Japan Meteorological Agency and Bureau of Meteorology.

ClimateChange
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS

Recommended for students in Years 3 - 7

Engaging students in scientific inquiry to understand

the observable impacts of climate change.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS

Introduction
The Climate Change Education Package contains materials, resources Contents
and worksheets for primary and secondary schools.
The Greenhouse Effect
The lessons will help engage students in scientific inquiry to explain - Information sheet Page 1
and understand some of the observable impacts of Climate Change. - Student worksheets Page 2

Carbon Dioxide Game

Acknowledgements - Teachers notes Page 4
Dr Roland Warner Mr Tim Grant - Student worksheet Page 5
Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Green Teacher Magazine
Senior Research Scientist General Editor Scientific Inquiry Lesson
Cooperative Research Centre and Toronto Canada (Antarctica) Page 6
Australian Government Antarctic Division
Counting Carbon
- Teachers notes Page 12
Further information - Student worksheets Page 14
For further information please contact:
Climate Change hand puzzle
Fiona Marr - Student activity Page 19
Community Education Coordinator
AirWatch Program Feedback form Page 21
fiona.marr@dec.wa.gov.au
Phone. 6364 6500
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is not a new phenomenon.
It is a natural process that helps to heat the earth's
surface to the temperatures necessary to support life.
Naturally occurring gases such as carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons and also
water vapour in our atmosphere act like a blanket
around the Earth. They allow the sun's rays to warm
the Earth's surface, and also prevent much of the heat
escaping, so that the Earth’s temperature is
maintained at reasonable levels.
The gases which trap the heat from the sun are called
greenhouse gases.
The greenhouse effect is a bit like car windows on a
sunny day - they allow the sun's rays in to heat up the
car, but prevent much of the heat escaping which is why
the inside of your car is warmer than the outside air.
We now know that human activity, particularly the
burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and
The Greenhouse Effect
Without the
protection of the
greenhouse effect
the Earth’s average
temperature would
be a rather chilly -
18° Celsius and we
would find it rather
difficult to survive.
Primary
Student information
PAGE
1
land clearing, is generating more greenhouse gases than
the Earth would normally produce through its natural
processes. The Earth’s ‘blanket’ is getting thicker.
The thickening of the Earth’s blanket is called the
‘enhanced greenhouse effect’. Our protective blanket
is now trapping too much heat and steadily increasing
the Earth’s average or mean temperature.
Even a very small rise in the Earth’s mean temperature
will have quite dramatic negative impacts on our
environment. These impacts are predicted to include
melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels, increasing
intensity and frequency of storms, and changes to
weather patterns, including prolonged droughts, that
will reduce agricultural productivity as well as our
recreational and tourism activities.
Scientists believe that if the Earth’s mean temperature
increases more than 2°C, irreversible damage could
occur to ecosystems throughout Australia including
possible destruction of Ningaloo Reef and the Great
Barrier Reef.
The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
The Earth is
warming at a faster
rate than any time
in the last 10,000
years – the 1990s
was the warmest
decade in the last
millennium.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student worksheet
PAGE

2
The Greenhouse Effect - what have you learnt?
After reading the article on the greenhouse effect answer the following questions
1 Which decade was the hottest recorded in the last millennia?

2 Without the natural greenhouse effect, what would the estimated temperature of the Earth be?

3 In your own words, briefly describe the enhanced greenhouse effect.

4 Name three common greenhouse gases?

1)

2)

3)

5 Name three types of human activity that contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect.

1)

2)

3)

6 How do you think land clearing contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect?
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student worksheet
PAGE

3
The Greenhouse Effect continued…
7 What are some of the effects of a rise in Earth’s annual mean temperature?

8 Who do you think will be affected the most by these effects, and why?

9 Name five things you can do at school to help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

10 Name five things you can do at home to help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions?

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

11 Name three things you can do in your community to

help reduce the greenhouse effect?

