Lesson 5: Climate Change and You

Snapshot

This lesson explores climate change. Students learn what causes climate change and how we can participate in reducing the harmful effects of climate change.

Preparation and Materials:

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Posters 1–5, Take-Home Talk

Flip chart and markers

Black or white board

Select six students for this activity: five to act as the sun, one to act as the Earth. You will need a relatively large space for this activity.

Two dozen removable circular stickers to represent gases

Read Walrus Case Study located under Additional Resources and print enough copies for the class

Objectives—Students will be able to:

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explain what the sun is;

explain the rotation and revolution of the earth around the sun;

explain what our atmosphere is and what it does; and

explain how climate change impacts them and the simple steps that they can take to help reduce greenhouse gases.

Vocabulary: climate change, greenhouse gases, and atmosphere

Procedure:

1. Introduction and the Earth’s Orbit Activity (18 minutes)Optional Activity: Planting Seeds or Seedlings (15–25 minutes)

2. Defining Terms and Greenhouse Effect (18 minutes) Optional Activity: Walrus Case Study (20–25 minutes)

3. Close and Take-Home Talk (8 minutes)

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyOffice of Children’s Health Protection

EPA-100-K-13-002April 2013

www.epa.gov

Lesson 5: Climate Change and You

Review

Askseveralstudentstosharesomethingthattheyrememberfromthepreviouslesson.

Prompts:Whatdidyoulearnthatyoudidn’tknowbefore?Whatdidwetalkaboutthatyoualreadyknew?Whatsurprisedyoufromourlastlesson?Whataresomeofthenewwordsthatyoulearnedfromourlastlesson?Whatcanyoudotopositivelyimpacttheissuewelearnedabout?

DoAsk

[Show Poster #1 (four photos—extreme closeup images of the sun or sun flares).]Welookedatthesewhenwetalkedaboutsunsmarts—whocantellmewhatthisis?

Thisisoursun.Someoneremindtheclasswhatthesunisandsomecoolfactsaboutit.

Prompts:ThesunisthestaratthecenterofourSolarSystem.Thesunis109timeslargerthantheEarthandprimarilyconsistsofhydrogenandhelium(gases).

Wewanttothinkofthesunasahumongouspowerplantthatisthrowingoffheatenergy.Wecanexperiencethesun’senergybecausethecoreofthesunismorethan28milliondegrees.Today,wewilltalkaboutanotherenvironmentalhealthissuethatinvolvesthesun:climatechange.Beforewetalkaboutclimatechangeandhowweneedtoprotectourselvesfromthesun,let’sthinkaboutourSolarSystemalittlemore.

DoExplain [Ask for six volunteers: five to represent the sun, one to represent the Earth. Show

Poster #2 (image of the planets and their orbits).]ThesunisthecenterandtheanchorofourSolarSystemand,liketheothersevenplanetsinoursystem,theEarthmoves,ororbits,arounditalongapathway.IttakesafullyearfortheEarthtotravelthispathwayonetime.Let’sseeifwecandemonstratethis.

1. Introduction and the Earth’s Orbit Activity (18 minutes)

(continued on other side)

1. Introduction and the Earth’s Orbit Activity (continued – page 2)

Telltheclassthatthefivestudentsrepresentingthesunwilllinkarmsandactasthesun.ThestudentrepresentingtheEarthwillrevolvearoundthesunusingtheorbitimageasaguide.AskthestudentrepresentingtheEarthtostartrevolvingaroundthesunstudents.

DoAsk

[Let the student revolve around the sun one time.]IftheEarthwentaroundthesunthisway,wouldn’t[insert child’s name]’sarmalwaysbegettingthesun’sraysandwouldn’t[his or her]otherarmalwaysbeinthedark?

Prompts:Whataboutnightandday?IftheraysarestreamingtowardtheEarth,cantheycurvearoundtheEarth?

DoExplain WhiletheEarthismovingalongthispathway,it’salsospinning,orrotating,extremely

fast.Andasitspins,thesunhitsdifferentpartsofit,givingusnightandday.Ittakes24hoursfortheEarthtospinaroundcompletely.[Tell the Earth student to continue on the pathway, but to now spin/rotate while doing it.]

