Climate Change Challenge www.lpb.org/stem

How to Mitigate Global Climate Change – Lesson

National Science Education Standards:
  • Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations. Different methods, core theories, and standards advance scientific knowledge and understanding.
  • Natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges because misidentifying the change or incorrectly estimating the rate and scale of change may result in either too little attention and significant human costs or too much cost for unneeded preventative measures.
  • Individuals can use a systematic approach to thinking critically about risks and benefits. Examples include applying probability estimates to risks and comparing them to estimated personal and social benefits.
Objectives:

The students will be able to (TSWBAT) identify human activities that affect natural systems directly relating to the resources consumed and to the resulting byproducts
TSWBAT to create an action plan for their home, school or community to demonstrate what they can do to reduce factors that impact climate change.

Teacher Background Information:

Action plan projects are designed to foster critical thinking about science and scientific investigation and benefit wildlife and the community through their application. Activities, such as planting trees, recycling, car pooling and reducing dependency on garden chemicals provide options for community and environmental impact. As a result of action plan projects, students will see the importance of:

·  reducing carbon producing activities that impact the environment as plants take in carbon and produce oxygen

·  providing essential habitat for wildlife often displaced due to climate change and habitat loss.

Teacher/Student Resources:

Carbon Footprint Calculator (http://www.zerofootprintkids.com/kids_home.aspx?restart=yes), (http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator), (http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx)

Think Outside the Bottle (http://www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org)

Time for a Change (http://timeforchange.org/mitigate-global-warming-effects-temperature-simulation)

The Nature Conservatory (http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange)

50 Ways to Fight Climate Change (http://www.squidoo.com/reduce-climate-change)

Animoto (http://animoto.com)

VoiceThread (http://ed.voicethread.com)

One True Media (http://www.onetruemedia.com)

Cool It! Tips for Going Green (http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Personal-Solutions.aspx)

Slide Serve (http://www.slideserve.com)

Spirit of Estuary; Pass the Word, activities 3-5 (http://educators.btnep.org/default.asp?id=76) Estuary Extra activities 3-6

Materials Needed:


Computers with Internet and printer connection
Software to make brochure (ex: Microsoft Publisher)
Computer with speakers and projector
Non-digital option for activity:
scissors
glue
various colors of construction paper or colored copy paper
old magazines (for pictures)

Investigations:


The value of this activity is in the research and process of creating an action plan. Students do not have to implement their action plan. Begin by having the students complete a carbon footprint calculator (http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx). Ask the students "What can you do about global climate change?" to spark their action campaign. After asking the initial question, students should brainstorm things they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. During the brainstorming process, encourage them to use methods and graphic organizers taught in their ELA and science classes (i.e. webbing, lists, charts). Allow a few groups to share their ideas. They may provide ideas such as: use recycled products, carpool or use public transportation, walk or bike to school, unplug electrical items when not in use, switch to CFL light bulbs, etc. Choose one idea the students provided. Model and discuss how to develop an action plan that would make an extraordinary difference in everyday habits. Use the student information sheet to model the same process they will use to complete the action plan. Draw the table on the board. Ask students what ideas are needed to complete the action plan. Have them fill in the table with the model action plan ideas. The action plan should be something that realistically can be implemented in the home, school or community.
Student groups will have 2-3 days to develop an action plan, prepare a tri-fold brochure that illustrates the what, why and how of their action plan and create a digital slide show as a visual for their oral presentation. The presentations will take place on the third and fourth days. As an option, a non-digital product and presentation can be used: create the brochures by hand with sketches or cut-outs for pictures, and create a poster with paper for the visual aid.
Students should think about the following ideas for their action plan: (these can be posted for students to see)

a) Increase conservation of natural resources
b) Renew alternate fuels
c) Recycle
d) Development of new green buildings
e) Development of new green transport technologies

Below is a list of some possible action projects students might develop. Students should create and design their own action plans. Teacher guidance is essential, but resist giving them ideas.

1.  Choose an area in the community where habitats have been compromised (i.e. with new construction) to plant newtrees. Collaborate with local landscaping companies and see if theywill donate native trees and machinery to help you plant them.

2.  Educate the public about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and have a Light Bulb Sale as a fund raiser to replacebulbs in the in the school or another public place.

