University of Miami Coral Gables

University of Miami - Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Atmospheric and Marine-Based Interdisciplinary Environmental Health Training (AMBIENT)

Lora Fleming, MD, PhD.
lfleming@med.miami.edu
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/

Grades Levels: 9-12
Subjects Addressed: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History

Project Description

The AMBIENT Project is a systemic approach to environmental health science education. Focused around the four environmental themes of air, water, soil and food, a health-science problem-based learning approach is delivered by trained educators to the ethnically diverse population of high school students in Miami-Dade County. Ethnic diversity is extensive, with a population that is 52% Hispanic, 34% African American, and 13% White. As with any community of this complexity, there are significant environmental health issues of concern to the community and government. The teachers work together to enhance understanding of environmental and ethical issues through a hands-on summer workshop with research scientists from the University of Miami, Florida International University, and County Department of Health. The AMBIENT curriculum modules are comprised of a number of segments. Some of these segments can be taught independently and others are meant to be used together in a certain order. All modules begin with a Teacher’s Guide which contains the basic factual information necessary to knowledgeably lead class discussions and guide students' research efforts.

The Air Contamination Module has a core scenario comprised of several exercises that develop the concept of the class as an Environmental Consulting Firm hired by their school district. Their tasks are to present information on asthma and other respiratory ailments, investigate the prevalence of these problems within the community and their school, and to design an appropriate intervention in response to their findings. The Water Contamination Module focuses on an actual sewage spill and the potential impact to beach water quality after the spill. Various TV News reports of the actual sewer pipe break incident, resulting in microbial pollution of recreational waters, are used to introduce this module. Students generate questions, develop a research plan, read critically, and learn to organize research material as part of the scenario exercise. The Soil Contamination Module begins with a local news story on lead contamination and lead poisoning prevalent in inner city neighborhoods. This is the core of the unit and is comprised of several exercises that develop the story of three toddlers diagnosed with lead poisoning. When doing the whole case study, students are split into three groups (one for each toddler) and each group creates a "dossier" on their case with the exercises and research material they have gathered. The Food Contamination/Nutrition Module involves a cruise ship banquet as an opening scenario. The module begins with a video containing actual news clips of foodborne illness outbreaks on cruise ships in Miami. Students role-play as members of a Public Health Consultant Team on call to the cruise line company to deal with an outbreak of food poisoning on a cruise ship. The students provide advice and expertise on how to isolate the problem and prevent it from happening again. The students report their entire discovery process and recommendations to the Cruise Line board. The Ethics Module is designed to extend and enhance the other four content modules in the AMBIENT curriculum. The activities can also be used alone in Science, Social Studies, Law, or English classes to develop critical thinking, discourse, and presentation skills and strategies

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Project Highlights

State Approval
In 2006, the Florida Department of Education (DOE) reinstated Environmental Education Curriculum Support for the state. The AMBIENT Project has recently been approved by the Florida DOE and is in the process of being added to their Environmental Education Programs and Publications Website.

Student Impacts
Since the beginning of the project in 2000, more than 40,000 South Florida high school students and 3,000 South Florida middle school students have been exposed to the AMBIENT curriculum. Using a variety of evaluation methods, the project team has observed the following trends:

• Emerging results from analyses of the data show the positive impact on students exposed to AMBIENT activities (in the classroom, in field competitions, and summer programs)
• Students were engaged and learned about key environmental health and environmental justice issues as a result of the interactions with environmental health scientists and educators
• Content tests indicate knowledge gains with results including lower achieving students
• Students at all levels made significant gains in their knowledge of how environmental health issues are decided (ethics)

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Project Materials

Elementary School (K-4)
Keyword	Description	Project	Grade Level
Water Contamination	Water Module - Create a Microbe (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students construct models of microorganisms recognizing size relationships - comparing the size of viruses with the sizes of bacterial cells. Keywords: Recreational Water Contamination - Microbes Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Lead	Soil Module - Lead Detection(http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students learn one method for the detection of lead. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Food Contamination	Food Module - Viewing Bacteria (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students compare harmful and helpful bacterial cells and observe the structures within the bacterial cells. Keywords: Food Contamination and Nutrition Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Air Contamination	Air Module - Particulate Observation (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students collect, observe and identify common substances in samples of dust taken from students' homes and/or daily environment. Keywords: Air Contamination - Respiratory Problems Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science	AMBIENT	K-8