[Let the student revolve around the sun once while rotating for night and day.]Whatabouttheseasons?IftheEarthisrevolvingandrotating,weshouldhavethesameweatherallthetime,right?

Prompts:Dowehavethesameweatherallthetimehere?Doesanypartoftheworldhavethesameweatherallofthetime?

DoExplain Well,theEarthdoesn’tstaystraightupanddown,ittiltsthroughouttheyear,andas

ittilts,somepartsoftheEarthgetmoresun.DuringwhichseasondoestheEarthgetmoresun?[Summer.]Lesssun?[Winter.] [Tell the Earth student to continue on the pathway while spinning and tilting.]

Howmanytimeswouldtheearthneedtorotate/spinforeachonerevolutionaroundthesun?

365times!Arotationis1day,whichgivesusnightandday,andarevolutionis1year,whichgivesustheseasons.

Theheatenergywegetfromthesunasweorbitandrotateandtiltispartofadelicatebalance.

1. Introduction and the Earth’s Orbit Activity (continued – page 3)

OptionalActivity:PlantingSeedsorSeedlings(15–25 minutes)

Wejustlearnedabouthowimportantthesunistolifehereonearthandhowourplanetisconstantlychanginginrelationtothesun.Nowlet’sseethesuninaction.Wearegoingtodecoratetheseplantersandthenplant[insert what you will be planting]inthem.Wewillsettheplantsinthesunandwatchthemgrowandrespondtothesun.We’llbeabletoseetheplantsactuallyseekoutthesunbyhowtheymove.

Passoutplantersanddecorationsupplies,includingcrayons,markers,paint,stickers,glue,etc.

Asstudentsaredecoratingtheplanters,leadaloosediscussionongrowingthings.

Prompts:Howmanyofyoukeepplantsathome?Haveyouevergrownanythingtoeat?Howbig/talldoyouthinktheseplantswillget?Whywillwebeabletoseethemmovetowardthesun?

Helpstudentsputpottingsoilandseedlingsorseedsintheirpotsandplacetheminasunnywindow.

Lesson 5: Climate Change and You

2. Defining Terms (18 minutes)

Whydoweneedthesun?Whatdoesitprovideus?

Prompts:Wouldwehaveplantswithoutthesun?Food?Wouldwebeabletoliveiftheweathergotextremelycoldorextremelyhot?

TheEarthandallofitsanimalsandplantsworktogetherasasystemtosustainallofthetrillionsoflivingthings.It’sacarefulbalanceandifonethingchanges,it’sgoingtohavearippleeffectacrosstheentiresystem.ThewarmingoftheEarth’soveralltemperatureisonebigripple!

HaveyouheardoftheGreenhouseEffect?Whatdoesthismean?

Prompts:Haveyoueverseenagreenhousebefore?Whatdotheydo?Orthinkaboutwhathappenstoacaronahotsummerday.Whenyougetinside,whatisitlike?Oftenit’shotterinsidethecarthenoutside,right?

DoExplain [Show Poster #3 (photos of a greenhouses).]Mostgreenhouseslooklikesmallglass

housesandareusedtogrowplants,especiallyinthewinter.Greenhousestrapheatfromthesun.Theglasspanelsofthegreenhouseletinlightenergybutkeepheatenergyfromescaping.Thiscausesthegreenhousetoheatup,muchliketheinsideofacarparkedinsunlight,andkeepstheplantswarmenoughtoliveinthewinter.TheEarthiskindoflikeagiantgreenhouse.

DoExplain [Show Poster #4 (The Greenhouse Effect #1 – overview).]Thesunsendsheatand

lightenergyourwayanditentersouratmosphere.TheEarthandcropsandpeopleabsorbtheenergy.Theheatisalsoabsorbedbyouratmosphere.

Whatdoesatmospheremean?

Prompts:Canyouseeit?Canyoutasteit?Canyouhearit?

