Author: Pınar Altunsoy
Date: 20-26 April 2021
Target group: 12-14 years old
Duration of activity: 40’+40’
There is greenhouse gas effect in almost every activity people perform. Greenhouse gases emitted from human activities. Industry, deforestation, transport and land-use change cause climate change. Photosynthesis is an important reaction to reduce carbon dioxit condensation.
Lesson 1- First Phase Of Activity
First of all, the teacher inform the studens about the concept of carbon sink and use the links below.
http://unfccc.int/land_use_and_climate_change/lulucf/items/1084.php
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/carbon-sources-and-sinks/
https://www.clientearth.org/latest/latest-updates/stories/what-is-a-carbon-sink/
In this part, students discuss about carbon sinks. There are two important sink areas on the earth. One of them is terrestrial ecosystems and the other is oceans. The plants produce organic matter by taking carbon dioxide from air through photosynthesis in terrestrial ecosystems. The density of carbon dioxide is the main reason for the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.
Lesson 2- Second Phase Of Activity
First, students will perform the activity in 4 groups and study on 4 different house models with their energy identities. In these energy identities, student will see the annual energy consumption for each household need.
Next, the students will calculate carbon dioxide emission according to the consumption of different energy sources. These are different energy sources and their carbon dioxide emmission.
1 kwh Electricity 0,43kg
1 m3 Natural gas 2,1857kg
1 kg Coal 2,93kg
1 lt Fuel oil 2,77 kg
| Energy ID | House 1 | House 2 | House 3 | House 4 |
| (Electric lighting) | 2168,38 kwh | 2168,38 kwh | 2168,38 kwh | 2168,38 kwh |
| Warming | Coal: 4 ton | Fuel Oil: 478,46 lt | Natural gas: 1893,31 m3 | Electricity: 4651,16 kwh |
A tree photosynthesizes by absorbing an average of 22.5 kg of CO2 annually. While trees are photosynthesizing, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. At last, by using this information students will calculate the carbon sink that is necessary for reducing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and prepare a poster about it.
https://yeniinsanyayinevi.com/2015/05/08/karbon-ayak-izi-olcumu/
With this activity, students;
1. They will realize how much carbon dioxide emission occurs in the atmosphere with the consumption of different fossil fuels.
2. Understand that this gas accumulated in the atmosphere is reduced by using it by photosynthetic organisms, and the importance of afforestation studies (sink area) in this.
3. In this way, they will understand the importance of using clean energy resources.
4. They will make mathematical calculations with an interdisciplinary study.
