Carbon Footprint Game
Teacher Resource Pack
Primary Years - Middle Years
NRM Education
The NRM Education Program is playing a critical role in contributing to
the knowledge, skills and confidence of young people and educators to
manage natural resources sustainably.
This resource provides information and activities for students to learn
about their carbon footprint.
Students work out how many tonnes of carbon they would produce
based on lifestyle choices, then discuss what changes they might make.
For more information or to discuss opportunities for your school, contact
your local NRM Education Coordinator:
Upper Murray
Lower Murray
NRM Education Coordinator
NRM Education Coordinator
Natural Resources Centre
Natural Resources Centre
2 Wade Street
110A Mannum Road
Berri SA 5343
Murray Bridge SA 5253
Phone 08 8580 1820
Phone 08 8532 9134
Fax 08 8582 4488
Fax 08 8531 1843
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
2
Contents
Unit Overview
Page 4
Introductory Lesson
Page 5
Carbon Footprint Game Lesson
Page 5
Carbon Footprint Game record sheet Page 6-8
Carbon Footprint pictures
Page 9-14
Take Action Lesson
Page 15
Curriculum Links
Page 16
Resources
Page 17
NRM Education Contact Details
Page 18
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
3
Unit Overview
Year levels: Year 4 to Year 9
Learning areas: Science, Design & Technology
Big ideas: Our carbon footprint represents the amount of greenhouse gases produced by our lifestyle
choices. By considering our lifestyle choices we can reduce our carbon footprint and decrease our
contribution to the greenhouse effect and climate change.
Sustainability organising ideas:
OI.3 Sustainable patterns of living rely on the interdependence of healthy social, economic and
ecological systems.
OI.7 Actions for a more sustainable future reflect values of care, respect and responsibility, and
require us to explore and understand environments.
OI.8 Designing action for sustainability requires an evaluation of past practices, the assessment
of scientific and technological developments, and balanced judgments based on projected future
economic, social and environmental impacts.
Students will know / understand / do:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Know the definition of a carbon footprint
Understand that production and consumption of goods and services creates greenhouse gases
Understand the relationship between greenhouse gases and climate change
Identify future lifestyle choices
Understand that different human activities produce different amounts of greenhouse gases
Suggest ways to reduce their carbon footprints
Implement actions to reduce their carbon footprints
Essential questions:
• What is a carbon footprint?
• What impact do our lifestyle choices have on the greenhouse effect and our climate?
• How can we decrease our carbon footprint?
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
4
Introductory Lesson
Introducing carbon footprints
Students should already have an understanding of the greenhouse effect and climate change.
Talk about how producing electricity, driving vehicles, producing food, and manufacturing items such
as clothes and electronics emits greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. Some processes emit
less greenhouse gases e.g. solar power is better than electricity produced by burning cool, or plantbased foods are better for the environment than meat production.
Discuss the definition of the carbon footprint.
Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organisation, event,
product or person. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for a year.
You can think of your carbon footprint as a measure of your impact on the environment. Having
a small carbon footprint is better than having a large one, and a good goal is becoming what is
known as carbon neutral. That’s when the combination of all your activities releases the same
amount of CO2 as they absorb. When you are carbon neutral, your carbon footprint is zero.
Carbon Footprint Game Lesson
Place students in pairs or small groups.
Print out the recording sheets (pages 6-8). You will need one set per pair/group.
Print out the picture cards (pages 9-14). You will need one set per pair/group.
Provide each pair/group with counters e.g. small blocks, tokens.
Using the picture cards, students layout the lifestyle they would like in the future. They add up the
number of carbon tokens they will use, to represent the tonnes of carbon they will emit.
hey have completed the activity, discuss the number of carbon tokens they ended up with. What does
this represent?
Knowing the how much carbon they would produce, would they make changes to reduce their carbon
footprint? What changes would they make? If they can’t or won’t eliminate or change their choices,
how could they offset their carbon emissions to become carbon neutral?
Please note:
The carbon footprint results are representative
only, providing students to compare choices,
rather than being giving exact data.
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
5
Our Carbon Footprint
Using the picture cards, layout the lifestyle you want in the future.
Add up the number of ‘carbon tokens’ (tonnes of carbon) your dream house
and lifestyle choices use.
The number indicated next to each item is PER item (e.g. If you have two
Toyota Hilux vehicles, you need to take 20 tokens).
For some steps you can choose multiple cards (e.g. you may want a garden
with a small lawn, a veggie garden and trees).
