Tier 1 Lesson

Note: This lesson is most effective when you have already seen the film, An Inconvenient Truth.

If you have not, and time does not permit for the entire film, it is suggested that you watch the entire film but checking the movie out of the library or renting it from your favorite video rental place.

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, you will learn that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not all the same. You will investigate the type and severity of emissions released by different countries, states, industries, and cars.

This assignment will challenge you to estimate the impact of each factor on greenhouse gas emissions.

You will also examine your own personal activities and find ways to help reduce the damage.

Objectives:

· Understand why the relative impact on global warming may vary depending on where you live, what car you drive, how many miles you drive, and how you live your life.

· Understand how both government and corporate policy impact individual choices and vice versa.

· Represent data illustrating differences in greenhouse gas emissions at various scales.

· Calculate the relationship between gas mileage and carbon dioxide emissions in various automobiles.

· Construct a concept map illustrating the relationships among government policies, individual behaviors, and global warming.

· Evaluate multiple ways in which emissions of greenhouse gases can be reduced in the local community.

Tier 1 Lesson:

Big Ideas:

The lesson is designed to accomplish these major goals:

· You will critically discuss the global warming issue.

· You will investigate and discuss the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

· You will make informed decisions involving science and society.

You should develop an understanding of:

· Personal health

· Populations, resources, and environments

· Natural hazards

· Risks and benefits

· SCience and technology in society

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie this standard include:

· Human activities can enhance potential for hazards.

· Acquisition of resources, urban growth, and waste disposal can accelerate rates of natural change.

Risks and Benefits:

You should understand the risks associated with:

· natural hazards (e.g., fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions)

· chemical hazards (e.g., pollutants in air, water, soil, and food)

· biological hazards (e.g., pollen, viruses, bacteria, and parasites)

· social hazards (e.g., occupational safety and transportation)

· personal hazards (e.g., smoking, dieting, and drinking.

Individuals can use a systematic approach to thinking critically about risks and benefits. One example is to apply probability estimates to risks and compare them with estimated personal and social benefits.

Materials Needed:

· Data sources (see Additional Resources section below) detailing GHG emission standards at the International, National, State, Local, and Individual levels

· Various automobile dealership pamphlets containing information about gas mileage

· Computer with Internet access

· Calculator

· Note cards (for Concept Map creation)

· Copies of Reproducible #1

· Copies of Reproducible #2 (optional)

· Reproducible #3 (optional)

· Copies of Reproducible #4 (optional research extension)

Reproducible:

This lesson contains several reproducibles which are attached at the end of this lesson. These will provide content for the lesson as well as information for the teacher when planning the lesson and student evaluation.

Background:

Team Activity

(T1) Preview the film: An Inconvenient Truth, and take Cornell Notes

Individual Activity

(I1) Create an individual post, posting your Cornell Notes concerning the film to your team Engineering Journal as an individual author.

(I2) Calculate the amount of carbon dioxide that your household generates each year by taking this online quiz and post your result in your team Engineering Journal as an individual author:

The Nature Conversancy - Carbon Calculator

Part 1: Anticipatory Set

Individual Activity

(I3) How did you get to school and how far you traveled?

(I4) Are aware of any global patterns that seem to be linked to temperature increase? You may be already aware of a few of these.

Team Activity

(T2) Pair up and share your beliefs on the hazards of global warming and the urgent need for remedial action. Tally these results and post them to your blog as a team post.

(T3) Brainstorm ways that GHG emissions might be reduced and post to your team blog as a team post.

Part 2: Building knowledge through a consideration of scale

Classroom Activity

Read Reproducible # 1: Spatial Perspective - What we see depends on where we are

Lead a discussion concerning the scale of global warming. Share your thoughts with your team on how government policies (international, national, state, and local) either contribute to or help to reduce the problem of global warming. Be sure to explain why some nations, states, and cities / regions contribute more GHGs than others.

Let us connect the discussion to the role of environmental and special interest groups in contributing to or solving global warming.

Individual Activity

(I5) Let's discuss our personal impact on global warming. This can include the distance traveled to school and after-school activities, the types and the number of cars in your households, the products you purchase, etc. Share the results of your earlier assignment in the Background section to calculate their CO2 emissions.

Team Activity

(T4) Seek out media sources for the latest information regarding automobile emissions and global warming.

(T5) Gather data on the amount of GHGs emitted by various countries, states, and automobiles. For example, information on cars should include data on green cars, hybrids, SUVs, economy models, and new prototypes. See Additional Resources for websites.