(continued on other side)

2. Defining Terms (continued – page 2)

Theatmosphereistheairthatwebreathe,themoleculesbouncingoffeachother.It’sallaroundusandithelpsprotectusfromthesun.ThisgiantsunpowerhousesendssomuchenergyourwaythatitwouldbeextremelydangerousifitcamedirectlytotheEarth’ssurface.Thegasesthatmakeuptheatmosphereactliketheglassonagreenhouseandletmostofthelightandtheheatin,butfilteroutsomeofitsothatit’ssaferforus.ThesegasesalsohelptokeeptheEarthwarmwhenonepartoftheEarthisrotatingawayfromthesun—atnight.Ouratmosphereisamixofgasesthatdodifferentthings.Ifwechangethemixtureofgases,howcouldourplanetchange?

DoExplain [Show Poster #5 (The Greenhouse Effect #2 – detail of the rays hitting the atmosphere

and use removable stickers to represent gases).] Sinceit’sdifficulttoseetheatmospherewe’regoingtousethesestickerstorepresentdifferentgasesintheatmospherethatareallaroundus.[Place the removable stickers on the Greenhouse Effect #2 Poster and tell students what gases they represent.]Explainthatthegaseshelpkeeptheheatarounduslikeablanket.

ThesegasesalsohelptokeeptheEarthwarmwhenonepartoftheEarthisrotatingawayfromthesunatnight.Ouratmosphereisamixofgasesthatdodifferentthings.

Ifwechangethemixtureofgases,howcouldourplanetchange?

Prompts:Differentgasesdodifferentthings.Whatifwehadalotofgasesintheatmospherethatmadeitreally,reallyhotorblockedthesun’sgoodeffects?Ifthetemperaturerises,whatmighthappentoplants?Tosnow?Toice?Tofishintheocean?

Remember,wesaidthatthissystemofoursisabalance.Well,whathappensifwehavemoreandmoreofthesegreenhousegasesinouratmosphere?

Prompts:Woulditgethotterorcolder?MoregreenhousegasesinouratmospheremeansthatmoreheatstaysclosetotheEarthandthetemperaturerises.ThetemperatureoftheEarthhasrisen1degreeFahrenheitoverthelast100years,andit’sprojectedtogethotter.

Explain So,whenpeopletalkabouttheGreenhouseEffect,theymeantheriseintemperaturethattheEarthisexperiencingbecausegasesintheatmospheretraptheenergy—theheat—fromthesun.Whatisgoodaboutthis?Whatisbadaboutit?Haveyouheardpeopletalkingaboutthisissue?

2. Defining Terms (continued – page 3)

Whydowehavemoregreenhousegasesthanweusedto?

Prompts:Whatdoweusemoreoftodaythatwedidn’tuse100or200yearsago?

Greenhousegasesarereleasedwhenweburngasandoilandcoaltopowerourcars,factories,planes,andtrains,andprovidepower/energytotheplaceswhereweliveandgotoschoolandwork.

WhathappensiftheEarthgetswarmer?Whatorwhowouldbeaffected?

Prompts:Wouldicestickaroundifitgothotter?Wouldoceantemperaturesrise?Whataboutourseasons,wouldtheybeimpacted?

Ifthetemperaturecontinuestorise,itcanhaveahugerippleeffect.Oneofthebigthingsthatwouldbeimpactedwouldbeweather.AhotterEarthwouldmeanmorerainandmoresevereweatherlikehurricanes,snowstorms,andevendroughts.Thiswouldhappenbecausemeltingicewouldmakemorewaterintheoceansandtheywouldrise.Thehotterairwouldcreatemoreprecipitationthatwouldcollectinthecloudsandcausemoreraininsomeareas.Andwhathappensiftheoceansrise?Haveyouseenabeach?Thinkaboutallthepeoplewholivebythewater—whatwouldhappentotheirhomes?Everyoneandeverythingwouldhavetheirenvironmentchangeddrastically.