Example:
Selection
4WD
Selection
Tokens
How many? Tonnes of carbon
10
Tokens
2 cars
(tokens x how many)
10 x 2 = 20
How many? Tonnes of carbon
(tokens x how many)
Size of your house/block (choose one)
Choose what sort of house you will have:
HUGE - Mansion or large house with
several bedrooms/bathrooms on a large
block
LARGE - Brick home or similar with 4
bedrooms+ and 2 bathrooms+ on a large
block
MEDIUM - Terrace or house with 2-4
bedrooms, up to 2 bathrooms
SMALL - cottage or modest house with 2-3
bedrooms, 1 bathroom, on a small block
4
3
2
2
Energy (Red Cards) (choose one)
Choose what sort of energy you will use to power your house:
Mains Electricity
4
Natural Gas
2
Solar Power
1
Wind Power
1
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
6
Selection
Tokens
How many? Tonnes of carbon
(tokens x how many)
Heating/Cooling (Orange Cards) (choose as many as you want)
Choose what heating/cooling you will have:
Electric heating/cooling (e.g. split
systems/ducted)
Gas heating
Wood heating
Passive heating (just windows for air flow
and sunlight)
3
2
1
0
Personal Transport (Grey Cards) (choose as many as you want)
Choose what transport you will use?
4WD (e.g. Toyota Hilux)
Small Manual Car (e.g. Toyota Corolla)
Hybrid Car (e.g. Toyota Prius)
Bus or Public Transport
Cycling or Walking
10
4
3
2
0
Eating (Dark Brown Cards) (choose one)
Choose what sort of food you will eat:
Red Meat (Beef or Lamb) at least once
per day
Balanced Meals (Red/White Meat and
Fish)
Organic, Vegetarian, Local
6
2
0
Grocery shopping (Light Brown Cards) (choose as many as you want)
Where will you get your food from?
Major Supermarket (Coles/Woolies)
Local Supermarket stocking local foods
(IGA)
Local Farmers Market
Grow your own fruit & veg
3
2
0
0
Stuff (Dark Pink Cards) (choose either mostly new or mostly secondhand,
then add things with loads of packaging if you want)
What sort of ‘stuff’ you will own?
Mostly NEW clothes and furniture
Mostly secondhand clothes and furniture
Things with loads of packaging
4
0
1
Waste (Yellow Cards) (choose one)
How do you dispose of waste?
Mostly Landfill
Recycling (more than half)
Recycling & compost (more than half)
Recycling & compost (small amount
because not much comes in packaging)
4
3
2
1
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
7
Selection
Tokens
How many? Tonnes of carbon
(tokens x how many)
Garden (Green Cards) (choose as many as you want)
What sort of garden will you have?
Big lawned areas
Small lawn
Rose Garden
Vegetable Garden
Trees
Native garden (with local native plants)
4
2
1
0
-1 (take one
token away)
-2 (take
two tokens
away)
Drinking water (Light Blue Cards) (choose one)
Where does your drinkable water come from?
Mains water (tap)
Rainwater tanks
Bottled Water
2
0
5
Activities (Purple Cards) (choose as many as you want)
What activities will you undertake?
Skydiving
Travel
Quad bikes (or other extreme sports)
Movies & Restaurants
Bushwalking
Gardening
5
5
5
3
0
0
Travel (Dark Blue Cards) (choose as many as you want)
What sort of travel will you do?
International travel
Bus or train travel around Australia
Public transport locally
Stay at home
Selection
4
2
1
0
Tokens
How many? Tonnes of carbon
(tokens x how many)
Home Entertainment (Light Pink Cards) (choose as many as you want)
What sort of home entertainment will you have?
Wide screen plasma tv
2
Surround sound 1
Game console (e.g. Xbox)
2
mp3 Player (iPod)
1
Computer
2
iPad
1
TOTAL:
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
8
SMALL Modest Stone Cottage
MEDIUM Two-storey Terrace
SMALL Handbuilt Shack/Hut
SMALL Modest Stone Cottage
MEDIUM Two-storey Terrace
LARGE Brick House
HUGE Dream Home / Mansion
LARGE Brick / Modern House
HUGE Dream Home/Mansion
HUGE Dream Home/Mansion
Quad Bikes
Bus or Train Travel
Interstate
mp3 Player
Travel
International
Travel
Game Console
Computer
Local Public
Transport
Movies
iPad
Stay at Home
Restaurants
Trees
Big Screen TV
Bushwalking
Surround Sound
Gardening
Solar Energy
Gas Heating
Red Meat
Mains Electricity
Electric Heating /
Cooling
Cycling or
Walking
Balanced Meals
Large 4WD
Natural Gas
Organic,
Vegetarian
Small Manual
Wind Power
Major
Supermarket
Hybrid
Passive Heating /
Cooling
Locally Owned
Supermarket
Bus / Public
Transport
Wood Fire
Grow Your Own
Recycling & Compost
(More Than Half)
Native Garden
Local Farmers
Market
Recycling
(More Than Half)
Vegetable Garden
Mains Water
Recycling & Compost
(Small Amount)
Mostly New Clothes
& Furniture
Rainwater Tanks
Big Lawned Areas
Mostly Second Hand
Clothes & Furniture
Bottled Water
Small Lawn
Things with LOADS
of Packaging
Skydiving
Rose Garden
Mostly Landfill
Electric Heating /
Cooling
Game Console
Gas Heating
Electric Heating /
Cooling
Big Screen TV
Wood Fire
iPad
mp3 Player
Large 4WD
mp3 Player
Computer
Small Manual
iPad
Hybrid
Surround Sound
Big Screen TV
Take Action Lesson
Step 1 - Take action
Ask students to consider the size of their carbon footprint now. What changes could they make to
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions? Brainstorm ideas in small groups.