1)

2)

3)

False-clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocelloris). Photo – C. Fleming

 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Teachers Notes – Pre-visit lesson
The Carbon Dioxide Game
The Carbon Dioxide Game is a fun, active way to explain the greenhouse
effect and human contribution to global climate change. The game can
be played with groups of up to 30 students aged 10 and older.
Climate is one of the most influential factors on our planet.
But studying climate and climate change presents unique
challenges to educators: How to bring the concept of
climate change, which is a vast and multifaceted topic,
down to a level where students explore it in a hands-on
interactive way? How to address in a positive way the role
that humans play in climate change? By the time they
reach middle school, most students have heard of global
warming and the greenhouse effect. They have some idea
of that rising global temperatures are attributed to human
activities that have dramatically increased the levels of heat-
trapping gases in the atmosphere. However, it is important
that students also understand that the greenhouse effect is
a positive process by which the atmosphere keeps the
planet at a relatively uniform temperature.
Goals
• To demonstrate the greenhouse effect by showing
how CO2 in the atmosphere traps heat and insulates
the Earth.
• To show that human activities affect the concentration
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Time
20 minutes, including time for debriefing.
Materials
An open area, chalk, a small bag with the words “What did
humans do? written on it, and action cards representing
human actions that affect CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
(See sample cards on page 5. Feel free to add your own.)
Procedure
Draw two concentric circles on the ground, one about 70
centimetres in diameter, and a larger one about 4.5
metres in diameter. The smaller circle represents the Earth
and the larger one represents Earth’s atmosphere.
The game is played in several rounds. For round one,
choose two students to be CO2 molecules, and place them
anywhere in the Earth’s “atmosphere.” Once they are in the
atmosphere they can not 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 (by touching the inner circle
with a foot or a hand) and then escape the atmosphere
Adapted with permission from Green Teacher #70, Spring 2003. One year (four issue) online subscriptions cost $29 AUD (approx.) from
www.greenteacher.com.
Primary
PAGE
4
Curriculum Links
Society and Environment
 Natural and Social Systems
Year levels - 3 to 7
without getting tagged by a CO2 molecule. Sunbeams
who are tagged must stay standing still in the atmosphere.
Those who avoid being tagged bounce back out of the
atmosphere into space. Each round lasts approximately 30
seconds and during that time the sunbeams try to tag the
Earth only once. This simulation recreates the greenhouse
effect: energy from the sun is trapped as heat by CO2 and
other gases and particles in the atmosphere.
After the first round, have the escaped sunbeams form a
circle around the atmosphere to check how much energy
has been trapped. Discuss how this may affect the
temperature of the planet. Remind students that a certain
amount of CO2 is necessary to keep the planet
consistently warm enough to support life. During the first
round, most of the energy will have escaped because
CO2 levels are low. Before continuing the game, clear all
the trapped sunbeams out of the atmosphere.
For the second round, increase the number of CO2
molecules in the atmosphere. Do this by reaching into the
“What did humans do?” bag and pulling out an action
card (for this round, include only cards that add CO2 to
the atmosphere). After a student reads the card, increase
the number of CO2 molecules in the game (dictated by
the card) and play again.
For the third and subsequent rounds, put all of the action
cards in the bag so that CO2 levels will go up and down
depending upon which card is drawn. Discuss what
happens each time. The game will demonstrate that when
you increase the amount of CO2, more heat gets trapped
(illustrated by the student sunbeams standing in the
atmosphere) and the Earth warms up. The action cards
demonstrate how even small-scale actions can decrease the
amount of greenhouse gas that we emit to the atmosphere.
Wrap up
Review how energy from the sun gets trapped in the
Earth’s atmosphere.
Discuss how human actions, particularly burning fossil
fuels, can enhance the greenhouse effect by putting more
CO2 into the atmosphere. 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.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student worksheet
PAGE

5
The Carbon Dioxide Game - Action Cards

Humans drive cars Humans ride bikes

+2 -2
Every litre of petrol puts Riding a bike is the
2.35kg of CO2 into the most energy efficient
atmosphere. form of transportation,
and it’s fun!
Add two CO2
molecules. Remove two CO2
molecules.

Humans drive more cars Humans plant trees

+2 -4
In 1908 Ford built the model T Trees remove CO2 from the
car. Between 1908 and 1928, atmosphere during the
15 million were sold. Today an process of photosynthesis.
estimated 500 million cars are
in use worldwide. More trees means less
atmospheric CO2.
Add two more CO2
molecules Remove four CO2
molecules.

Humans cut down trees Humans create energy efficient technology

+4
Trees remove CO2 from the
atmosphere during photosynthesis.
Remove four CO2
molecules.
-4
Fewer trees means more CO2.
Add four more CO2
molecules.

Humans burn rubbish Humans recycle

+2 -2
Burning waste puts Recycling saves energy,
CO2 into the reducing our use of
atmosphere along with fossil fuels.
other pollutants.
Remove two CO2
Add two more CO2 molecules.
molecules.

