Overview of Activity

Students learn about the importance of taking action now in order to mitigate the effects of global climate change in the future. They participate in an activity modeling how different steps can be taken to achieve these results today in order to decrease the future impacts of global warming.

Grade Level: 9 to 12

Difficulty: Intermediate

Activity Type: In Class
URL: http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/game.php
Amount of Time Required for Activity: Two to three 45-minute periods

Description
In this activity, students will learn about how technologies available today can reduce carbon emissions world wide through a critical thinking activity. Students are introduced to these different technologies, which are divided into “wedges” emitting different amounts of carbon. They play a game where they make decisions that impact carbon emissions with the final goal of ameliorating the effects of global climate change in the future through these decisions. After playing the game, students participate in a class discussion, as well as formally present their findings and conclusions to the rest of the class.

This activity was designed by Princeton University, BP, and Ford Motor Company.

Relation to the Science Standards
High School
Content Standard D – Energy in the Earth
Content Standard D – Geochemical Cycles
Content Standard F – Environmental Quality

Related Part of the Exhibit
Causes of Change
Responses to Change

Information on using the material
http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/pdfs/teachers_guide.pdf

Related Resources
Alternative Fuels - An Indepth Report - NewsHour
The Global Warming Debate - An Indepth Report - NewsHour

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