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Topics in Environmental Health


Seminar Leader:
Marilyn Howarth

Preface:

Where we live impacts our health. In Philadelphia, air pollution causes heart attacks and asthma, our rivers are too polluted to swim in and more than 1000 children are lead-poisoned every year. By 2050, parts of Philadelphia where people now live are projected to be regularly under water due to climate change. In order to live safely and participate in the political process to improve the environmental health in communities, citizens need actionable information as part of their education. In this seminar, we explored four areas of risk to our environmental health: climate change, air quality, water quality, and lead exposure. They were presented in a sequential way so that participants can focus on one topic at a time and develop a unit of study focusing on one topic or several. We linked students to resources and experts for curriculum building and sources to bring into the classroom for demonstration and enrichment. Strategies for effective communication with City Council members, Department of Environmental Protection regulators and legislators were included.

Unit TitleAuthor

2021


What Happens After the Water Leaves the Sky?

Aisha Kittrell
Keywords: hydrologic cycle, stormwater, storm drain, run-off, the water cycle, water pollution, water quality, water filtration

The Power of Environmental Monitoring

Anna Herman
Keywords: youth environmental justice, environmental monitoring, air quality, soil health, soil contamination, environmental advocacy, environmental justice, lead, green stormwater infrastructure, water quality, urban gardening

Environmental Health in the Classroom

Kimberly Sweeney
Keywords: conservation, contamination, plastic pollution, water pollution, water cycle

Humans and the Environment: How Water Pollution and Littering Affect Health

Chelsea Maher
Keywords: engineering, environment, pollution, littering, waterways, world, urban, water, Health

Freshwater In Our World: Philadelphia’s Freshwater Supply and the Role We Each Play in its Future

Phyllis Hurwitz
Keywords: climate change, distribution of water, philadelphia middle school science, impermeable sources, hydrologic cycle, water pollution, urban watershed, water

Where Does Our Water Come From?

David White
Keywords: water filtration, water pollution, water cycle, Watershed, water