Adapted with permission from Green Teacher #70, Spring 2003. One year (four issue) online subscriptions cost $29 AUD (approx.)from
www.greenteacher.com.
Green Teacher is the world's best-selling environmental education magazine. A Canadian non-profit organization, Green Teacher has also
published the following popular books which are available in Australia from the Victorian Association of Environmental Education
(www.vaee.vic.edu.au, Ph: (03) 9349 1806): Teaching About Climate Change, Greening School Grounds, Teaching Green - The Elementary Years,
Teaching Green - The Middle Years and Teaching Green - The High School Years. Visit www.greenteacher.com for more details about these books
or Green Teacher magazine.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Teachers notes
PAGE

6
Young Scientists at Work: a group inquiry process Curriculum links
Climate Change and Antarctica Society and the Environment
The north-eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsular houses a series of  Place and Space
huge ice shelves. These ice shelves rise up to 200 metres above the  Investigation, Communication
and participation
ocean surface. Satellite images taken of this section of Antarctica
since 1995 reveal that big sections have melted and broken up over Science
the intervening years. Scientists attribute the rate and scale of this  Investigating and
break up of ice shelves to global warming. Communicating Scientifically
Values
 Environmental Responsibility
This lesson will help engage students in a group scientific
inquiry to explain some of the observable impacts of Year levels
Climate Change. It focuses on Antarctica as a continent
within an Australian Regional context. Lesson 1: 4 -5
Lesson 2: 6-7