3.  Coordinate a Bike to School Day with students where participants agree to not use cars to get to school

4.  Try to reduce the number of cars parking at your school by starting a carpool program for students and teachers.


Students will use a digital slide show to aid their oral presentation. Students can use Animoto, One True Media, VoiceThread, PowerPoint, movie creating software, etc.
Extensions: After the presentation of their action plans, students may find that many of their peers and family members have a lot to learn about global climate change. Allow them to design and plan a Global Climate Change Awareness Fair with speakers, activities and ways to display their action plan and brochures. Students can form a Global Climate Change Communications Committee for their school and create a newsletter or page for the school website.
Reward students who implement their action plan. They should have an observation log including details before, during and after the implementation of the action plan. As another option, reward students who give their brochures to someone in the community. Ask them to write an approximately 250 word, multi-paragraph report on who they gave the brochure to, the discussion that took place, and their feelings about the sharing of their action plan.
LSU Coastal Roots, UNO PIES, Bayou Rebirth, Wetland Watchers are some of the state/local projects in which school can participate.
Assessment:
Use the rubric provided to assess the oral presentation and tri-fold brochure. An idea to display student projects is to host a Global Climate Change Awareness School Fair for individuals in the community to visit.

Student Information Sheet
What can you do about global climate change?
An Action Plan

Names ______Due Date ______
Brainstorming:
Now make a plan of what needs to be done and by whom. Set a goal, steps to reach the goal, and identify the resources needed, where they may be located, and who will be responsible for each of the steps. The community may provide assistance from a wide variety of sources, such as landscape architects ready for a new challenge; local businesses willing to donate plants, landscape materials and expertise; garden and civic clubs excited to offer their knowledge and hands-on involvement. These are only a few suggestions for making the link between your project and the community, be creative and don’t be afraid to ask!
Create a brochure the clearly displays the why, what, and how of the action plan. Include graphics that go well with the Why, What and How of the action plan. Each graphic must be accompanied by text that applies the graphic to the action plan. All students in the group will be required to accurately answer questions relating to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the action plan.
For the oral presentation, create a digital slide show. Your slide show needs to include all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of your action plan. Use loud, clear voices, make eye contact, and show a full understanding of the action plan.
Be sure to review the Rubrics while creating the brochure and slide show.
WHY? - Priority Addressed: ______
WHAT? - Goal: The purpose of an action plan is to... ______
______

HOW? (all rows do not need to be filled in)

Action Steps / Timeline / Persons Responsible / Required Resources / Funding Sources
What are the steps needed to complete the plan? / How long will each step take to complete? / Who is going to complete each step? This may be one person or several people. / What materials are needed to complete each step? / From where are the materials coming?

What can you do about global climate change?

An Action Plan Brochure Rubric

Making A Brochure: Global Climate Change Awareness Action Plan

Student Names: ______

CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Writing - Organization / The brochure clearly displays the why, what, and how of the action plan. / The brochure displays the why, what, and how of the action plan, but some explanation is needed. / The brochure is missing some key elements of the why, what, and how of the action plan. / The brochure is missing several key elements of the why, what, and how of the action plan.
Knowledge Gained / All students in the group can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the action plan. / All students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the action plan. / Most students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the action plan. / Several students in the group appear to have little knowledge about the facts or technical processes used in the action plan.
Graphics/Pictures / Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text. / Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems "text-heavy". / Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.
Mechanics and Grammar / Capitalization, grammar and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure. / Capitalization, grammar and punctuation are correct throughout the brochure after feedback from the teacher. / There are 1-2 capitalization, grammar and/or punctuation errors in the brochure even after feedback from the teacher. / There are several capitalization, grammar or punctuation errors in the brochure even after feedback from the teacher.


Total Score: ______Commendations / Recommendations

Digital Slide Show : Global Awareness Action Plan

Student Names: ______

CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Content / Slide show includes all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the action plan. It appears to be a highly effective action plan. / Slide show includes most material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the action plan but is lacking one or two key elements. It appears to be an adequate action plan. / Slide show is missing more than two key elements. It would make an incomplete action plan. / Slide show is lacking several key elements and has inaccuracies that make it a poor action plan.
Sequencing of Information / Information is organized in a clear, logical way. It is easy to anticipate the type of material that might be on the next slide. / Most information is organized in a clear, logical way. One slide or item of information seems out of place. / Some information is logically sequenced. An occasional slide or item of information seems out of place. / There is no clear plan for the organization of information.
Oral Presentation / Students use loud, clear voices, make eye contact, and shows a full understanding of the action plan. / Students use good voices, make some eye contact, and shows a good understanding of the action plan. / Students' voices are difficult to hear, make little eye contact, and shows a good understanding of parts of the action plan. / Students' voices are difficult to hear, make little eye contact, and does not seem to understand the action plan very well.


Total Score: ______Comments:

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