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Description
The Carbon Dioxide Game is a fun, active way to explain the greenhouse effect and human contribution to global climate change. The activity is played in several rounds.
For round one, two students will be CO2 molecules and will be placed in the Earth's "atmosphere" where they cannot move their feet. The rest of the students are sunbeams representing energy from the sun. The object of the game is for the sunbeams to enter the atmosphere, tag the Earth and then escape the atmosphere without getting tagged by a CO2 molecule. If they are tagged, they need to stay in the atmosphere and therefore recreates the greenhouse effect.
For the second round, more CO2 molecules will be added based on the human action cards (only include negative action cards). In round three, action cards will add or remove CO2 molecules based on if it is a positive or negative human action.
This game can be played with groups of up to 30 students age 10 and older and can be a springboard into a variety of other explorations on this topic.
General Assessment
Recommendation of how and where to use it
The game can be a springboard into a variety of other explorations such as researching alternative energy sources, discussing sustainable lifestyles, and examining the different choices humans can make in relation to the environment.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
- Step 1Select a province
- Alberta
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Weather Watch
- Grade 6
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions.
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Environmental Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Environment and Outdoor Education: Environmental Core
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 10: Energy Flow in Global Systems
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Geography
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Issues in Canadian Geography (Academic): Interactions in the Physical Environment
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science (Academic):Earth and Space Science: Climate Change
- Science (Applied)::Earth and Space Science: Earth's Dynamic Climate
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Environmental Science & Technology: The Earth and Space
- Science & Technology: The Earth and Space
- Science and the Environment: The Earth and Space
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
Themes Addressed
Air, Atmosphere & Climate (2)
- Climate Change
- Weather