Explain Whatwouldbetheimpactonchildren?Rememberthatwetalkedabouthowchildrenandadultsinteractwiththeirenvironmentsdifferently.Well,climatechangealsoaffectschildrenandadultsdifferently.AstheEarthgetswarmer,andwecreatemoregreenhousegases,airpollutionincreasesfromthesegreenhousegasesandground-levelozone—that’sanothernameforsmog—increases.Youngchildren’slungs,andyourlungs,too,arestilldeveloping,soexposuretothispollutioncanhavelong-termeffects.Wegetground-levelozonewhenvehicleexhaust,fumesfromfactories,pollutionfrompowerplants,andotherchemicalsintheairmixwithhightemperatures.

Duringthesummer,whenitgetsreallyhot,haveyoueverheardthenewscastersaythatit’saCodeOrangedayoraCodeRedday?That’sameasureofhowhealthytheairistobreathe.Ondayswhenairpollutionishigh,itisgoodtostayinsideandnotdoalotofexerciseoutside.

(continued on other side)

2. Defining Terms (continued – page 4)

OptionalActivity:WalrusCaseStudy(20–25 minutes)

Readthecasestudyincludedinthislessontothestudentsandleadadiscussionabouttheimpactofclimatechangeonthewalrus.

Prompts:Amomentago,Isaidthatclimatechangehadarippleimpact.Let’sthinkaboutthesewalrusesandthisideaofarippleimpact.Haveanyofyoueverthrownastoneintosomewater?Whathappens?Oneaction,youthrowingastone,causesalltheseripples,alltheseotheractions,thatareconnected.Whathappensiftherearefewerwalruses?

Explain

So,whatcanwedotomakesurethatoursystemstaysinbalance?[Make a list of all of the suggestions. Be sure to prompt students to think of local examples of saving energy.]

Prompts:Whataresomewaysthatwecanreducetheamountofgreenhousegasesthatwegeneratedailyandhelptoreduceground-levelozone?

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Turnofflightsathomeandatschool.

Walk,carpool,ortakepublictransportationtogetwhereyouneedtogo.

Buythingsthatarelocallymadeorgrownanddon’thavetotravelveryfartogettoyou.

Turnoffandunplugyourappliances—likecomputers,TVs,cellphones,andMP3players—whenyou’renotusingthem.

Andrecycle,recycle,recycle!Allofourtrashinlandfillsminglesandreleasesgreenhousegasesaswell.Thelessyouputin,thebetter.

Takeashortshowerinsteadofabath—a10-minuteshoweruseslesswater,andthuslessenergy,thanabath.

Tellyourfriendsandfamilyaboutsavingenergy.EncouragethemtouseENERGYSTAR®products,likeCFL(compactfluorescentlightbulbs),andotherproductsthatsaveenergy.

Lesson 5: Climate Change and You

3. Close and Take-Home Talk (8 minutes)

DoExplain

Closeyoureyesandtakeanicedeepbreath.We’vecoveredalottoday.Wetalkedaboutthesunandwhyweneedit.Wehadademonstrationoftheorbit,rotation,andtiltoftheEarth.Wetalkedaboutgreenhouse gases.Raiseyourhandifyoucantelltheclasswhatgreenhousegasesdoandhowtheyarecreated.[Call on a student.]WetalkedaboutwhatmighthappeniftheEarthcontinuestowarm.Andwetalkedaboutsomesimplethingsthatyoucandotoreducetheamountofgreenhousegases.Whocannameafewofthesethings? [Call on a student.] Youcanopenyoureyesnow.

Thecoolestpartaboutlearningsomethingnewissharingtheknowledge.Tonight,whenyougethome,Iwantyoutotalkwithyourfamilyaboutthethingswelearnedtoday.Lookforwaysthatyoucanuselessenergyinyourhomeandtalkwithyourfamilyabouthowyoucanallhelpgeneratelessgreenhousegases.Canyouandyourfamilycommittomakingsomesimplechangestohelpreducegreenhousegases?

DoExplain [Pass out Take-Home Talk.]ThisTake-HomeTalksheethassomethingsthatyoucan

sharewithyourfamilyandsomeactivitiesthatyoucandoathome.Seewhatyoucanaccomplishonthesheetandwe’lltalkaboutitthenexttimewemeet.