How Does Ozone Theater Work?

Air Alliance Houston will send a trained teaching artist into a classroom to lead a thirty five minute workshop with up to thirty students at a time. The teaching artist uses drama-based educational techniques to teach students about air pollution. Students get up on their feet and move around the classroom as they act out situations related to air pollution.

Two age-appropriate curricula are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) objectives in science, health, language arts, and fine arts.

Kindergarten through second grade students are introduced to the concept of air pollution, the difference between clean air and dirty air, and they act out various sources of air pollution such as a bus, a car, a plane, a factory, a gas station, etc.

Students in grades third through fifth learn the difference between good ozone and bad ozone. They are introduced to the federal government’s Air Quality Index, the scale used by the EPA to indicate the amount of pollution measured in the air at any given time and location, and they act out appropriate, safe activities for times when ozone levels are elevated.

Teachers receive an Activity Guide for their classroom that is full of reinforcement and follow-up activities including science experiments, creative projects, puzzles, games, and instructions on how to get up-to-date information on ozone levels in their area.

Qualifying schools can also earn a set of Ozone Warning Flags to display the daily ozone forecast to the community.

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