Meet the Greenhouse Gases!
Activity - Classroom
GradesK, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Earth and Space Sciences
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by NASA Climate Kids
What it is
- These colorful and fun greenhouse gas cards help students learn about water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons.
- Each card explains how the gas forms, how it traps heat, and how it contributes to climate change.
Teaching tips
Discussion Prompts
- Ask students: Why does the article compare greenhouse gases to a blanket or a glass greenhouse? What does that comparison help us understand?
- Have students compare the four gas cards: Which gases come from natural sources, which come from human activities, and which come from both?
Differentiation
- Since there are four gas cards, try grouping students in fours, giving each student one gas to become the "expert" on. Students can then take turns describing their gas's sources and role without naming it, while the group guesses which one it is.
- For an extension, have students design an original trading card for a gas not covered here (e.g., ozone) using the same front/back format: composition and sources on one side, its effect on warming on the other.
- For younger students, focus the discussion on the "blanket" and "greenhouse" analogies used in the text to build intuition before introducing the gas names.
SDG Connection
- This resource can be used to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action.
From the scientist review
This resource simplifies the greenhouse effect. Students can explore to gain knowledge on the various greenhouse gases that influence the energy budget in the earth-ocean-atmospheric system. The resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on climatekids.nasa.gov
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