Lesson 1: I plan to introduce students to the fact that air has mass with a short demonstration. Publicly weigh a deflated basketball (or similar item). Pump it full of air. Have students predict if the weight will increase, decrease, or stay the same. It will weigh more. This leads to direct instruction of what air is made of and the layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Start a KWL chart on climate change.
Lesson 2: Begin reading our watching some of the recommended resources. Introduce students to the digital hub created with links to NASA’s Climate Kids site. Use Padlet or a similar platform where you can pose questions for students to respond to. Direct teach about carbon as explained in the background information section of this unit.
Lesson 3: Complete a carbon footprint calculator. There are several online. My favorite is https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator. This can be done individually, but at this age it may be best to complete one together. Have students generate ideas to reduce their carbon footprint. Introduce the school garden or citizen science project (if doing any of these).
Lesson 4: Investigate the albedo effect of different colored surfaces. This can be done outside or on a windowsill. Use different colors of cloth or paper (try to keep it the same material) and use digital thermometers to measure and tabulate results. If not available, placing the same amount of ice on each surface and observing the melt rate will suffice. Introduce the concept of the greenhouse effect.
Lesson 5: Build a solar oven! There are many examples online, some even commercially available. Students should compare the results to a variety of solar ovens to determine which designs “cooked” better. I recommend trying to make cookies. Pre-made dough will make this easier. This activity connects to the concept of a greenhouse effect.
Extend your lesson planning by exploring many of the different resources on NASA Climate Kids as well as Climate Change Education Exchange (https://www.climatechangeeducationexchange.org/home). There are many individual projects and games available.