Lesson Plan 1 A suggested investigation

Years 4 and 5 - Brainstorm and Investigation Lesson
Scientists are actively engaged in learning more about
the world around them. They are guided in their
explorations through a process of inquiry by posing
questions, then testing and seeking answers to those
questions. Inquiry is a dynamic process involving
asking questions to reveal new facts.
Student Engagement:
1. Introduce the topic of Antarctica using some of the
information from the background notes.
2. Either
a. conduct a whole-of-class brainstorm or class
discussion on the topic of Antarctica
or
b. break students into groups of three or four to
brainstorm and discuss Antarctica.
3. Provide the students with two dated satellite
images. Ask them to examine them closely. What
do they see? What do they think the small black
“dots” are on the ice surface from the January
2002 image? (These are pools of melting water
collecting on top of the shelf.)
Use the teacher background notes to help the
discussion.
Tray of ice cubes
Digital watches/timers
One fun and simple way to get students thinking
about the sheer amount of ice melting in Antarctica is
to have them work in small investigating teams.
Provide each group of three students with one ice
cube. Ask them to investigate how long it takes the
ice to melt. Some groups may wish to melt the ice by
holding it in one of their hands. Others may wish to
melt the ice by putting it in direct sunlight or simply
by letting it melt at room temperature.
Each group could measure the time taken for the
cube to melt completely.
Discussion
How quickly did the ice melt?
If one ice cube takes this long to melt, consider how
much heat energy is needed to melt blocks of ice that
are many times bigger than Rottnest Island. (That is
what is happening on the Antarctica Ice Shelves.)
Conclusion
Ask students to summarise their ideas from the lesson
either by:
1. Designing and producing an A3 poster that could
be displayed in the school library for other students
or
2. Writing one or two paragraphs that describe what
is happening in Antarctica.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Young Scientists at Work: a group inquiry process continued…
Six Rules for a Discrepant Event
Inquiry
1. Students make and pose their own
questions to achieve a Yes or No answer
from the teacher.
2. A student may ask as many questions in a
row as desired.
3. When a student poses a theory question –
the teacher refrains from answering with a
yes or no. Instead, the teacher redirects the
question using words similar to “That’s a
theory: let’s explore your idea more.”
4. At any time, a student may challenge any
proposed theory.
5. Throughout the inquiry, a teacher may
provide reference materials.
6. Students may conduct conferences,
summarise information and theories
without any teacher input.
Lesson Plan 2
Years 6 and 7 - Stages in a discrepant event Lesson
Scientists are actively engaged in learning more about
the world around them. They are guided in their
explorations through a process of inquiry by posing
questions, then testing and seeking answers to those
questions. Inquiry is a dynamic process involving
asking questions to reveal new facts.
This lesson helps students develop their thinking skills
while learning in the science content area in a group
inquiry process.
What is a discrepant event Lesson?
A discrepant event lesson begins by presenting them
with a puzzling situation or event. Students are
engaged in “solving a mystery” – in much the same
way as scientists tackle the inquiry process.
What’s involved?
Students:
• work as a class group to construct the best answer
they have to explain this puzzling situation or
event.
Primary
Teachers notes
PAGE
7
• ask questions,
• gather information or data
• pose hypotheses
• analyse information
• listen closely
• synthesise answers
• and finally, construct the best answer.
Teachers:
• present students with the discrepant event with
some brief background information
• guide student inquiry through a discrepant event
using six rules
Resources:
• Two satellite images of the Larsen Ice Shelf B
• Internet access
• Background information sheets – for teacher
• Three copies of the Rules of a Discrepant Event
(Suggestion: enlarge to A3 size)
Running this Discrepant Event Inquiry Lesson
Phase 1: Presenting the discrepant event
Explain the rules and procedures: use the
enclosed rules chart. Post them up in the classroom.
Pose the discrepant event: Allow students to closely
examine the two satellite images of the Larsen B Ice
Shelf taken 35 days apart in 2002. Give them a bit of
background information on Antarctica from the
teacher’s notes.
Engage their interest with enough information to get
them interested, but not overwhelmed.
Formulate the problem question: Can you explain
the observable differences in the Larsen B Ice Shelf in
the two images shown from 2002? We suggest you
do not specify the exact date at which each
photograph was taken.
Phase 2: Gathering and checking information
Students ask questions about objects and conditions.
Ask questions to verify the discrepant event.
Check and use the timeline and Ice Shelf information
to provide feedback to students on the conditions and
objects in this event. Teachers keep the printed copy
of the notes to themselves. Reveal more information
in response to student questions.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Simple questions to check facts:
Students may ask a question to verify a matter of time:
e.g. Were these two images taken in different months
(or times) in 2002?
Theory questions:
Is it possible that the ice is smaller in one picture
because the ice has melted because the temperature
of the sea-water is now hotter?
Is it possible the sea temperature is hotter because
there are more greenhouse gases (or Carbon dioxide,
etc) in the atmosphere?
Phase 3: Presenting the discrepant event
Ask questions about important variables. You may
wish to give your class the opportunity to use the
internet to research and verify some of the
information they are seeking. This could be done in
groups of three students.
Ask questions which frame a hypothesis or are
informal.
Phase 4: Formulate an explanation
Summarise and reach a likely hypothesis. Ask
students to capture and record their ideas.
Phase 5: Analyse the inquiry process
Analyse questioning and strategy. Did students
work together? Did they listen carefully to one
another and to the teacher responses? How do
students rate their own inquiry work? Did they start
with several ideas to explain the event?
General background information
Use this for engaging student interest
Antarctica is a continent like no other on Earth. It
carries the tag of the driest continent on Earth –
receiving an average annual rainfall of just 2.5
centimetres. It also carries the tag of the iciest region
on Earth with an average thickness of 2.2km of ice
blanketing the land! It is in fact, an icy desert!
Antarctica covers a massive area of over 12 100 000
km2 and rises on average about 2.3 km above sea
level! If Australia is the wide brown land, Antarctica is
the vast, icy white land. Antarctica is in fact, nearly
twice the size of Australia.
The South Pole lies close to the centre of Antarctica.
Primary
Teachers notes
PAGE
8
The continental land mass of Antarctica is covered by
2 huge ice sheets – one either side of the Trans-
Antarctic Mountains.
Basically, West Antarctica is a series of islands buried
beneath a thick icy layer or ice sheet. The East
Antarctic ice sheet is the largest ice mass on the
planet. It covers a solid land mass.
To give you an idea of the volume of water locked in
Antarctic ice – about 70 per cent of all fresh water on
Earth is frozen in the Antarctic ice sheets!
The history of people in Antarctica is entwined with
exploration and scientific study. This continent has
been, and continues to be, a living laboratory for
scientists from around the world. Scientists from a wide
range of fields such as astronomy, oceanography,
glaciology and biology, all work and study here.
Dr Barbara Smith is an Australian Antarctic glaciologist
who studies the movements and creation of glaciers and
ice sheets. Barbara says: “Being a glaciologist is
fascinating. On the one hand you could be flying over
the vast white emptiness of Antarctica, or you could be
in a freezer room cutting up ice for analysis and
interpreting the results. But the most exciting thing for
me is that you learn how the ice sheet moves, grows
and shrinks over time and that you are taking part in
ground-breaking research into how our climate is
changing and how that can affect our lives.”
Antarctica is …
“Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, coldest,
cleanest, most isolated and most peaceful continent
on Earth.”
Coral Tulloch (Artist and Author)
“Antarctica is the closest thing to another planet we
can experience on this one. It is surreal – completely
and unremittingly white in every direction, so vast and
so cold – much colder than the Arctic.”
Al Gore (Environmental Campaigner)
“The Antarctic continent is such an interesting place
that there is far too much to record on paper, so we
trust our memories to be etched with the
wonderment of it all. Firstly, the weather rules. When
there are katabatic winds, things are fine if you’re
inside a heated building listening to the wind howling.
But if you have to go outside, like the weather people
do to make an observation, then you soon learn
about the power of the wind. You can be blown
many metres by the power of the wind.”
Steve Pendlebury (Meteorologist)
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Teachers notes
PAGE

