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Science lesson plan · 10th grade (Year 11 in England) · 30 minutes

Carbon footprints and ways to cut emissions

Weather and climate

CCSS NGSS.HS-ESS3-4CCSS NGSS.HS-ETS1-3CCSS NGSS.SEP 5England: GCSE Combined Science: Chemistry of the atmosphere (carbon footprint)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Carbon footprints and ways to cut emissions.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: The greenhouse effect and climate change

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Weather maps, Thermometers, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (The greenhouse effect and climate change). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which is an effect of climate change? (more oxygen in the air / the Earth stopping rotating / rising sea levels as ice melts and seawater expands / the end of all weather) → rising sea levels as ice melts and seawater expandsPrompt: What happens to glaciers when it warms?
  2. Before 1800, carbon dioxide in the air was about 280 ppm. Recently it was about 410 ppm. By how many ppm has it risen? → 130 ppmPrompt: Subtract the old value from the new value.
  3. Climate change: which statement is NOT true? (Global average temperatures have risen since the 1800s. / The greenhouse effect is caused by the hole in the ozone layer. / Planting trees can help absorb carbon dioxide. / Burning fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.) → The greenhouse effect is caused by the hole in the ozone layer.Prompt: Is the ozone hole the same as the greenhouse effect?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show today's forecast and ask what it means for the class and how forecasters know.
  • Share the objective: Carbon footprints and ways to cut emissions. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: A car emits 120 g of COâ‚‚ per km and is driven 15000 km in a year. How much COâ‚‚ does it emit in the year, in kg?
  • Step 1: 120 × 15000 = 1800000 g
  • Step 2: 1800000 ÷ 1000 = 1800
  • Step 3: So the answer is: 1800 kg
  • Answer: 1800 kg
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. A car emits 180 g of CO₂ per km and is driven 15000 km in a year. How much CO₂ does it emit in the year, in kg? → 2700 kgPrompt: Multiply grams per km by the number of km.
  2. A household emits 3600 kg of CO₂ a year from energy use. Fitting solar panels cuts this by 25 %. How many kg of CO₂ are saved each year? → 900 kgPrompt: Find the percentage of the original amount.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A household emits 3600 kg of CO₂ a year from energy use. Fitting solar panels cuts this by 30 %. How many kg of CO₂ are saved each year? → 1080 kgPrompt: Find the percentage of the original amount.
  2. A car emits 150 g of CO₂ per km and is driven 8000 km in a year. How much CO₂ does it emit in the year, in kg? → 1200 kgPrompt: Multiply grams per km by the number of km.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: The greenhouse effect and climate change.
  • Use concrete materials: weather maps.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-10.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Carbon footprints and ways to cut emissions

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    What does carbon capture and storage (CCS) do?

    • A. burns more fuel
    • B. captures COâ‚‚ from power stations or factories and stores it underground
    • C. turns COâ‚‚ into oxygen in the air
    • D. stores electricity in batteries

  2. Question 2

    A household emits 3000 kg of COâ‚‚ a year from energy use. Fitting solar panels cuts this by 30 %. How many kg of COâ‚‚ are saved each year?

    Answerkg

  3. Question 3

    A car emits 150 g of COâ‚‚ per km and is driven 12000 km in a year. How much COâ‚‚ does it emit in the year, in kg?

    Answerkg

  4. Question 4

    Why is it hard to reduce carbon footprints to zero?

    • A. Footprints cannot be measured at all
    • B. Planting trees increases COâ‚‚
    • C. Renewable energy produces more COâ‚‚ than coal
    • D. Many activities, such as making cement, steel and food, still release greenhouse gases

  5. Question 5

    A household emits 4000 kg of COâ‚‚ a year from energy use. Insulating the loft and walls cuts this by 40 %. How many kg of COâ‚‚ are saved each year?

    Answerkg

  6. Question 6

    A car emits 150 g of COâ‚‚ per km and is driven 8000 km in a year. How much COâ‚‚ does it emit in the year, in kg?

    Answerkg

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Answer key: Carbon footprints and ways to cut emissions

  1. 1. B. captures COâ‚‚ from power stations or factories and stores it underground

  2. 2. 900 kg

  3. 3. 1800 kg

  4. 4. D. Many activities, such as making cement, steel and food, still release greenhouse gases

  5. 5. 1600 kg

  6. 6. 1200 kg