Black Carbon: Dirty Sidekick of CO2

Black Carbon: Dirty Sidekick of CO2
https://ourclimateourfuture.org/resource/black-carbon-dirty-sidekick-of-co2/

Our Climate Our Future, Action for the Climate Emergency

This resource explores the concept of black carbon and its contribution to climate change and human health through videos and discussion questions, and engages students in discussions about these impacts and possible solutions.

This learning activity takes one 55 minute class period.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Activity supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Performance Expectations: 8

Earth and Space Sciences:

MS-ESS3-1: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.

MS-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity

MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

MS-PS4: Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Middle School:

Physical Sciences:

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 14

Earth and Space Sciences:

MS-ESS3.A1: Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

MS-ESS3.A: Natural Resources

MS-ESS3.D1: Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.

MS-ESS3.D: Global Climate Change

MS-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity

MS-PS4.A1: A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

MS-PS4.A2: A sound wave needs a medium through which it is transmitted.

MS-PS4.A: Wave Properties

MS-PS4.B1: When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light.

MS-PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation

MS-PS4: Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Middle School:

Physical Sciences:

Cross Cutting Concepts: 5

Structure and Function, Stability and Change

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Structure and Function, Stability and Change

MS-C6.2: Structures can be designed to serve particular functions by taking into account properties of different materials, and how materials can be shaped and used.

MS-C6: Structure and Function

MS-C7.3: Stability might be disturbed either by sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time.

MS-C7: Stability and Change

Middle School:

Science and Engineering Practices: 7

Developing and Using Models, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Asking Questions and Defining Problems

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Developing and Using Models, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Asking Questions and Defining Problems

MS-P1.2: ask questions to identify and/or clarify evidence and/or the premise(s) of an argument.

MS-P1: Asking questions and defining problems in 6-8 builds on K-5 experiences and progresses to specifying relationships between variables,and clarifying arguments and models.

MS-P2.5: Develop and/or use a model to predict and/or describe phenomena.

MS-P2: Developing and Using Models

MS-P6.3: Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

MS-P6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Middle School:

Climate Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy affects quality of life

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

It is recommended that teachers review the teacher's guide to understand anticipated student responses.
Teachers can include this resource within a climate change unit, but should follow lessons on how CO₂ and methane cause warming so that this additional impact can be understood with context.

About the Content

Citations are present in student handouts.
This lesson is based on solid evidence concerning the impact of black carbon on climate change and human health, and provides resources for students to dig deeper.
Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

This resource provides Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core tags for educator use.
This resource supports multiple learning styles by teaching concepts with video, worksheets, and class discussions. It also provides creative methods to gauge if students are excited to learn more about this topic.
This lesson encourages student inquiry through annotated reading and class discussion. There is an introductory guided discussion about air pollution followed by a video to further introduce the topic of black carbon to students. The lesson concludes with having students complete exit tickets to develop student questions that can broaden the investigation, possibly leading to an extension through a separate lesson, Have the Talk: Conversations about Climate Change.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

A complete teacher's guide is provided.
Some hyperlinks are broken, however the user is able to navigate to the webpage by copy and pasting the link into a browser.
Teachers are guided through the lesson with recommended timing and suggestions for engaging students.
Requires instructors to create an account. It is free, but still requires an account.

Entered the Collection: September 2023 Last Reviewed: June 2023

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Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Performance Expectations: 8

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 14

Cross Cutting Concepts: 5

Science and Engineering Practices: 7

Grade Level

Online Readiness

Topics

Climate Literacy

Energy Literacy

Teaching Tips

About the Content

About the Pedagogy

Technical Details/Ease of Use

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