On January 23 and 24, sixth grade science students participated in a Greenhouse Gas Game activity led by Mr. Bae. The game was meant to demonstrate how the greenhouse effect works through a fun and interactive way.
The greenhouse effect is the warming of the Earth due to an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. An important greenhouse gas is Carbon Dioxide which is both, emitted naturally and through processes like burning fossil fuels. This gas stays in the atmosphere for long durations of time and causes a warming effect to occur.
For the Greenhouse Gas Game, the students recreated this warming effect and learned why if there is more Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, the Earth’s temperatures would rise. There were two circles drawn on the ground, the inner representing Earth and the outer representing the edge of the atmosphere. Initially, most students were classified as light in space, with two students being classified as Carbon Dioxide within the atmosphere. The goal for the students were to travel from space, through the atmosphere, become heat once they reach the Earth, and escape through the atmosphere back to space without being tagged by the Carbine Dioxide students.
Each round lasted 30 seconds and the students who were tagged stayed in the atmosphere and contributed to the greenhouse effect. The initial amount of students labeled as Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere increased as the rounds went on. This increase caused more of the heat classified students to be trapped on the way through the atmosphere. This process was repeated until almost no students were able to return to space once they became heat.
At the end of the game, there was a discussion about the problem with increased greenhouse gasses and the effect that is having on us. With more Carbon Dioxide being released into the atmosphere, it is causing the warming effect to escalate and is contributing to global warming. Through this game, the students were able to learn the process of how greenhouse gasses accumulate, how they affect the Earth, and some methods they could use to help reduce the creation of more harmful gasses.