Carbon Dioxide Tag*
Climate Change is one of the “hottest” issues right now! This is because the things that people have
been doing for the last 100 years have been adding up and are now changing the climate in a big way.
We contribute to Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, one of the main greenhouse gases that cause Climate
Change, just by going about our everyday activities!
By playing Carbon Dioxide Tag, students will gain a better understanding of the impacts of human activity on the
climate, specifically the greenhouse gas effect, and how we can make different choices to lessen our impact on the
climate. Before the game, have students read Climate Change: An Introduction on ecokids.ca.
Learning Objectives:
Materials Needed:
• Gain a better understanding of the
processes causing Climate Change
• Strips of cloth
• Action cards
• Chalk
• Demonstrate the greenhouse effect
by showing how CO2 in the atmosphere
traps heat and insulates the Earth
Game Outline:
You can play this game outdoors in a large
field or indoors in a gym or large classroom.
• Show that human activities affect the
concentration of CO2 and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Cut out the cards provided with this game
(feel free to add more). Draw two large
concentric circles on the ground (or form
circles using cloth strips, if indoors), one
about two feet in diameter and the other
about 15 feet in diameter (or adjust the earth
and the larger circle represents the Earth’s
atmosphere. Make sure to discuss the results
after playing each round.
• Discuss impacts on the environment from
higher concentrations of CO2 on the
atmosphere
Two students represent CO2 molecules inside the atmosphere. They cannot move their feet inside the circle and
have to stay in one place. The rest of the students represent sunbeams entering and escaping the atmosphere.
The object of the game is for the sunbeams to enter the atmosphere, touch the Earth (inner circle) then escape the
atmosphere without getting tagged by a CO2 molecule. Tagged sunbeams must stand still in the atmosphere.
During the first round, most of the energy will have escaped the atmosphere because CO2 levels are low.
Change the number of CO2 molecules in the atmosphere during the second round, by picking action cards that
either add or remove CO2 from the atmosphere. After a student reads a card, increase or decrease the number of CO2
molecules in the atmosphere. Sunbeams must try to enter and escape the atmosphere without getting tagged by
the multiple CO2 molecules. Since there are more taggers, more energy will be trapped in the atmosphere causing a
warming climate.
earthday.ca
Carbon Dioxide Tag*
Play another round while reading more action cards out loud (continue to add and take away CO2 molecules) and have
students observe each time how an increase in CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere, causing the Earth to warm up. Also
discuss how even small-scale actions can decrease the amount of greenhouse gas that we emit to the atmosphere.
After the activity, review the lessons learned with the students and encourage them to come up with ideas on how they
can help reduce CO2. Here are some discussion questions to get you started:
1. How do human actions enhance the greenhouse effect?
2. What are some things that we do every day that cause CO2 emissions?
3. Identify different choices ( i.e. using alternative energy sources) we can make to lessen our impact on the climate and
environment.
Check out ecokids.ca for some great Climate Change activities!
Climate Change Quizzes
www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/quiz/index.cfm
Errand Run: The Alternative Transportation Game
www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/environmental/errandRun/index.cfm
How Energy Efficient Are You?
www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/energy_efficient/index.cfm
earthday.ca
Carbon Dioxide Tag*
earthday.ca