Greenhouse Gas Grab Bag
What are greenhouse gas producers?
How can you help reduce greenhouse gases?
Utah Core Objectives
Fifth Grade
Science Std 1, Obj. 2
Health Education Std. 7 Obj. 2
Objectives
• Students review/learn how
greenhouse gases can become
trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere and cause climate
change.
• Students can name two greenhouse gases and their sources
• Students can list ways to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
Materials Needed
• This Is My Planet by Jan
Thornhill
• Worksheet for each student
• Grab-bag or box
• Gas producers and solutions
cards—copied double sided (A1/
B1; A2/B2 etc) and cut into individual strips (lamination optional)
Time
30-50 minutes
For more information contact:
Recycle Utah
1951 Woodbine Way
PO Box 682998
Park City, UT. 84068
(435) 649-9698
www.recycleutah.org
Prior to the class
Read background material on pages 8-21 in This is My Planet:
The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming by Jan Thornhill or research
material on the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases and their
sources.
Fill grab bag or box with gas producers and solutions.
Copy worksheets to each student.
Instructions
Introduction of basic concepts
Open the topic of the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases.
Explain the diagram on the worksheet. See if students can name a
greenhouse gas and its source. Explain they are going play a
game to learn interesting facts about greenhouse gases and how
they can help reduce the causes of the greenhouse effect.
What are greenhouse gas producers?
Use the cards to discuss natural and human producers of the
following greenhouse gases:
• Carbon dioxide CO2
• Water vapor H2O
• Methane CH4
• Nitrous oxide N2O
(Ozone is also a greenhouse gas but it is not covered)
The simplest way to make the grab bag interactive is to divide
students into pairs and have student A draw a card and read the
gas producer side out loud; have student B read the solution side
out loud. Since some students are not good readers or presenters,
you may want to read the gas producer side yourself, making sure
the entire class understands the learning points. When the partner
reads the solution sides, make sure students understand how their
individual behavior has a beneficial effect on reducing greenhouse gases.
- continued next page-
1
Greenhouse Gas Grab Bag
- Continued Questions and Answers on the Gas Producer Cards
Some cards have questions which are answered by other cards. If
students cannot answer the question, retain the card and help them
answer the question when the appropriate card comes up.
•
•
•
•
•
Which fuels used in making electricity are renewable
(infinite)? Hydropower (from rushing water), solar power,
wind, incinerating trash. Which are not renewable (finite)?
Oil and coal
Why does water vapor make up the largest portion of greenhouse gas in the Earth’s’ atmosphere? Because oceans make
up the largest portion of the Earth’s surface and water
evaporates from oceans.
Do you know what greenhouse gas is produced from burning
oil? Carbon dioxide
Why has cutting down forests contributed to the greenhouse
effect? There are fewer trees to absorb carbon dioxide.
What greenhouse gas is absorbed by trees? Carbon dioxide
Helpful definitions
• Energy— power eg. electricity, fuel, force
• Renewable energy — energy source that can’t run out
• Greenhouse effect—when Earth’s atmosphere heats up
• Greenhouse gas — gases that are responsible for the Earth
and it’s atmosphere heating up
• Compost/composting — a mixture of decaying matter than
turns into rich soil that is good for plants to grow
• Industrial Revolution — a time in history when hand tools
were replaced by big machines and small workshops were replaced by large factories; also when horses were replaced by
steam engines
• Carbon footprint — your overall emissions of greenhouse
gases through your everyday activities and life
Final Activity
Have students complete the worksheet and review the answers
when they have finished. Collect the worksheets.
This lesson plan
made possible by a
grant from The
Hemingway
Foundation.
Suggested Additional Activities
• Have students report on pages of their choice in “This is My
Planet: The Kids Guide to Global Warming” by Jan Thornhill
Related books
• “What if the Polar Ice Caps Melted” by Katherine Friedman
• “A Clean Sky: The Global Warming Story” by Robyn C.
Friend and Judith Love Cohen
2
Greenhouse Grab Bag
Your Name: ____________________________
“Greenhouse gases help to
keep our world from being
either too hot or too cold.
But the amounts of some
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing.