Young Scientists at Work: a group inquiry process continued…
Background information on the Discrepant Event
Larsen B Ice Shelf collapses in Antarctica
1. Ice shelves are thick plates of ice, fed by glaciers
that float on the ocean around much of Antarctica.
2. The Larsen B shelf was about 220 m thick. It has
an estimated age of anywhere between 400 and
12,000 years old.
3. From January to March 2002, in terms of volume,
the amount of ice released and lost in this short
time was 720 billion tons, enough ice for about 12
trillion 10 kg bags!
4. Using MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer satellite imagery it has been
revealed that the northern section of the Larsen B
ice shelf, a large floating ice mass on the eastern
side of the Antarctic Peninsula, has shattered and
separated from the continent.
5. The shattered ice formed a plume of thousands of
icebergs adrift in the Weddell Sea.
6. About 3,250 km2 of shelf area disintegrated in a
35-day period beginning on 31 January 2002.
7. Over the past five years, the shelf has lost a total of
5,700 km2, and is now about 40 per cent the size
of its previous minimum stable extent.
Source: National Snow and Ice Data Research Centre Website
http://nsidc.org/iceshelves/larsenb2002/
University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Posted: 18 March 2002
Updated: 21 March 2002 14:40
9
Timeline on the Antarctica Larsen B Ice Shelf
• 1978 Scientist John Mercer warns “One of the
warning signs that a dangerous warming trend is
underway in Antarctica will be the break-up of ice
shelves on both coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula,
starting with the northernmost and extending
gradually southward.”
• 1989 Large sections of Antarctic ice shelf begin to
break away from the northern tip of the Antarctic
Peninsula.
• Jan 2002 Satellite imagery shows the Larsen B Ice
Shelf to be about 240 kms long and about 48 kms
wide.
• Within the next 35 days, this entire section of ice
shelf had broken up.
• Scientists have attributed the speed at which the
ice melted to the melting ice from above and
below sea surface.
• If you examine the image from Jan 2002 – you will
see black pools on top of the ice surface. Those pools
are melting water collecting on top of the shelf.
• Instead of this melt water sinking back into the ice
and refreezing, the water kept sinking. It sank
straight down and makes the ice mass look like a
Swiss cheese.
• The ice shelf consists of a tongue of sea-based ice
that stretches out and floats on the sea surface.
Behind that is the thick icy layer overlying the land
itself.
• March 2002 With the sea-based ice shelf gone,
the land-based ice can begin to shift forward and
fall into the sea.

References:

Tulloch C. (2003) The heart of the
world: Antarctica.
ABC Books
Gore A. (2006) An Inconvenient
Truth The Planetary Emergency of
Global Warming and What We Can
Do About it. Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc London, Great Britain.
Mindtronics! And Inquiry Alive!
As presented on the website
http://www.hometreemedia.org/su
bpage 56.html
National Snow and Ice Data
Research Centre Website
http://nsidc.org/iceshelves/larsenb2
002/
World Book Encyclopedia
http://www.worldbook.com
Thanks to:
Dr Roland Warner
Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems
Senior Research Scientist
Cooperative Research Centre and
Australian Government Antarctic Division
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student information
PAGE

10
Antarctic Ice shelves and Icebergs - 31 January 2002

http://nsidc.org/iceshelves/larsenb2002/013102_modis.html
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student information
PAGE

11
Antarctic Ice shelves and Icebergs - 5 March 2002

http://nsidc.org/iceshelves/larsenb2002/030502_modis.html
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Teachers Notes
PAGE

