LessonGrades 5 - 7
What Kind of Footprint? Carbon Footprint
Students determine their carbon footprints by answering questions about their everyday lifestyle choices. Then they engineer plans to reduce them. Students learn about their personal impacts on global climate change and how they can help the environment.
A footprint, but not a carbon footprint.
Engineers often try to reduce the carbon usage of structures they design. By designing buildings that use less heating and cooling or do not require as much electrical lighting, civil engineers can reduce the carbon footprints of buildings. Environmental engineers evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and suggest guidelines for other engineers to follow when designing new buildings.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Define a carbon footprint.
- List several ways to reduce their carbon footprints.
- Describe why it is important to have as small a footprint as possible.