Most scientists think these
gases are enhancing the
greenhouse effect and are
making our planet warmer.”
— Jan Thornhill, “This Is My
Planet”
Name four greenhouse gases
1 __________________________________
2 __________________________________
3 __________________________________
4 __________________________________
Name a human source
Name a natural source
______________________
_______________________
Why should we reduce human-produced greenhouse gases?
A. Greenhouse gases are poisonous
B. Heat trapped by greenhouse gases can cause climate change
List three ways you can help reduce greenhouse gases
1 _________________________________________
2 _________________________________________
3 _________________________________________
3
Cows and sheep produce
a greenhouse gas called
METHANE
through their burps!
The average cow belches
158 gallons of methane every day!
Cars produce CARBON DIOXIDE.
Cars burn fossil fuels
like gasoline, which is NOT
a renewable resource.
Once gas is used up,
it’s gone forever!
Trees help reduce greenhouse gas
because they take in carbon dioxide and
release oxygen.
Trees also release WATER VAPOR.
Trees produce water vapor naturally and
that water vapor along with other kinds
of evaporation contributes to
the greenhouse effect.
A1
4
RECYCLE
You can’t do much about cows and
sheep but you can RECYCLE!
Recycling reduces greenhouse gases
because it takes less energy to
make products and that means less
CARBON DIOXIDE is emitted.
RIDE
THE
BUS
Save fossil fuels
PLANT
TREES
Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2)
B1
5
Nuclear power plants produce
needed electricity. But they also
produce water vapor.
WATER VAPOR makes up the largest
portion of greenhouse gas in the
Earth’s atmosphere. Why?
Power plants that make electricity
by burning coal or oil
produce CARBON DIOXIDE.
Electricity can also be made from the
sun, rushing rivers, dams, and from
burning trash.
Which ways are renewable?
Factories often burn fossil fuels to
make their products.
Since the Industrial Revolution began
in the 1700s, when people learned how
to mass produce products in factories,
CARBON DIOXIDE levels have
increased by ONE THIRD!
A2
6
You can’t do much about water vapor
but you can use LESS
electricity. When you’re not using them,
Turn off lights.
Turn off the TV.
Turn off the computer!
SAVE
ENERGY
Use CFLS,
Not light bulbs
BUY PRODUCTS
THAT HAVE
LESS
PACKAGING
Less to throw away!
B2
7
Oceans produce two kinds of
greenhouse gas:
WATER VAPOR, which comes from
evaporation, and
NITROUS OXIDE,
which is also called “laughing gas.”
When bacteria breaks down nitrogen in
soil, NITROUS OXIDE is produced.
NITROUS OXIDE is 300 times
more able to trap heat
inside the Earth’s atmosphere
than carbon dioxide.
We are lucky there is not as much
nitrous oxide as carbon dioxide!
What does a “cow pie” have to do
with greenhouse gas?
Animal manure and fertilizer are two
important sources of
NITROUS OXIDE.
What other greenhouse gas
comes from cows?
A3
8
You can’t stop natural processes
in the oceans but you CAN
save water
TAKE SHORTER
SHOWERS
Saves energy too!
Turning vegetable matter
into healthy soil
is more beneficial:
COMPOST
Don’t worry about natural producers
of greenhouse gas
but DO
worry about too many plastic bags
Bring Your Own
Reusable
Bag
to the grocery store!
B3
9
The process of decay in
landfills produces the greenhouse gas
METHANE.
Methane not only contributes to the
greenhouse effect, but it can explode!
Trucks travel millions of miles
bringing important goods to stores.
They burn diesel fuel
which is made from petroleum.
Do you know what greenhouse gas is
produced from burning oil?
Cutting down forests in many
parts of the world
has contributed to the
greenhouse effect.
Why?
What greenhouse gas
is absorbed by trees?
A4
10
You aren’t in charge of methane at the
landfill, but you are in charge of
RECYCLING
at home and school.
Send less trash to the landfill!
Offset your “carbon footprint”
RIDE YOUR BIKE
CARPOOL
WRITE TO CONGRESS
AND THE SENATE
Say you want
Renewable energy &
Re-planted forests
B4
11