12
Counting carbon - How do we measure up?
Curriculum links
Students use the chart provided to monitor their family car use
for one week (only trips where they are present) and convert Society and the Environment
the kilometres traveled into measurable carbon emissions. They  Place and Space
then research alternatives to each car trip, using public  Active Citizenship
transport, walking or cycling. Students are encouraged to make  Investigation, Communication
use of the Transperth ‘trip finder’ at www.transperth.wa.gov.au and participation
in their research. Finally, students look at the ‘barriers and
benefits’ of their greener alternatives (i.e. perhaps they are too Science
expensive or time consuming). Students then create an  Acting Responsibly
achievable goal for the coming week on how to reduce their  Science in Daily Life
greenhouse gas emissions.  Communicating Scientifically
 Earth and Beyond
On the following page is some background notes on carbon
emissions and some optional follow-up tasks you may wish your English
students to undertake. We have also provided some tips on fuel  Listening and Speaking
efficient driving that you may like your students to take home, Mathematics
or research fuel efficient driving for themselves, as an extension  Contextualising mathematics
to the activity.

This activity focuses student attention on a common source of greenhouse gas emissions - cars.
It highlights how we produce greenhouse gases, and that we can take steps to reduce these
emissions and reduce our impact on the environment.

Teacher information: Background notes
For every litre of petrol used in a motor vehicle, 2.5
kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major
greenhouse gas, is released from the exhaust (this is
the equivalent of 5 tubs of margarine!). The
Australian transport sector accounts for around 76
million tonnes of Australia's total net greenhouse gas
emissions, representing 13.5 per cent of Australia's
total emissions.
Fuels differ in the amount of carbon and energy they
contain, with implications for fuel economy and
greenhouse emissions. The table below lists the
amount of CO2 emitted from the exhaust for each
litre of three common fuel types.
CO2 Tailpipe Emissions /Litre of Fuel Consumed
Fuel Type CO2 Emissions
It might seem odd that a greater weight of emissions
is produced than the weight of a litre of fuel, but this
is because of the addition of oxygen from the
atmosphere to the fuel during combustion to form
CO2.
The amount of fuel consumed to travel a given
distance is also significant. LPG has lower greenhouse
emissions per litre of fuel consumed than petrol, but
also has a lower energy content. Therefore equivalent
vehicles tend to consume more LPG than petrol to
travel a given distance. In the case of diesel, its
greenhouse emissions per litre are higher than petrol,
but engines designed to operate on diesel tend to be
far more fuel-efficient than petrol engines.
Purchasing a vehicle with low fuel consumption and
driving it efficiently can make a real difference to the
amount of greenhouse gas emissions it produces.

Petrol 2.5 kg * Information courtesy of the federal Department of

Environment and Water Resources
LPG 1.6 kg
Diesel 2.7 kg
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Counting carbon continued…
Car Facts
• There are almost 820 MILLION cars in the
world! Australia has 13 million of these, while
the USA has 237 million!
• If all the worlds’ cars were joined together
they would reach around the earth 752 times,
or to the moon and back 39 times!
• The average car produces about 4 tonnes of
CO2 per year!
• Australians bought 642,000 new cars in 2005,
spending more than 28 BILLION dollars!
• In 2005 Australians bought 37,800,000,000
litres of fuel for our cars!
• Cars burn half the world’s oil and account for
six per cent of all global warming pollution. In
Australia this is seven per cent nationally.
Primary
Teachers Notes
PAGE
13
Optional follow-up ideas
• Using the fuel efficiency section of the chart, as well
as the kilometres traveled during your example
week, students can use the Greenfleet internet site
to work out how many trees would need to be
planted to offset the carbon emission for their car
over a year. The web address is
http://www.greenfleet.com.au/. Click on ‘about
Greenfleet’, then ‘Calculate your emissions’
• Rather than giving your students the ‘Tips for Fuel
Efficient Driving’, they could research these for
themselves, and design their own ‘ten hot tips’ to
take home.
• While cars are responsible for ten per cent of
greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, homes are
also a major contributor. Similar activities to this one
can be undertaken in the home by monitoring the
number of electrical appliances and light bulbs left
on, or by looking at the amount of power used in
students’ homes over a nominated period of time.
Students could even investigate the number of high
energy appliances they have in the home, such as
clothes dryers and dishwashers. A useful site to
explore for these ideas is
http://www1.sedo.energy.wa.gov.au/ as well as the
‘Global Warming- Cool it’ site listed in the useful
websites section. The free guide that you can obtain
on this website contains both travel and energy
smart information and is a very useful resource!
 Climate Change
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14
Ten Tips for Fuel Efficient Driving
Driving more efficiently is one easy way you can play your part to reduce global warming, while saving money too!

