Think Earth 2014/15
Fifth Grade
Topic: Greenhouse Gases Emissions and
Carbon Footprinting
Lesson Plan:
Learning Objectives
 Four main
greenhouse gases,
climate change,
renewable energy
sources
 Students can list
ways to reduce
their own CO2
emissions
1. GHG Power point presentation. Get permission
beforehand to use the teacher’s computer w/our CD. This
presentation is long so try to focus most on the following:
a. What is a renewable source vs. non-renewable
source? (water, wind, solar, geothermal vs. oil, coal &
natural gas).
b. What are the main sources of GHG emissions (Carbon
Dioxide CO2, Methane CH4, Nitrous Oxide N20 and Water
vapor H2O)
c. How are trash & recycling related to GHG emissions?
(40 minutes)
Core Objectives
1. 5th grade:
Educational
Technology,
Standard 5
2. 5th grade: Science,
Standard 2
Time:
45 -60 minutes
2. In the middle of the presentation there is a carbonfootprinting exercise on www.pc.green.org website that the
class will do together
Materials Needed:
 Powerpoint
presentation
 Worksheet
 Pencils
1. Students should get a good overview of greenhouse gases
and why they are a problem today.
2. Students need to know primarily about human-made
greenhouse gases, where they come from and what are
some natural alternatives to using finite resources.
3. Lastly, they need to increase awareness about their own
personal contribution to the gases and ways to improve as a
person, family and community.
Spare time Activities:
 Posters
3. Greenhouse Gas Activity Sheet – do in pairs then report
answers
(10 minutes)
Key Concepts:
Handouts:
 HHW flyer
 RU tri-fold
 Teacher e-mail of
lesson review
This lesson plan is
made possible by a
grant from The
Hemingway Foundation
Recycle Utah, 1951 Woodbine Way / PO Box 682998, Park
City, UT 84068.
PH: 435.649.9698. Recycling drop open 24/7.
Visit us at www.recycleutah.org
Greenhouse Gas Facts:
Trees: trees help reduce greenhouse gas because they take in Carbon Dioxide and release oxygen. Trees
also release Water Vapor. Trees produce water vapor naturally and that water vapor along with other
kids of evaporation contributes to the greenhouse effect. Should we cut down all the trees? A: No – why?
Oceans: Oceans produce two kinds of greenhouse gas: Water Vapor, which comes from evaporation and
Nitrous Oxide, which is also called “laughing gas.” Where might you have “laughing gas?” A: the dentist
Cows: Cows and sheep produce a greenhouse gas called Methane through their burps! The average cow
belches 158 gallons of methane every day. Should we get ride of all the cows? A: No. Why not?
Carbon Dioxide: Factories often burn fossil fuels to make their products. Since the Industrial Revolution
began in the 1800’s, when people learned how to mass produce products in factories, Carbon Dioxide
levels have increased by ONE THIRD. Coal and oil are fossil fuels? What does the term fossil fuel mean?
In other words, how did the term fossil fuel get its name? A: These energy sources were made millions
and billions of years ago. Fossils of animals and dinosaurs have been found in the layers deep in the earth
where these energy sources are found.
Power plants that make electricity by burning Coal or Oil produce Carbon Dioxide. Electricity can also be
made from the sun, rushing rivers, dams and from burning trash. Which of the four ways I just mentioned
are renewable energy sources? A: All are renewable although trash is debatable. Some people contend
that humans will always create waste, so trash is a renewable energy source.
Helpful Definitions:
 Energy – power eg. Electricity, fuel, force
 Renewable energy – energy source that can’t run out
 Greenhouse effect – when Earth’s atmosphere heats up
 Greenhouse gas – gases that are responsible for the Earth and its atmosphere heating up
 Composting – a mixture of decaying matter that turns into rich soil that is good for plants to grow
 Industrial Revolution – a time in history when hand tools were replaced by big machines and
small workshops were replaced by large factories: also when horses were replaced by steam
engines
 Carbon footprint – your overall emissions of greenhouse gases through your everyday activities
and life
Questions:
1. Which fuels used in making electricity are renewable (infinite)? Hydropower (from rushing water),
solar power, wind, incinerating trash. Which are not renewable? Oil and coal.
2. Why does water vapor make up the largest portion of greenhouse gas in the Earth’s atmosphere?
Because oceans make up the largest portion of the Earth’s surface and water evaporates from oceans.
3. Do you know what greenhouse gas is produced from burning oil? Carbon Dioxide.
4. Why has cutting down forests contributed to the greenhouse effect? There are fewer trees to absorb
carbon dioxide.
5. What greenhouse gas is absorbed by trees? Carbon Dioxide.
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is how carbon in all of its various forms moves between plants, animals, the
oceans, and the atmosphere. The graphic shows how carbon moves. When it’s in the
atmosphere, carbon is combined with two oxygen atoms making a molecule called carbon
dioxide (CO2). Plants absorb carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food. This
process is called photosynthesis. In this process, carbon becomes part of the plant, and the
plant releases oxygen. When the plants die and are buried under layers of earth for millions
of years, they may become fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.
When these fuels are burned, the carbon is released back to the atmosphere. Some of it is as
carbon monoxide (where carbon is combined with only one oxygen atom), and this is a
poisonous gas. The rest combines with two oxygen atoms to again form CO2. Animals do just
the opposite as plants. They inhale air from the atmosphere, use the oxygen, and exhale
CO2.
As the world has industrialized over the past 150 years, man is causing much more carbon to
be released into the atmosphere. This additional carbon in the atmosphere is what some
scientists believe is a part of causing our earth to warm up. This is why you hear people
concerned about global warming. And it is why many people are looking for ways we can
reduce the amount of carbon we produce, and for ways to remove carbon that is already
there.