Classroom-ready resources support learning about air quality and air quality monitoring in Metro Vancouver.
Overview
Air contaminants impact our health, contribute to climate change, and affect the visual quality of our air. While we enjoy relatively good air quality in the Metro Vancouver region, data shows there is room for improvement. Metro Vancouver develops and implements plans, policies, regulations, and projects that improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Metro Vancouver's
Clean Air Plan (2021) is the regional plan for managing air quality and greenhouse gases over the next 10 years. These plans and policies are supported by comprehensive monitoring of a range of air contaminants and tracking of emissions in the lower Fraser Valley airshed, and consider health and visual air quality. Our air is sampled every second by scientific instruments at air quality stations close to where people live, work, and play.
Curriculum connections
Air quality can be explored through the big ideas and core content at various grades in the B.C. K-12 curriculum, from simpler explorations at the Elementary level to more complex inquiries during the Secondary years.
Inquiry spark activities
These flexible activities aim to spark curiosity, develop competencies and promote inquiry.
Pie in the sky: what impacts air quality in our region?
While generally good, our region’s air quality is impacted by activities and events, both local and beyond our region. This Inquiry Spark Activity explores the sources of emissions from human activities that impact air quality in our region and supports learners to consider their experiences, choices and actions to care for the air we breathe.
How does air quality monitoring help us care for the air?This Inquiry Spark Activity explores how and why air quality across Metro Vancouver is monitored to support our health, reduce climate change-causing emissions and help ensure we breathe cleaner air every day.
Activity ideas
These brief activity ideas can be adapted into more fulsome activities to guide learner inquiry.
Learn more
Where can you go to learn more about air quality in Metro Vancouver?