LESSON PLAN

Your Name: Leeza Drummond

Title of Lesson: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Grade: 5

STANDARDS
Language Arts Standards:
(5.W.7)
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

(5.W.8)
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase
information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

Next Generation Science Standard:
(5-ESS3-1)
Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earths resources and
environment.

LESSON SUMMARY/OVERVIEW
This lesson allows students to recall their actions and reflect on what steps they can take to reduce their carbon emissions. By Day
Five students will have a deep understanding of how fossil fuels are naturally produced and what effects they have on our
environment. Now we want to find out what steps we can take to reduce our carbon emissions. Students will calculate their
Household Carbon Footprint using the information from the questionnaire they took home on Day One. The calculator can be found
in this link:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA],
2013a).

At the end they will present at least three goals they can take to reduce their carbon emissions to the class.

OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to recall their day-to-day actions with vehicles, home energy, waste, etc. in order to calculate their carbon
emissions using the Carbon Footprint Calculator. They will then research actions they can take to reduce their carbon footprint using
credible information from the EPA. They will summarize at least three goals into one typed paragraph or draw at three pictures
representing actions they can take to reduce their carbon emissions. Each student will present his or her goals to the class.

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Students will complete the Household Carbon Footprint Calculator then pick at least three goals and write a paragraph or draw
pictures that explain(s) how they can reduce their carbon emissions. They must include which sources they used for further research.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE
Prior to this lesson, students will need to know what fossil fuels are/how they are naturally produced in the environment, and why they
are harmful for the environment.

MATERIALS
Computer with internet access for every student.
Completed take-home questionnaire.
Computer with connected projector and screen for teacher.
Crayons/colored pencils/markers
Construction paper
Lined paper
Pencils

VOCABULARY/KEY WORDS
Carbon Footprint The total amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere each year by a person, family,
building, organization, or company. A persons carbon footprint includes greenhouse gas emissions from fuel that an individual burns
directly, such as by heating a home or riding in a car. It also includes greenhouse gases that come from producing the goods or
services that the individual uses, including emissions from power plants that make electricity, factories that make products, and
landfills where trash gets sent (EPA 2013b).

TEACHING PROCEDURES
First, the teacher will ask the class as a whole whether or not they know what Carbon Footprint means. The teacher will
listen carefully and clarify any confusion with what a Carbon Footprint is. If students do not reply, the teacher will discuss
with them that Carbon Footprint is a measure of your impact on the environment (FPL, 2009).
The teacher will proceed to the Environmental Sustainability - we have choices YouTube video for the class.
After, the teacher will explain to students that they will be using their Questionnaire to find out their impact on the
environment and what they can do to reduce that.
The teacher will then ask students to take out their completed Carbon Footprint Questionnaire that was given out on day one.
The teacher will take the students to the computer lab.
At the computer lab the teacher will tell each student to get on a computer and open the internet browser.
The teacher will write www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html on the board and tell students to type
this in the url address box at the top and press enter.
The teacher will open the website on her computer and project it on the screen for the class to see.
The teacher will briefly walk the students through each section of the carbon footprint calculator.
When done, the teacher will tell the students to use their questionnaire to fill in the calculator.
The teacher will ask students to get started while she walks around the room and helps where needed. (This should take about
15 minutes).
After the teacher sees that most students are done filling out the online calculator the teacher will discuss with students about
how every action from miles driven in a car, to the appliances used in their home emits are systems that have to be supported
by the earth. She will explain that Systems Thinking involves complex interconnected social, economic, and environmental
relationships that can directly and indirectly affect one another. No outcome of any system can be entirely predicted;
however we can analyze the available data and try to make educated decisions accordingly.
Students should be able to see the cascading effect that pollution through the use of fossil fuels has on the environment.
Fossil fuels impact complex systems that are interconnected with one another like marine life, climate, air quality, and soil.
The students will then be asked to write a paragraph or draw pictures that include(s)/represent at least three goals they will do
to reduce their carbon emissions. (This should take roughly 30 minutes).
After the students are done they will present their goals to the rest of the class.

RESOURCES
Arizona State University. (2014). Sustainability Science for Teachers. Fossil Fuels. Assignment A. Retrieved from: ecollege.asu.edu

Crex Consulting. (2011). Environmental Sustainability - we have choices. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnYHFRq7-5s

EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]. (2013a). Household Carbon Footprint Calculator. Retrieved from:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html

EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]. (2013b). Glossary of climate change. Retrieved from:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/glossary.html

FPL [Florida Power & Light Company]. (2009). My Carbon Footprint? Retrieved from:
http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16175

WAYS OF THINKING CONNECTION
Systems Thinking
Day five of this weeks lesson is about reflecting on the known effects of using fossil fuels. Students should see that each effect has
more interconnected consequences. Likewise, solutions to reduce carbon emissions and other pollutions cannot be solved without
sufficient effort and research.