Lesson 3.1
Where are all the greenhouse gases coming from, and how can we get them out of the atmosphere?
Lesson Type:
Re-anchor
Time:
90 min
The main role of this lesson is to re-anchor the unit to focus on solutions to rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Students will be motivated to investigate the sources of carbon emissions and options for either cutting those emissions or removing carbon from the atmosphere.
What We Do:
Explore data about sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Update the class model to include quantitative information about different processes that emit greenhouse gases or remove them from the atmosphere.
Add new questions about solutions to the DQB.
What We Figure Out:
There are many parts of our communities that contribute to GHG emissions.
Gigatons of carbon (GtC) is a measure of how much carbon is stored in different places on Earth, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere.
Oceans are not a viable solution to take up carbon.
Emissions from human activity need to be reduced by at least 7 GtC per year to rebalance the carbon system.
Lesson in Action
One teacher, Enya, facilitates a discussion of a data representation showing the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases. Students make careful noticings to help them wrestle with what the data is representing and pose new wonderings to motivate investigations.
NGSS Learning Goal
Revise and use a computational model to illustrate and analyze interactions and processes in the initial carbon system as carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
Ask questions that arise from examining system models to seek additional information about how human activity can be changed to reduce carbon emissions.