Author:
VT PEERS
Subject:
STEM/STEAM, CTE, Career Connections, Technology Education, Trade and Industrial, Science, Earth Resources, Living Systems and Processes, Scientific and Engineering Practices
Material Type:
Activity/Lab, Game, Interactive, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Visual Media
Level:
Middle School
Provider:
Virginia Tech
Provider Set:
VT PEERS
Tags:
  • Activity/lab
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Challenge
  • Earth Science
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Game
  • Lesson Plan
  • VT PEERS
  • Virginia Tech
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Downloadable docs, Graphics/Photos, Interactive, Video

    Education Standards

    VT PEERS: What's Your Carbon Footprint?

    VT PEERS: What's Your Carbon Footprint?

    Overview

    Lesson Length: 1-2 hours

    Grade Level: 6-8

    Students will explore the carbon emission impacts of different lifestyle choices. The activity is grounded in engineering design thinking as it relates to a family's carbon footprint and options to shift that footprint to make change (trade offs). Students will understand carbon impacts, work in teams (families) to negotiate lifestyle adjustments, and brainstorm opportunities for engineered improvements to decrease carbon emissions.

    This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1657263. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

    Supplies

    • Carbon Footprint Game guide and pieces (attached)
    • Layout Guides for student desks (optional--file included)
    • Dry-erase markers

    Before Class Begins

    Prepare carbon footprint game - allow time to print, laminate, cut and sort game pieces. You'll need a recording sheet and a set of pictures for each of your groups. Small groups of 3-4 students work well. We are including a Card Layout Guide here for you to use if you like. It can be cut apart and taped to student desks or tables for them to use as a guide as they lay out their cards.

    This game was put together by the Government of South Australia as a part of their Natural Resources Management Education program for schools and preschools.

    There are a few cards (eg walkabout) that are culturally specific to Southern Australia - students can discuss these differences and we suggest making a few blank cards to allow students add local/culturally relevant options to their choices.

    Engineering Connections

    Career and Industry Connections

    • Engineers work to solve problems through innovations in human activities. These can impact how we live and how we impact the environment.
    • Engineers study data to understand how people impact populations of animals and plants. They work to support environmentally friendly living.
    • Types of engineering jobs that are involved in problem solving around carbon emission reduction include:
      • Chemical Engineering
      • Civil/Environmental Engineering
      • Mechanical Engineering
      • Structural and Materials Engineering

    VT PEERS Engineering Goals: Connecting middle school students with career engineers from local communities helps engineering become accessible to middle school students. During the VT PEERS project, engineers from local industries joined teachers to help deliver the lessons and to share with students about what their daily work was like. Together , project partners (teachers, industry engineers, and Virginia Tech representatives) worked to relay seven "take home" messages about engineering. Each lesson addresses at least one of the key points below, and those most specific to this lesson are in bold.

    VT PEERS Things to Know about Engineering and Engineers 

    1. Engineering is in every community and makes a difference in people’s lives. 
    2. Everyone can learn to do engineering.
    3. Engineers are creative, curious, and imaginative.
    4. Engineers work with many types of people to understand problems and create solutions.
    5. Engineers rely on knowledge from multiple subjects to understand all they can.
    6. Solving engineering design problems requires compromise and trade-offs.
    7. Engineers view mistakes as normal and important and try to learn from them.

    Look for "Ask an Engineer" ideas throughout this lesson for suggestions of questions you might ask an engineer if you have access to one.

    Introduction and Background Knowledge (10 min)

    • Start by discussing the VT PEERS Things to Know about Engineering and Engineers and highlight the items that will be illustrated by this lesson.  
    • Show "The Ecological Footprint Explained" from Moovly to help students learn more about carbon footprint drivers.
    • Review the carbon cycle and ask students how engineers might influence the amount of carbon released from various activities. Consider local industry and businesses and how their activities might impact the community’s carbon footprint. 

    Ask an Engineer: What is the main energy source at your company/industry? What jobs are involved in understanding and maintaining the energy use at your company/industry?

    Building a Future Life (15 min)

    • Divide students into small groups or pairs and distribute Carbon Footprint game. 
    • Allow groups time to sort the card types for building their lifestyle and laying out how they want their future life to be. 
    • It is fun at this point in the activity to let students choose as much excess as they want. It will also make it easier for them to cut it back in the next round.

    Tally and Share Carbon Footprints (10 min)

    • Have small groups tally up their carbon footprint score for their lifestyle choices on their recording sheet.  
    • Share results around the room making note of the highest and lowest carbon footprint categories.

    Going Green: Carbon Footprint Reduction (15 min)

    • Have students consider ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Decide on a particular target to see if they can meet the challenge. Can groups reduce their carbon footprint by half? 
    • Encourage groups to consider carbon reducing alternatives that may not be present in the cards. Have blank cards or paper available for them to add amendments they come up with in different categories. 
      • This is the part where students get to think like Environmental Engineers. Can they come up with inventions or new systems that could help them reduce their carbon footprint? They can write and sketch their ideas to share with the class.

    Ask an Engineer: What does your company/industry do to limit or reduce your carbon footprint? What jobs are there that help companies and communities reduce carbon? 

    Sharing Carbon Reduction Strategies (15 min)

    • Have groups circulate around the room and review what other teams did to reduce their carbon footprint.
    • Share inventive/creative ideas from each team for these reductions.
    • Discuss the real world impacts of carbon reductions as well as the trade offs and costs.

    Ask an Engineer: What is an example of an engineered improvement to reduce carbon emissions? How does your company/industry decide how/when to reduce emissions? Whose jobs are most important to that work?

    This part of the lesson may be an opportunity to bring in concepts about alternative energy, energy efficiencies and creative solutions to overcoming carbon emissions/outputs.

    Reflection and Assessment (15 min)

    Redirect students to the VT PEERS Things to Know about Engineering and Engineers covered in this lesson. Brainstorm with the class and the industry representative about how our lesson today relates to the highlighted points.  

    • Engineering is in every community and makes a difference in people’s lives. 
    • Everyone can learn to do engineering.
    • Engineers are creative, curious, and imaginative.
    • Solving engineering design problems requires compromise and trade-offs.

    Potential questions for measuring learning with an exit ticket or discussion at the end of class: 

    • Write something you learned about engineering work that you didn’t know before.
    • Tell me something you learned about carbon emissions today.
    • Why is it important to consider our carbon footprint as individuals?