RAFT

Science: Carbon Dioxide

ROLE (student)

AUDIENCE

FORMAT

TOPIC

Row 1

Class TV
Reporter
(Oral, Most
Levels)

Peers/Teachers/
Parents

Interview/Video
Broadcast

What's Your
Carbon
Footprint|?

Row 2

The Car Bon

DeOxide Family
(Kinestetic,
Gifted levels)

Fellow CO2
Travelers

Model or a
Video Game of
Carbon Cycle
Journey

Carbon Cycle and

Climate Change :
The Car Bon
DeOxide family
trip has been
interrupted

Row 3

Mad
Scientist/Inventor
Speaks (Written,
Lower Levels)

The Earth
by
Special Request

Bulleted List in
print

Help the Earth by

finding ways to
keep too much
Carbon Dioxide
getting trapped in
the air

RAFT Task Card 1: Science

Objective:
You will be able to describe the Carbon Footprint and calculate it for others.
Student Role:
Class TV Reporter
Audience:
Peers/Teachers/Parents
Format:
Interview/Video Broadcast
Topic:
What's Your Carbon Footprint?
Directions:
1. You will visit the Nature Conservancy to learn more about carbon footprints.
2. Also visit The Five W's and How to learn how to ask fact finding questions.
3. Create a series of 3 questions for your interview based on your research.
4. Using a device with a camera, a camera person, and another device with an
Internet connection, conduct interviews with at least 3-5 people from your class,
your parents, and your teachers. Ask them the questions you have prepared. Have
them take the carbon footprint test with your handheld device while your camera
person records them.
5. Compile and record a small introduction and conclusion for your production
based on the answers from your interviews. Download your interviews and
combine them with your introduction and conclusion.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
The Nature Conservancy
http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/
Five W's and How printable worksheet
http://www.studenthandouts.com/Assortment-01/Graphic-Organizers/Five-Ws-and-HowPrintable-Instructions.html
What's the Deal with Carbon? - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jp1D1dzxj8

Assessment:
Prepare a short videocast of your Carbon Footprint interviews with you presenting an
introduction and a conclusion.
You will receive up to 25 points for each of the following: five-Ws-and-how worksheet,
completing required number of interviews, and introduction and conclusion of your
broadcast, overall production.

RAFT Task Card 2: Science

Objective:
You will be able to explain how Carbon Dioxide molecule should travel through Carbon
Cycle but gets trapped in the atmosphere because of Climate Change.
Student Role:
The Car Bon DeOxide Family
Audience:
Fellow CO2 Travelers
Format:
Model/Video game of Carbon Cycle featuring the Car Bon DeOxide Family
Topic:
Carbon Cycle trip has been interrupted because of Climate Change
Directions:
1. Visit Geography4Kids.com to learn about the Carbon Cycle
2. For further information, watch: Carbon Cycle and Global Warming, and What's
the Deal with Carbon? Both from Youtube. Also; A Student's Guide to Global
Climate Change.
3. Choose between two: 1. Create a 3-D model of the Carbon Cycle. Visit Tinker
Cad or another web tool you are comfortable using to build your model OR Make
a short video game if you are into coding, visit Science Buddies to choose the
best program for you.
4. Create a script to add voice narration if you are doing a model. Which ever you
choose, be creative and have fun!
5. Read and record your script.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
Geography4Kids
http://www.geography4kids.com/files/cycles_carbon.html
What's the Deal with Carbon?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jp1D1dzxj8
Carbon Cycle and Global Warming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4ODWMZq5U
A Student's Guide to Global Climate Change
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/carbon-dioxide.html
TinkerCad
https://www.tinkercad.com/
Science Buddies
projects/project_ideas/CompSci_Kid_Programming.shtml
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairAssessment:
Create your 3D model or video game of how the Car Bon DeOxide Family travels
through the Carbon Cycle showing how they get trapped in the atmosphere.
You will receive up to 25 points each for content, graphics and game sequences.

RAFT Task Card 3: Science

Objective:
You will know some ways to lower the amount of Carbon dioxide in the air.
Student Role:
Mad Scientist/Inventor
Audience:
The Earth, by special request
Format:
Bulleted List in Print
Topic:
You as the Mad Scientist will be able to help the Earth by finding ways to keep too much
Carbon dioxide from getting trapped in the air.
Directions:
1. Visit Geography4Kids to learn about the Carbon cycle
2. Watch What's the Deal with Carbon? Youtube video
3. Visit Clean Air Kids and the EPA website for more ways to help clean the air
4. Talk to your parents and friends. Tell them the Earth needs their help and ask
them for ideas. Keep track of the things they tell you.
5. Take notes on everything you find. You may type them on your computer in
Google Docs.
6. Look at all your information and organize it in order of importance. You are a
scientist who is mad about all of the bad things that are happening to the Earth!
7.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
Geography4Kids
http://www.geography4kids.com/files/cycles_carbon.html
What's the Deal with Carbon?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jp1D1dzxj8
Clean Air Kids
http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/doingyourbit.html
What Can You Do? From the Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/
Assessment:
Make 3-4 slide bulleted presentation using Power Point or Google Slides that lists the
things you know people can do to help clean up the air. Have fun. You are helping to save
the Earth!
You will receive up to 25 points for the following: having 4-5 things kids can do, 4-5
things parents can do and 4-5 things which teachers can do to help save the Earth's
atmosphere, 25 points for submitting your notes, and 25 points for creating the
presentation.