1. Plan your trips. Plan to do a number of errands 10. Travel light. An extra 50kg will increase your
in one trip rather than several trips. Avoid peak- emissions by two per cent. Anything fixed to the
hour traffic, hard acceleration and heavy braking- outside of your vehicle increases wind resistance and
they all waste fuel. Driving smoothly and avoiding emissions.
stop-start traffic will save fuel, and up to 30 per
cent of CO2. The Guiness World Record for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
was set by John Gough who averaged 2.43 litres per
2. Avoid short trips by walking or cycling. It’s 100km from Britain’s Land’s End to John O’Groats in
good exercise, and it will save you 200 to 300g of October 2002, driving a Toyota Yaris diesel 1.4-litre D-
CO2 every kilometre not driven. 4D. He averaged 55-65kph, using sensible driving
methods to achieve the greatest efficiency. His tips are
3. Service your vehicle regularly. If you keep your to accelerate to your desired speed gradually, maintain
vehicle well tuned it will reduce your greenhouse a constant speed wherever possible and try not to
gas emissions by up to 15 per cent. change gear unnecessarily or use excessive braking or
4. If your vehicle is manual - change up and go acceleration.
into top gear as soon as possible without Compiled by Guy Dauncey Author Stormy Weather:
accelerating harder than necessary. Driving in a 101 Soultions to Global Climate Change New Society
gear lower than you need wastes fuel. So does Publishers, 2001.
letting the engine labour in top gear on hills and
corners. Automatic transmissions shift more
smoothly if you ease back slightly on the
accelerator once the vehicle gains momentum.
5. Speed kills economy. High speeds require high
fuel consumption. Your vehicle will use up to 25
per cent more fuel at 110km/hr than it does at
90km/hr. On the open road, drive within the
posted speed limits.
6. Stopping and braking. Resting your foot on the
brake wastes fuel, increases brake wear and
decreases braking efficiency. If you think you will
idle for more than 10 seconds, switch off and
restart your engine later.
7. Filling up. Filling past the first click of the fuel
nozzle may cause fuel to spill through the
overflow pipe when you accelerate or go around a
corner. A properly fitted fuel cap also saves fuel by
minimising evaporation.
8. Look after your vehicle’s tyres. Inflate your
tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the
manufacturer, and make sure they are properly
aligned. This will reduce fuel consumption, extend
tyre life and improve handling.
9. Use air-conditioning sparingly- since it will use
10 per cent more fuel. At high speeds, however,
air conditioning is more efficient than open
windows.
 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student worksheet
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Counting carbon - How do we measure up?
Greenhouse gases are emitted in many of our daily
activities. Understanding just how much of an impact
we have is often a difficult task. For example, how
much does that extra five minutes in the shower cost
the environment? Or that toy inside your cereal box?
Well one of the things we can measure fairly accurately
is the greenhouse gases from the average family car.
In this exercise we are going to record all the car
journeys that the students in your class take for a
week and calculate the amount of pollution that is
emitted into the air as a result. We will then examine
each journey and consider any environmentally friendly
travel alternatives that might be available. You will
need to research some of these alternatives to find out
whether they will be a real possibility for that travel (i.e
if there is no train station nearby, you couldn’t really
use the train as an alternative).
Finally, set yourself a goal. What can you do to reduce
your greenhouse gas emissions for the next week?
Make sure your goal is one that you can achieve, and
don’t forget to celebrate once you have achieved it!
Good luck!
Now let’s begin….
• Conduct a survey for one week (or a nominated
period of time) of your family car usage. Include
only the trips where you are present. Fill in the table
with your results including the number of
kilometres travelled, how long the trip took and
where you went.
• Next, use the table provided to calculate the total
pollutant emissions for your car trips over the
week. Then work out the total pollutant emissions
for all the cars used by the class.
• Present your class results as a summary.
• In small groups examine the destinations that you
travelled to by car this week and consider any
alternatives with lower pollutant emissions.
Final Task: Take Action - for the
environment!
If we want to encourage people to behave in more
environmentally friendly ways, we need to help make
it easier for them. One way to do this is to increase
the benefits of adopting that behaviour, while
removing or reducing any obstacles to that behaviour.
15
Take a few moments to think about some of the
alternatives that you have given to getting around by car.
What would you need to seriously consider these
alternatives? Which ones are realistic? You may like to
discuss this as a group.
Once you have had a good think, it’s time to set a
goal or two for the environment! Think about your
more realistic travel alternatives, and chose the ones
you CAN change, at least for the next week. Then
write your goal for the week on reducing greenhouse
emissions. Here are some examples:
• I will walk to school on Wednesday and Friday
morning next week.
• Instead of asking mum to drive me, I will ride my
bike to footy training.
• Unless it is dark, I will ride my bike to the shops
this week, instead of asking mum to drive me.
Be careful to make sure your goal is:
• Specific - make sure your goal is very clear.
• Positive - reinforce good habits, rather than
focussing on bad ones.
• Challenging, yet achievable - Is your goal realistic?
Start with small steps.
• Measurable - make sure you will know when
you’ve completed your goal.
• Flexible - ensure that you can make small
adjustments to your goal if your circumstances
change.
• Celebrate - most importantly, don’t forget to
celebrate achieving your goal!
How much car pollution is produced?
Vehicle type Fuel efficiency CO2 emissions g/km
Small 16.6km/L 150g/km
Medium 12.5km/L 200g/km
Large 10km/L 250g/km
4WD 8.3km/L 300g/km
This is a conservative estimate but will give you the
least amount of pollution produced from the cars
being driven.
 Climate Change
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16
Fantastic Websites
Transperth - www.transperth.wa.gov.au
Department of Environment and Water Resources
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/fuelguide/environment.html
Global Warming - Cool it (download the free guide)
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/gwci/pdf.html
RACV - Impact of Cars on the Environment
http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Internet/Primar
y/my+car/advice+%26+information/motoring+%26+the+
environment/impact+of+cars+on+the+environment/
TravelSmart - http://www.travelsmart.gov.au/
Walk Safely to School Day -
http://www.walk.com.au/WSTSD01/page.asp?pageid=260
Look at WA Transport -
http://www.lookatwa.com.au/Transport/buses.html
 Date Destination and reason for trip Car type Number of Km travelled x CO2 emissions
17
PAGE

