This brief video describes the benefits of trees and nature to human health.
It makes the case for healthy ecosystems and more trees in urban areas to help filter pollutants from the air, capture carbon, and provide shade.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video illustrates an important climate solution that also benefits human health.
The video is brief but informative.
Additional Prerequisites
You may have to wait through a commercial to view the video.
The video effectively ends after 44 seconds, when it transitions to updates on EcoHealth Ontario.
Differentiation
Science classes could use this as a hook for lessons about photosynthesis and the carbon cycle.
Biology, anatomy/physiology, and health classes could use this in a lesson about the importance of clean air for respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Social studies classes could discuss the connection between trees and human health using this lesson plan.
The importance of trees in urban space is spotlighted in this resource. It includes prevention of respiratory conditions, UV rays on humans, cooling effects, air quality, health, etc. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
