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I chose the study of “carbon footprint” because I feel like it is an important thing for students to be aware of and become familiar with. I want my students to evaluate their carbon footprint so they can see the effect they have on the environment now and for the future. This is a major sustainability topic because it’s directly related to the earth's environment regarding pollution in several ways. I was most shocked by this topic and the many ways there are to reduce my carbon footprint. I realized the many ways I affect the environment and was very interested to how I could treat the environment better.

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This matters to my students because I feel like they will be truly shocked to find the impact they have on the environment on a day to day basis. I find it relevant because this is something I found interesting when discovering and learning about. I feel like I will be able to share this passion and wonder with my students in my future classroom. This is important knowledge for my students to have so they can be aware of their affect on the environment and how they can lower their carbon footprint. It will be good for them to be introduced to this topic and this sort of thinking so that in their future they will already have a basis and be ready to learn more about sustainability related topics. I will incorporate reading and language arts by having then read, discuss, evaluate, and write about their findings and understanding. I will use math to have them calculate their footprint and the possible outcome for years to come as well.

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By the end of this unit, students will know how people affect the environment in ways such as energy, car pollution, and food. They will understand ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Students will know how the environment could be in danger and they will know potential results of pollution, etc. They will be able to explain this to someone else and also calculate their effect on the environment. Students will use Futures Thinking and Systems thinking throughout the unit. Futures thinking applies because students will have to think about the effect of their carbon footprint on the future generations. Students will use systems thinking because they will be exposed to the way people, pollution, electronics, travel and the earth are all intertwined.

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This unit will provide students with an understanding for their carbon footprint and the several aspects of it. On the first day, students will be introduced to what it means and how it works. Then, students will read a book about carbon footprint and brainstorm ideas in groups of what this could potentially mean. Students will then discover their carbon footprint and evaluate the results through an online survey. Students will graph their results as a class and compare the results to a graph showing the worlds CO2 emissions trends. To wrap up this unit, students will then apply their learning and consider future affects of a different carbon footprints. They will have a "low carbon day" as a class and apply their knowledge leading to a day of reflection concluding the unit.

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On the first day I will use these two videos to explain what a carbon footprint is and ways to reduce it. They are very simple and easy to understand. The videos will be used as an introduction to the topic and then students will spend time brainstorming and discussing their thoughts in groups and as a class.

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simpleshow explains the Carbon Footprint

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Simple Animated Video: What is a carbon footprint? What can you do about yours?

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The book, “Kids Get It: Shrinking Our Carbon Footprint” by Susan E. Gove, is a book I could use in this unit because it talks about ways to keep the environment clean and healthy and how to be aware of the earth. This book discusses realistic and relatable ways to keep the environment clean. After reading this book I would want students to consider ways they can shrink their carbon footprint by brainstorming possibly solutions in groups.

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Now, students will begin to dig deeper into understanding their personal carbon footprint.
Teacher will direct students to: https://www.treesforlife.org.au/kids-carbon-calculator This is a link to a website that I would have my students use to calculate their carbon footprint. It is kid friendly and very easy to use for 7th/8th graders. By answering some questions, each students CO2 will be calculated per year. At the end, it shows a breakdown of the statistics and the total kgs of CO2 a year. Using these statistics, students will create a class graph showing their results. The class will then look at a few graphs showing the worlds emissions and through analyzing this data they will predict possible outcomes.

Standards:
PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends.(See M07-S2C1-07 and M07-S2C1-08)
PO 3. Analyze results of data collection in order to accept or reject the hypothesis.

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Put together a "Low Carbon Day" with the class. This day is designed for when students already have a working familiarity with carbon footprints. Teachers should encourage them to think of ways to reduce their footprint beforehand, then put those ideas into action on the planned day. Teachers can put together several activities such as creating a  list of steps they will take as a class, and at the end of the day have them check off their list to see how well they did. They can also record the easiest actions to take on the board and commit to a certain time frame of these actions to take at hone and at school. Students can then apply, discuss and research the impact of these changes and how they would affect the environment.

Standards: PO 7. Formulate new questions based on the results of a previous investigation. Analyze environmental risks (e.g., pollution, destruction of habitat) caused by human interaction with biological or geological systems.

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On the final day, I want students to reflect upon their understanding of carbon footprint as well as the impact they feel like they can make on lowering theirs. At this point students have learned a lot, but I would like them to look a little deeper into the impacts of not being aware of a carbon footprint (futures thinking). I would want my students to read this kid friendly web page https://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/global-warming/ with a partner and reflect upon all they have learned as well as the web page. Then I would want my students to create a final lists or few paragraphs of their knowledge and how they feel capable to impact the future.

Standards:
PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events (e.g., construct a cause-and-effect chain that explains a sequence of events).

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Grade 7

PO 1. Analyze data obtained in a scientific investigation to identify trends.(See M07-S2C1-07 and M07-S2C1-08)
PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events (e.g., construct a cause-and-effect chain that explains a sequence of events).
PO 3. Analyze results of data collection in order to accept or reject the hypothesis.
PO 4. Determine validity and reliability of results of an investigation.
PO 5. Formulate a conclusion based on data analysis.
PO 6. Refine hypotheses based on results from investigations.
PO 7. Formulate new questions based on the results of a previous investigation. Analyze environmental risks (e.g., pollution, destruction of habitat) caused by human interaction with biological or geological systems.

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Carbon Footprint Lesson Plans for Kids. (2017, November 08). Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/5-carbon-footprint-activities-for-kids

CO₂ and other Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Gove, S. E., & Kinra, R. (2010). Kids get it: Shrinking our carbon footprint. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.

Kids Carbon Calculator. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.treesforlife.org.au/kids-carbon-calculator

Simple Animated Video: What is a carbon footprint? What can you do about yours? (2014, April 15). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YseZXKfT_yY

T. (2012, December 18). Simpleshow explains the Carbon Footprint. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q7_aV8eLUE

What Kind of Footprint? Carbon Footprint - Lesson. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_footprint_lesson1

Students Guide to Global Warming. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.letsgosolar.com/consumer-education/global-warming/