How could you explain climate change (gobal warming) to kids ages 8-10?

Question

I have a project where I must design a board game (or something similar) that is designed for 8-10 year olds while teaching them what exactly climate change is.

For example, how would you explain what it means, what is being done, what needs to be done, and why, etc. Any help or other input is highly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

The first thing is to understand the facts for yourself.  If you plan to refer to any controversy (which there is a lot), and you're more interested in the environmental science than the political debate, check these two pages.

http://www.stuffintheair.com/AnInconveni...

http://www.stuffintheair.com/ancient-cli...

This will provide a great start.

Hope it helps.

Answer 2

Play hangman but use questions and answers after they read about it...under the man use they earn a letter for each right question. The letter could be a word from global warming etc.

The basic thing is that while I was growing up the seasons were definately Nov-Feb was winter, March-May was spring, June-Oct was summer...Now it is different time periods...

Answer 3

I would create a board game that was set up like Snakes and Ladders. When they did something that was environmentally helpful they went up a ladder. When they didn't recycle or when they did something not good for the environment, they go down a snake. They roll the dice, then answer a question about global warming etc.

Answer 4

If you can get 8-10 year olds interested in climate change, when the adults can't even agree on it, more power to ya.

Answer 5

Tell them God decided how the universe works, and we mere mortals have no control over how the earth operates.

Answer 6

Some gases ("greenhouse gases") let sunlight in, which warms the Earth, and then block that heat from leaving. That's the "greenhouse effect", and it's a natural thing, mostly caused by water vapor.

Man is making excessive amounts of greenhouse gases, mostly by burning fossil fuels. That causes the delicate natural balance to go out of whack and the Earth warms. That's global warming.

It won't be a Hollywood style disaster. Gradually coastal areas will flood and agriculture will be damaged. But it will be very bad. Rich countries will cope, but it will take huge amounts of money. In poor countries many people will die of starvation, but not all of them.

Most scientists say, in 20-50 years. But we need to start right now to fix it, fixing it will take even longer than that.

More information here:

http://profend.com/global-warming/

Simple summary of scientific data proving it real here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Clima...

Answer 7

drive them to the nearest greenhouse.

Answer 8

I think that global warming should be taught as a theory which it is it is not fact.  I also think that if you are teaching the pros for a theory you should also teach the facts proving it wrong or counter evidence.  I think that teaching that in schools while not teaching the important things or other theories is brainwashing.

Answer 9

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/

Answer 10

I would do a life type of game except with the earth in mind. I would also include situations in which the kids would have situations in where they could recycle but don't and how it affect animals on the other side of the world or if they ask their parents to walk them to school instead of drive them and then they would get extra points or something like that.

You could also compile a list of things for the kids to do almost like a scavanger hunt where they could identify things that they see in the part of town they live in that may contribute to global warming like people driving cars instead of taking the bus or riding a bike, people using plastic bags in the grocery stores instead of using reusable grocery bags and how much their family recycles. Just some ideas being thrown your way and I hope it helps.

Answer 11

first try to explain the way the atmosphere traps in heat and how global warming is trapping in too much heat.  Then you can go into how this extra heat can cause strange weather phenomenons