Ask each student to select one behaviour they will commit to change. How will they remind
themselves to make this change? Are there other people they could also encourage to make changes
e.g. siblings, parents, another class?
Step 2 - Follow up discussion
Why is it important to reduce our carbon footprint?
Is it just families and schools who need to reduce their carbon footprint?
How could this class, this school, or this town reduce their carbon footprint?
How could we let others know how important it is to reduce carbon footprint?
What benefits could come from reducing carbon footprints?
What may happen if we can not reduce our carbon footprint?
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
15
Curriculum Links
D&T
Science
Year
Content Description
5
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE217)
6
Energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity (ACSSU219)
6
Scientific knowledge is used to inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE220)
7
Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are non-renewable (ACSSU116)
7
Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions
may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)
8
Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions
may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135)
5-6
Investigate how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations,
including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments for current and future use
(ACTDEK019)
7-8
Examine and prioritise competing factors including social, ethical and sustainability considerations in
the development of technologies and designed solutions to meet community needs for preferred futures
(ACTDEK029)
9-10
Critically analyse factors, including social, ethical and sustainability considerations, that impact on
designed solutions for global preferred futures and the complex design and production processes involved
(ACTDEK040)
9-10
Explain how products, services and environments evolve with consideration of preferred futures and the
impact of emerging technologies on design decisions (ACTDEK041)
Note 1: the curriculum links listed here are the ones most closely related to the lessons, but the list is not exhaustive and
there may be links to other learning areas, strands and year levels which are also fulfilled by these lesson ideas.
Note 2: curriculum links are not included for Additional Activities. Please refer to ACARA for relevant links if you
undertake any of these activities.
Note 3: links can be made to other subject areas including Maths (Data representation and interpretation) and Geography
(particularly Reflecting and responding, ‘Places and liveability’ in Year 7, and ‘Environmental change and management’ in
Year 10).
Note 4: For Cross-curriculum priorities and General capabilities, check the Content Descriptions at ACARA.
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
16
Resources
NRM Education Resources
Addressing You Classroom’s Carbon Footprint
Students audit energy use in their classroom and calculate how many trees they would need to plant
to offset their carbon emissions. They identify ways to reduce energy use and put these ideas into
practice, then repeat their measurements and see what effect their changes have had.
Visit the Natural Resources SAMDB website for this resource and more:
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin
Useful Websites
The following websites contain information, resources, activities and interactive games associated
with the climate change and its issues:
Climate Change: www.climatechange.gov.au/
The Federal Government’s site on climate change.
Sustainable and Attainable: www.sustainableschools.sa.edu.au/
DECD website with information and resources on climate change.
SA Power Networks: www.sapowernetworks.com.au/
Includes information about electricity in the ‘Education’ section.
Bureau of Meteorology: www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/
Information, trends, maps and data sets to track climate change.
The Climate Reality Project: http://educators.climatereality.org.au/
Terrific educational resources that explore climate change and what can be done.
CSIRO’s CarbonKids: www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Teachers/Classroom-activities/CarbonKids/
Carbon-Kids.aspx
An educational program that combines the latest in climate science with education in sustainability.
World Wildlife Fund: www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/
footprint_calculator/
Fantastic footprint calculator to work out how many planets are required to support your lifestyle.
EPA (USA): www.epa.gov/climatestudents/index.html
An American site, but good information about climate change aimed at students.
Operation Coolenation: www.carbonplanet.com/operation_coolenation
A fun resource that helps communicate the science of climate change, the issues, and the solutions.
Natural Resources, SA Murray-Darling Basin: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin
Information about managing natural resources in the SA Murray-Darling Basin region.
Home Energy Toolkit
Contains instruments for students to identify, measure, monitor and audit energy patterns at school
or at home. Includes a Multifunction Energy Meter. Available for loan from the NRM Education team.
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
17
Contact Details
Upper Murray
Lower Murray
NRM Education Coordinator
NRM Education Coordinator
Natural Resources Centre
Natural Resources Centre
2 Wade Street
110A Mannum Road
Berri SA 5343
Murray Bridge SA 5253
Phone 08 8580 1820
Phone 08 8532 9134
Fax 08 8582 4488
Fax 08 8531 1843
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/samurraydarlingbasin
This resource is funded by the NRM Levy, enabling landholders and the
community to play an active role in our region’s future.
Carbon Footprint Game Teacher Resource Pack
18