United States Environmental ProtectionAgency

Office of Air and Radiation(6207J)

EPA 430-K-09-005May 2009

1www.epa.gov/climatechange Recycled/Recyclable Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer) Process Chlorine Free

What are the objectives of this curriculum packet? The materials in this packet will introduce students to:

• Theconceptsofclimatechangeandthegreenhouseeffect.• Commonsourcesofgreenhousegasemissionsgeneratedbyhumans.• TheGlobalWarmingWheelCard,whichenablesstudentstoseehowtheirown

actionsgenerategreenhousegasemissions.• Waysinwhichstudentsmightreducetheirindividual,family,school,and

communitycontributionstothegreenhouseeffect.

What are the contents of this curriculum packet? Thepacketcontainsthefollowingitems:

• GlobalWarmingWheelCard(assembled)• InstructionsforMakingaGlobalWarmingWheelCard(unassembled)• GuideforTeachers(includingTeacherNotesonActivities)• FrequentlyAskedQuestionsAboutGlobalWarmingandClimateChange:

Back to Basics• StudentActivities

• Activity#1:UsingtheGlobalWarmingWheelCard• HomeworkforActivity#1:ElectricityUseandCarbonDioxide• Activity#2:WhatYouandYourCommunityCanDotoReduce

CarbonDioxide• Activity#3:ASimpleEnergyAudit

Welcome to the Global Warming Wheel Card Classroom Activity Kit

The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency

designed this curriculum

packet for teachers of

grades 6 through 8

to educate students

about climate change,

its possible effects,

and the kinds of

activities that individuals,

families, schools,

and communities can

take to reduce their

contributions to climate

change. The activities

in this curriculum are

focused on the Global

Warming Wheel Card,

which is included in

this packet.

Thiscurriculumpacketisdesignedtobeusedintwoways:1)foronesessionfocusingontheconstructionanduseofaGlobalWarmingWheelCard,or2)fortwoormoresuccessiveclassroomsessionsthatcovertheconstructionanduseoftheWheelCardplusaseriesofin-depthactivities.

TheWheelCardintroducesstudentstocommonsourcesofcarbondioxide,suchasmanufacturingprocesses,powerplants,andautomobiles.Thefrontsideofthewheelallowsstudentstoestimatehowmuchcarbondioxidetheyandtheirfamiliesproduceinatypicalyearthroughthesesources.Thebacksideofthewheelprovidesthemwithexamplesofactivitiesthattheycanundertaketoreducecarbondioxideemissions.

OncestudentsdemonstrateanunderstandingoftheconceptsintroducedintheGlobalWarmingWheelCard,asubsequentsession(ormore)canprovidemorechallengingquestionsandin-depthactivitiesrelatedtoreducingemissionsofcarbondioxide.

Thematerialsinthispacketaredesignedtobephotocopied.Feelfreetomakeasmanycopiesasyouneedtosharewithyourstudentsorotherteachers.

2www.epa.gov/climatechange