General Instructions Presenter s Script You will have 15 minutes to present your activity. When you hear the air horn blow, you will begin your presentation (please do not start presenting until the air horn sounds this is especially important at the start of the day as this is how we ensure the festival stays on schedule). When the horn sounds again, it is time for your students to move onto their next session. Overview of this activity This activity will illustrate what is, the effects of climate change, and things students can do to help stop climate change. Set up Prior to students arriving: Ensure that the game area is set up, ready to play. Overall expectations Introduction Presenter dialogue: Demonstrate what climate change is Show how serious the effects of climate change are Demonstrate that we can help Encourage kids and teachers to get involved Hi Everyone! Today we re going to learn what climate change is and things you can do help stop it. We re going to play a game today that will demonstrate what climate change is, but before we do I have a few questions for you. Can anyone tell me what weather is?
Weather is made up of many different things. Temperature, Precipitation, Sunshine, Clouds, Wind Direction, Wind Force, Visibility. Weather is what is happening at any given time. Can anyone tell me what climate is? Climate is when we look at the average precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.) and average temperature over a period of time. For example our climate here in Niagara is quite different from the climate in Alaska or in Florida. Here is a way to think about it. Climate helps you decide what types of clothes you should buy (e.g. winter coat, boots, shorts, t-shirts) and weather helps you decide what to wear every day. Does that make sense to everyone? Does anyone know what I mean when I say Average? (Think of the word average in regards to Math) Average is when we take a set of numbers, add them up to find the middle of that set of numbers. Demonstrate, by taking 5 students, asking them their age, and figure out the average age of the group. Or get 5 students to line up from tallest to shortest and find the average height of the group.
So when we talk about the average temperature for this month, we would add up the temperature from each day and find the middle or normal temperature for the month by dividing the total What do you think Global is then? Global, or Global Warming is when the average temperature of the earth rises. When you are sick, your mother takes your temperature to see if you are running a fever. Scientists have discovered how to measure the earth s temperature. The earth is heated up because heat- trapping gases are getting stuck in our atmosphere. Use poster to explain The same idea happens in the summer when the inside of a car gets really hot. The heat and light gets inside through the windows, but can t get back out, until you open the doors and windows and turn on the air conditioning on to cool it down. Unfortunately it isn t that simple when it comes to cooling down the Earth. The heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere are called greenhouse gases because they act like the window of the car, or a greenhouse, heating up the earth. Can anyone tell me what carbon dioxide or CO2 is? CO2 or carbon dioxide is a big word for one of the chemicals that we breathe out. We breathe in (inhale) oxygen and breath-out (exhale) CO2. C02 is also found in car emissions, and is created when we burn fossil fuels like oil. C02 is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. Do you think climate change is a problem?
If you said, or thought yes, you are right! has become a problem because it can change things like the water levels in the Great Lakes, we can have more flooding, or more droughts (periods of dryness) and it can create great stress on our ecosystems. That isn t good for our plants and animals at all! Lesson The lesson is demonstrated through a game. The presenter needs to be energetic and enthusiastic in presenting the message via the game. Activity To show what global climate change is (when the earth heats up) with a game of freeze tag. Sunrays are trying to make it from one side of the playing field (starting line) to the opposite side, without getting trapped by C02 s. This represents the sunrays coming into the earth s atmosphere and trying to get back out. If a Sunray is trapped, they have to stay frozen where they are. In the next rounds we will also have trees. The trees can trap the CO2 so that they are unable to trap any sunrays. In real-life trees can trap and store CO2. You will play three rounds: Round one: Trees stay in hoola hoops and can t do anything (they are seeds). C02s can trap sunrays when they are trying to get to the other side of the court (i.e. out of the atmosphere). Round Two: Hoola hoops are taken away (i.e. trees are planted), and trees can freeze tag CO2 s Round Three: If a sunray is frozen, and a tree captures a CO2, one sunray can be released from its frozen state (the referee decides on which sunray is released).
You will require referees, which you can enlist the help of the teacher and parent volunteers. Pinnies will be used for the Sunrays (yellow), Trees (green), and C02 s (black) and referees. At the end of each round try to explain what is happening so that the kids can visualize climate change. Refer to climate change poster when necessary. 1. Divide students up in to different groups: a) CO2 s (5 approximately) b) Sunrays (5 approximately) c) Trees (10 approximately) 2. Explain how trees are stationary in hoola hoops the first round, and they can t do anything until their hoola hoop is taken away. 3. Round two take away the some of the hoola hoops, freeing some trees. Sunrays, can jump into a hoola hoop if needed as a safe zone, but can only stay a few minutes, not forever. They have to make their way to the other side before the whistle blows, signifying the end of round one. You will have eight minutes to play the game. If possible, briefly review the main points about climate change following the game. Wrap Up There were a lot of important things we learned today about. Who can tell me what weather is?. Responses should reflect what have been taught throughout the presentation. Weather is made up of many different things. Temperature, Precipitation, Sunshine, Clouds, Wind Direction, Wind Force, Visibility
What is climate?. Climate is when we look at the average precipitation and average temperature over a period of time. What is global climate change? Global is when the temperature of the Earth rises What can you do to help stop Global? Stop electrical pollution by: Turning off the lights Don t play video games for hours on end, and turn off the system when you are finished. Make sure your parents only run the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher when they have a full load and preferably at night and on weekends Practice the three R s reduce, reuse and recycle When you can, instead of having your parents drive you (to school or a friend s house) walk or ride your bike. Activity for if you have extra time Each activity time has been allotted 15 minutes. If you have several minutes left before it is time for your students to move, ask the students how their day is going, what they ve learned, what their favourite activity has been so far, or consider playing a game of duck, duck, goose or I spy.