Digital Story Guide

Digital Story: Your Carbon Footprint

Bridges site: Salmon Bay Middle School, Seattle, WA, USA Produced by: Sam Olsons class at Salmon Bay Middle School Overview Will shares what he has learned about global warming and discusses ways his family and government officials can help decrease their carbon footprints. Purpose To recognize that everyone from students to government leaders can make changes that will help save the environment before its too late. Anticipation Activity
1. An Inconvenient Truth is a documentary about climate change by former American Vice President, Al Gore. 2. Driving a car does not contribute to global warming. 3. Turning off the lights will save energy. 4. Only adults can make changes that help save the planet. 5. Carbon emissions lead to global warming. True False

True True True True

False False False False

Pre-Activity Research - (Internet or Library References) http://www.cityofseattle.net/html/visitor/aboutseattle.htm http://www.cityofseattle.net/html/visitor/location.htm http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/virtualatlas/subregions/cascade/cascade.htm http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html http://tiki.oneworld.net/global_warming/climate_home.html http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/

Bridges to Understanding

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Digital Story Guide

Seattle, WA - Identify and/or Explain the following Exact locationHemispheresContinentCountryMountain RangesComprehension Questions (after pre-activity research and viewing the digital story) 1. What is climate change? 2. How does carbon fit into all this? 3. In the introduction, what kind of weather does Will mention? 4. What movie does Will mention seeing in his class? 5. Will views a digital story made by Bridges students in what country? 6. What natural disaster happened to the Bridges students in the village he mentions? 7. On the Carbon Footprint sheet, which country had the largest footprint? What does this mean? 8. Which of the following is NOT a possible solution Will mentions to decreasing ones carbon footprint: a. Turn down the heat b. Dont buy bottled water c. Turn on lights d. Buy less junk 9. What does Will suggest that government officials could give to local farmers? 10. True or false: Will suggests that government officials put a tax on big cars that cause global warming 11. How do cars help cause global warming? 12. What does Will suggest that the government give grants to people to develop? 13. What activity contributes to 50% of Wills familys carbon footprint? 14. Will says good leaders are like what? 15. What does Will specifically ask his leaders to be? a. Bold b. Green c. Smart General Questions 1. What is the message of this story? 2. How are their lives as children different from and similar to yours? 3. What is the event/issue/problem expressed in the digital story? 4. How are these young people working to make positive changes in their community or in the world? 5. Is awareness one way to make change? Explain your answer. Making a movie - explain your answers 1. This digital movie is used to share an experience. What other forms of expression could he have used? 2. How is one able to show emotions using digital photography? 3. Does the voice and/or music add to the tone and/or mood of the digital story? If so, how? 4. Was it important for the story to include photos of people? Why or why not? 5. Why might it be important to carry your camera with you at all times? 6. What is in the photos that helps you know about the culture?

Bridges to Understanding Digital story guide format and content contributed by Sharon Greenberg, teacher and Bridges volunteer

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Digital Story Guide

7. What is the photographer trying to communicate to us? 8. Do the pictures look posed? If so, to what purpose? 9. Do the pictures look spontaneous? If so, to what purpose? Follow-Up Discussion

What activities that you take part in on a daily basis contribute to global warming? What can you do to in your home help conserve energy? What can you do in your school to help conserve energy?

Follow-Up Activities

Calculate your carbon footprint here: http://www.myfootprint.org/ Urge others to calculate their carbon footprints as well, and brainstorm ways to conserve energy Visit this site: http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html o Under http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/difference.html, see what activities you can engage in to conserve energy. Can you walk or ride a bike to school rather than driving? Can you plant trees? Can you recycle or reuse? Student involvement o http://www.kidsface.org/ o http://www.kidsface.org/pages/newsletter/home.html What other ideas do you have for taking action in your community?

Standards* National Council of Teachers of English/International Reading Association Standards 1, 2, 3, 6 National Council for Social Studies Standards Theme I: Culture, Theme IV Individual Development and Identity Theme IX: Global Connections American Geographical Society, Association of American Geographers, National Geographic Society, National Council for Geographic Education Essential Element II: Places and Regions Standards 4, 6 Essential Element III: Physical Systems Standards 7, 8 Essential Element IV: Human Systems Standards 9, 10,11,12,13 Essential Element V: Environment and Society Standard 14 *For more details see http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/educators/framework/

Bridges to Understanding Digital story guide format and content contributed by Sharon Greenberg, teacher and Bridges volunteer

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