in your classroom or on a projector. Alternatively print it and use as a handout.
- Poster as pdf
- Fact sheet as MS Word or pdf
Clearing the air: atmospheric pollution and fake news

Guide learners to critically evaluate information sources, spotting fake news and develop scientific literacy within the context of atmospheric pollution.
- Student worksheet including newspaper templates as MS Word or pdf
- Teacher notes including ideas to scaffold and challenge as MS Word or pdf
- Presentation slides as MS PowerPoint or pdf

Burning fossil fuels also produces sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which dissolve in rainwater to make it more acidic than normal. This is called acid rain

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to smog which can cause breathing problems, especially for people with asthma

The greenhouse effect has caused our climate to change. This means there have been more extreme weather events, such as tornadoes, across the world

Did you know …?

Wind and solar power are clean and renewable methods of generating electricity. Using them will reduce the volumes of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that our daily lives produce

More resources

Give learners a real data set to analyse with this resource on assessing air pollution levels for 11-14 year old learners.
Find out how sulfur dioxide pollution in the atmosphere changes the way metals corrode with this practical investigation.
Use these 5 tried-and-tested tips to teach combustion and oxidation safely and effectively at 11-14.
Demonstrate how Saba’s air quality assessments help clients worldwide to minimise their air pollution with this job profile.

Did you know …?

You can help combat atmospheric pollution by turning off appliances and lights when you’re not using them.
In some cities, buses use green hydrogen, which is produced renewably. That means the buses don’t produce carbon dioxide.
You can help reduce the burning of fossil fuels by using trains and buses or cycling, instead of travelling by car or plane.
It is possible to capture and store carbon dioxide once it has been produced, which stops the gas contributing to the greenhouse effect.