This lesson introduces students to the concepts of climate change and how cars can contribute to climate change. Students learn the basics of the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. They also learn how transportation affects our atmosphere. Students work together to understand how various forms of transportation have costs and benefits, and which modes of transportation are better for the environment.

This is a collection of three lessons that  can be added to the lessons about energy for fourth graders after the students have created a model of the concept of transfer of energy, before or after they have discussed renewable energy as an option. Skills could be reading a map or a graph and gathering useful information, discussing it and coming up with what the information meant. Intelligence was another pursuit. Intelligence meant more than knowing things. It meant knowing things and being able to apply it to the real world as useful information and action. As you learn something, you are also aware of yourself and those around you. Knowledge is intelligence when it can be used for good in the community. It can be useful for everyone and your job is to help apply it and share it with others with this in mind. Write these two pursuits on the board and a quick definition or a student created definition.

This lesson introduces carbon emissions and the idea of carbon and ecological footprints to students.

This is lesson two for a fourth grade energy unit. The set  of  three lessons explores the effects of coal fire power plants in Chicago and the community action generated to close the plants. Identity can be defined as a  question of who you are, who others say you are and who you desire to be. Criticality is the capacity and ability to read, write, think, and speak in ways to understand power and equity in order to understand and promote anti-oppression. 

This is lesson three for fourth grade on energy and  the community effects of coal power plants in Chicago and the community action that ensued.Pursuits addressed Criticality: The capacity and ability to read, write, think, and speak in ways to understand power and equity in order to understand and promote anti-oppression. joy: This is important because as you are struggling with ending and easing oppression, there is joy in coming together and creating change as a community.