Human Energy Systems | Activity 5.4

Display slide 3 of the PPT. Tell students that they will be thinking about how to lower carbon emissions.

Display slide 4 of the PPT. Have a class discussion about how walking or riding a bike would reduce carbon emissions. Work as a class to draw a representation of this on the board.

Display slide 5 of the PPT. Give each student one of the 5.4 Strategy Cards. In groups of four, have students discuss how the strategies in these cards would lead to lower carbon emissions.

• Give them 15 minutes to draw a representation on chart paper of how one of the strategies on their cards would reduce carbon emissions.

Display slide 6 of the PPT. Display the representations around the room. Have students walk around the room and look at each of the representations. Ask students to discuss how each representation shows how the strategy would reduce carbon emissions. Also, have students discuss how the strategies are similar and different with regards to how they lower carbon emissions.

• Display slide 7 of the PPT. Have a full class discussion about which of the strategies students would be willing and able to do.

Show slide 8 of the PPT. Tell students that the strategy cards they just read were mainly things they could do as individuals. However, solving climate change will take cooperation from communities, governments, organizations, and countries around the planet.

• Tell students to consider the list on the board and also the strategies they have on their cards and brainstorm about actions that society could take together to work for bigger change.
• Give students 1-2 minutes to think to themselves.
• Record their ideas on the PPT slide.
• Also, ask them why is important to adopt some of these strategies and how these strategies can be implemented in their communities at a larger scale.

Show Slide 9 of the 5.4 Strategies for Lowering Carbon Emissions PPT.

• Have students take out their Learning Tracking Tool for Human Energy Systems from the previous lesson.
• Have students write the activity name in the first column, "5.4 Strategies for Lowering Carbon Emissions."
• Have a class discussion about what students figured out during the activity that will help them in answering the lesson driving questions:
• What causes the annual cycle: CO₂ concentrations in Hawaii to go down every summer and up every winter?
• What causes the long-term trend: CO₂ concentrations to go up every year?
• How can we predict what will happen to CO₂ concentrations in the future?
• When you come to consensus as a class, have students record the answer in the second column of the tool.
• Have a class discussion about what students are wondering now that will help them move towards answering the unit driving question. Have students record the questions in the third column of the tool.
• Have students keep their Learning Tracking Tool for future activities.
• Example Learning Tracking Tool