The 6th grade science classes participated in a simulation of the greenhouse effect. This helped them see how CO2 gets trapped in the atmosphere.
The game started with two students representing CO2 molecules in the center of the circle, which represented the atmosphere. The other students were sunlight energy standing outside of the circle.
The object of the game was for sunlight to enter the atmosphere, tag the Earth, exchange their "light" card for a "heat" card, and escape the atmosphere without being tagged by CO2. Students could only be tagged once they became heat and had a card. Each round lasts 30 seconds.
During the 1st round, most of the sunlight energy escaped because the CO2 levels are low. The students then discussed how this affects the planet's temperature.
Click here for a video of the how the simulation ran.
For the rest of the game, different action cards were picked, which allowed for the students to see the fluctuation in the atmosphere. The actions cards demonstrate how even small-scale actions can affect the amount of greenhouse gas that we emit into the atmosphere.
Click here for videos of the different actions cards:
To wrap up the game, the class reflected on how human actions such as fossil fuels can enhance the greenhouse effect by putting more CO2 into the atmosphere. This simulation can be used as a springboard into different discussion regarding alternative energy sources, sustainable lifestyles, and examining various solutions to climate change.