(T6) Rank the amount of GHG emissions that various countries, states, and automobiles produce. Also ask them what resources they could use to find the amount of carbon dioxide produced by each.

(T7) Discuss the number of miles the average citizen travels in various countries and states. Discuss urban sprawl, carpooling, public transit, carpool (or High Occupancy Vehicle [HOV]) lanes, and other variables that influence the number of miles traveled and how that affects GHG emissions.

NOTE: Be sure to document your team discussions and activities in your team Engineering Journal.

Classroom Activity

I have assigned the following countries to the teams:

TEAM 1: South America

TEAM 2: India

TEAM 3: Europe

TEAM 4: China

TEAM 5: USA

Team Activity

(T8) Assign each team member a research topic from among the following categories vis-à-vis the country assigned, sharing said information with their team:

Economy (Gross National Product, major industries, major imports, major exports, Per Capita, standard of living, Net debt per Capita, etc.

Lifestyle (e.g., extent of consumerism, numbers of automobiles per household, miles traveled)

Urban vs. Suburban—To what extent does this influence the number of miles driven?

Overall Global CO2 Footprint

Automotive Industry (Consider makers of sport utility vehicles, hybrid cars, economy cars, gas-hogs, “green” machines, and some of the new prototype cars, consider the role of public transportation as well as seeking out information on other topics such as: target audience, environmental record, miles per gallon, extent to which their cars are made of recycled materials, and whether they offer hybrid or alternative fuel models).

Be sure to consider the many variables that affect fuel consumption besides “city and highway” driving. Students interested in the engineering aspects of fuel efficiency may investigate the influence of:

Frontal area design (i.e., wind resistance or aerodynamic design)

Spoilers and other wind impeders, such as large side-view mirrors

Optional equipment such as air conditioners and other electronically powered options

Tire inflation

Road composition (e.g., concrete, asphalt, gravel, dirt, etc.)

Road condition (e.g., dry, wet, icy, snowy, etc.)

Incline (Mileage decreases with every degree of upslope.)

Weight (e.g., 150 lbs per person; cargo such as luggage, golf clubs, etc.)

Special equipment such as heavy duty A/Cs, HD axles, or larger fuel tanks (Add 6 lbs of weight per gal.)

Outside temperature

An excellent web-based application that may be helpful for all teams is:

http://www.breathingearth.net.

Assessment:

The assimilation of new concepts often requires time and rigorous mediating activity to help us to refine our learning. The use of concept maps as an assessment tool should provide both. The sequence not only provides ample time for assimilation, but also includes student interaction before, during, and after the unit.

Classroom Activities

What Is a Concept Map? Let’s take a look at Reproducible # 2

I will use Reproducible # 3: Concept Map Rubric to evaluate your individual and team assessments.

Individual Assessment

(A1) You will create an individual pre-concept map that exhibits the cause-and-effect correlation of automobiles, consumer behavior, government policies (all levels), and special interest groups on global warming.

Team Assessment

(A2) You will share, compare, and discuss your concept maps to create a team collaborative concept map within their assigned groups.

Each group should be prepared to offer and defend reasons for the differences in GHG emissions within its assigned category. For example, India has a much larger population than the United States, but its residents generally live a more agrarian lifestyle that is less dependent upon fossil fuels. Europe is more urban than Africa. A North American citizen drives more miles to work and consumes more goods that require global transport, etc.

*Consider various data sources for analysis, data representation, synthesis, and previous presentations by teams.

Summary:

What are the global warming connections among automobile usage, consumer behavior, and government policies?

What are some possible ways to reduce emissions (e.g., carpooling, high occupancy vehicle lanes, alternative fuels, hybrid cars, riding a bike, walking, etc.)?

Based on the data presented, which car would you purchase? Why?

Which car has the least environmental impact? Be sure to consider other variables besides carbon dioxide emissions and gas mileage.

Should the government get involved in creating policies? Why or why not?

How has the introduction of more fuel-efficient cars affected the oil and automotive industries?

How can each person impact policy?

Additional Resources:

Data sources for greenhouse gas emissions

International emissions:

http://www.pewclimate.org/facts-and-figures/international

http://www.eia.doe.gov/environment.html

http://www.eia.doe.gov/iea/carbon.html

http://www.iea.org/subjectqueries/keyresult.asp?KEYWORD_ID=4100