Middle School (5-8)
Keyword	Description	Project	Grade Level
Water Contamination	Water Module - Create a Microbe (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students construct models of microorganisms recognizing size relationships - comparing the size of viruses with the sizes of bacterial cells. Keywords: Recreational Water Contamination - Microbes Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Lead	Soil Module - Lead Detection (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students learn one method for the detection of lead. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Food Contamination	Food Module - Viewing Bacteria (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students compare harmful and helpful bacterial cells and observe the structures within the bacterial cells. Keywords: Food Contamination and Nutrition Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science	AMBIENT	K-8
Air Contamination	Air Module - Particulate Observation (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacherr/Tresc.html) Students collect, observe and identify common substances in samples of dust taken from students' homes and/or daily environment. Keywords: Air Contamination - Respiratory Problems Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science	AMBIENT	K-8

High School (9-12)
Keyword	Description	Project	Grade Level
Environmental Justice Issues	ENVIROTHON - Cultural Landscapes / Env. Justice (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/envirothon/envirothon#2005) ENVIROTHON Competition - Environmental Heatlh Station with a reading packet provided to students so that they will be prepared to answer competition questions on topics related to environmental health. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science, Social studies, History, Civics, Economics	AMBIENT	9-12
Water Contamination	ENVIROTHON - Water in a Changing Climate (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/envirothon/envirothon#2006) ENVIROTHON Competition - Environmental Heatlh Station with a reading packet provided to students so that they will be prepared to answer competition questions on topics related to environmental health. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies	AMBIENT	9-12
Toxins	ENVIROTHON - Chemicals in the Park (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/envirothon/envirothon#2004) ENVIROTHON Competition - Environmental Heatlh Station with a reading packet provided to students so that they will be prepared to answer competition questions on topics related to environmental health. Keywords: Toxins in the Park - Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies	AMBIENT	9-12
Soil Contamination	ENVIROTHON -The Land and Human Health (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/envirothon/envirothon.htm) ENVIROTHON Competition - Environmental Heatlh Station with a reading packet provided to students so that they will be prepared to answer competition questions on topics related to environmental health. Keywords: Soil Contamination - Lead and Arsenic Poisoning Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies	AMBIENT	9-12
Air Contamination	Air Contamination Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/air/Tair.html) Interdisciplinary module of activities on air contamination and environmental triggers contributing to respiratory problems. Activities can be taught as "stand alone" or as a complete module. Includes case studies and epidemiology issues. Keywords: Air Contamination - Respiratory Problems Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History	AMBIENT	9-12
Environmental Justice Issues	Environmental Justice Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/env_justice/Tej.htm) Interdisciplinary module of activities on environmental justice. Includes oral histories of those affected by environmental justice issues. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History	AMBIENT	9-12
Ethics and Environmental Health	Environmental Health Ethics Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/ethics/ethics.html) Critical thinking activities and case studies involving ethics relating to issues of environmental health. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science, Social studies, Civics, Economics	AMBIENT	9-12
Food Contamination and Nutrition	Food Contamination and Nutrition Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/food/Tfood.html) Interdisciplinary module of activities on food contamination and nutrition. Activities involve seafood contamination in transport, storage, and handling. Includes issues of nutrition. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History	AMBIENT	9-12
Lead	Soil Contamination Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/soil/Tsoil.html) Interdisciplinary module of activities on lead contamination in soil that can be taught as "stand alone" or as a complete module. Environmental Justice and Ethics issues involved. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History	AMBIENT	9-12
Toxicology	Toxicology Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/tox/Ttox.html) Module of toxicology activities, including basic terminology in toxicology. Subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social studies	AMBIENT	9-12
Water Contamination	Water Contamination Module (http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/niehs/ambient/teacher/water/Twater.html) Interdisciplinary module of activities on recreational water contamination that can be taught as "stand alone" or as a complete module. Based on authentic events. Keywords: Recreational Water Contamination - Microbes Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, History	AMBIENT	9-12

Full listing of integrated materials: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/scied/integrated/index.cfm

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