Carbon Footprint
MATH LESSON
Grades 3-5 | ≅ 90 minutes
Primary Standards
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.D.8
Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.A.3
Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.
Essential Questions
What contributes to climate change?
How do the effects of climate change affect me?
What is a carbon footprint and how can I reduce it?
Learning Outcomes
I can
I can
I can
understand climate change and the effects it has on the world we live in.
understand how climate change affects our daily lives.
measure and explain my carbon footprint and understand how to reduce it.
Agenda
Inquire
Investigate
Inspire
Inquire
≅ 30 minutes
What is Climate Change?
How does climate change affect your community?
How might those impacts be different in other communities?
How can we make a difference?
Get into small groups.
In your groups, fill out the first page of the student worksheet.
You are listing everyday behaviors
and practices and explaining if they
have a positive or negative impact
on climate change.
1
2
3
How can we make a difference?
What are changes we can make as a class to decrease the impact we have on climate change?
Investigate
≅ 30 minutes
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Calculate your carbon footprint.
Carbon Footprint Journal
Complete this weeklong journal to determine ways you can make a difference.
Each day create a mathematical word problem about lessening your carbon footprint.
Inspire
≅ 30 minutes
Brainstorm
Get into your small groups to brainstorm ideas for a carbon footprint reduction campaign.
Make a list of ways to create a change in your community.
Be the change!
Create a poster to show how you can create a change for your home, school, and community!
Poster Criteria
|
Poster Reflection
How could this poster be perceived differently in other communities?
How does that make you feel?
Presentations
Present your poster and convince your class that the change is important, relevant, and will positively affect the climate.
As a class, brainstorm the most impactful place to present or hang each poster.
Glossary
Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is an estimate of how much carbon dioxide an individual, a family or even a business produces. Since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, a carbon footprint can give you an idea of how much you contribute to global warming.
Climate Change
Climate change describes a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time. NASA scientists have observed Earth’s surface is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have happened in the past 20 years.
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Please leave this slide for attribution.
Authors
Scientist Reviewer
Image Resources
Kelly Stone
John Crane, Ph.D
Creators & Collaborators