ie. small medium or large km travelled CO2 for car type

Example:
4/1/07 My house in Cottesloe to Aunty Margaret’s in Small 23 23 x 150g 3.45kg
Leeming for a family BBQ
Primary
Student worksheet

Name:
Climate Change PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS

My Travel Log
 Climate Change
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Primary
Student worksheet
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18
My greener options Name:

Trip Alternative Is it achievable? What will I need to consider this alternative?

Example: Bus route Have to walk to bus stop. Bus only comes every hour. Last bus leaves
Cottesloe to 266 Aunty Margaret’s at 6.00pm. Would have to make sure we were ready to
Leeming leave by 6pm. Might be difficult to achieve.
 Climate Change
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Primary
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19
The Climate Change Q & A Hand Puzzle

Which is the best

school?

pollution.
reduces car
Driving carefully
True or false?
way to get to

or bike?
Bus, drive
Bike!
It uses True!
people power, Driving carefully
not fossil fuels. uses less fuel.

Of the 3 Rs, which Name one type

is the most of sustainable
important? energy.
Reducing saves

4. Geothermal
more energy.
Reduce!

3. Wind

1. Solar
2. Tidal
fossil fuels.
They burn
True!
Enough to

3 hours!
watch TV for

can save? gases.

an aluminium greenhouse
does recycling Cars produce
How much energy True or false?

Yellow and green! gases from the air.

greenhouse
help remove
recycling paper

trees. Trees
colour of most

It saves
What is the

How does
help fight
change?
recycling

climate
bins?

Adapted from the Climate Change Resource Book, Scouts Canada

 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Student worksheet
PAGE

20
Now see if you can make your own…

Adapted from the Climate Change Resource Book, Scouts Canada

 Climate Change
PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS
Primary
Feedback form
PAGE

21
Feedback form

1 Best features of the package

I found the best things about this package were…

2 Features that could be improved in the package

I believe the following features in the package could be improved…

3 I found out about this Climate Change Package by…

❏ Word of mouth
❏ Websearch
❏ Newspaper advertisement
❏ Other: please specify

4 Any other suggestions or comments?

5 Contact details (optional)

Your name:

School name:

Contact email:

Preferred contact details:

Please send to: airwatch@dec.wa.gov.au or fax to 6467 5532 Attention: AirWatch program