Overview
The overview of this lesson is to introduce and bring attention to climate change. Students will experiment with other means of transportation to reduce their carbon footprint. Elementary students should be exposed to a more positive side of climate change. Having exposure to what students can do to make the world a better place is the direction of this lesson. What inspired me to do this was making climate change more tangible to the elementary age student.
Objectives
Students will be able to explain CO2’s role in climate change. Students will know where CO2 originates. Students will be able to utilize different modes of transportation.
Lesson Preparation
For the first lesson introduce climate change. Have the laptop and speakers ready for the youtube video. Have a brief discussion about ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.
Lessons following: Have one of the above modes of transportation available for students to utilize. Have general discussion questions ready for each mode of transportation (EG: Discuss when you can use this mode of transportation instead of others. What is your favorite mode of transportation and why? What experiences do you have with this mode of transportation?)
Procedure
First lesson of unit: Watch YouTube video (listed in Resources) and stop to discuss key points of video (video is about 5min). Discuss CO2 and its role in climate change. Play climate change tag: split class up into three groups and each has their own color pennies. Groups are CO2, Plants, and sun. Sun tags CO2, CO2 tags plants, plant tags sun. After each person gets tagged they sit. Someone else from their own group can tap the tagged persons shoulder and they can get back in the game. Rotate groups as needed.
Following lessons: Have a course setup with for the new mode of transportation. Refresh knowledge on CO2’s origination and how it affects us. Introduce how to safely use the equipment and then go on a ride, skate, etc. At the end of class explain if we do these activities and limit using transportation that produces CO2 we will be helping the earth.
On the last lesson: Allow for students to answer questions for assessment.
- How does CO2 originate?
- Where CO2 comes from?
- What can you do to limit CO2 gases in the atmosphere?
- Write a reflection of their favorite learning experience throughout this unit.
Extension
You can continue to have students record their use of the transportation that they used in your class. Have a form filled out similar to the healthy futures log for X amount of time. When an award ceremony comes around paint a globe green and give the class or student the green globe award based on the most active student/group.
Resources
Elementary friendly you tube video:
Assessment
Students will be assessed on participation during discussion and during the activity each day. Students will be assessed using written questions to evaluate their leaning (see above last lesson in Procedures).
Author / Credits
David Mazur in Anchorage, Alaska created this lesson plan as a capstone project for the 2016 teacher training course Climate Change: Seeing, Understanding, and Teaching, held in Denali National Park. The course is facilitated by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) in partnership with Alaska Geographic and the National Park Service.
File Attachments
N/A
Standards
Alaska State Physical Education Standards
Standard A: Demonstrate competency in motor movement skills needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
Standard C: Participate regularly in physical activity.
Standard E: Exhibit personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
Topic Addressed
Climate Change
Earth Week (In April)
Transportation
Earth Week Unit
CO2
Standards Other
Alaska State Physical Education Standards
Standard A: Demonstrate competency in motor movement skills needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
Standard C: Participate regularly in physical activity.
Standard E: Exhibit personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
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This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed by this program are those of the PIs and coordinating team, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.