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The Grand Challenges

Driving Question: What are the Grand Challenges?

Each year, humanity releases 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. How can we start to make sense of a number that big? This lesson will give you a better understanding of the types of things that release emissions, how they are connected, and what makes reducing emissions so challenging.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the five Grand Challenges.
  2. Explain the obstacles to reducing emissions in each Grand Challenges.
  3. Understand how the Grand Challenges are connected.

Vocab Terms:

  • decarbonization
  • emissions
  • Grand Challenges
  • manufacturing
STEP 1

Opener: The Grand Challenges

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of Lesson 4.1 Teaching Guide Locked .

Our Openers and Closers Guide External link will provide more information about these short, but important, activities at the beginning and end of each lesson.

New to teaching about climate change? Join our online teacher community External link .

STEP 2

Why Do We Release So Many Greenhouse Gases?

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of Lesson 4.1 Teaching Guide Locked .

The Grand Challenges can help us make sense of a complex problem like decarbonization. But what are the Grand Challenges, and what do they tell us about potential solutions?

Exploring the Grand Challenges

To solve climate change, we need to decarbonize. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast: this video will help you see how reducing emissions is anything but.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 3

The Five Categories of Emissions

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of Lesson 4.1 Teaching Guide Locked .

Explore the Climate Project Infographics Guide External link for some tips for using infographics in the classroom.

What puts the challenge in the Grand Challenges? Explore the infographic to see how emissions are tied to pretty much everything we do, and then use the visual aid to dive deeper in the categories. Finally, use the activity to explore whether or not having categories is useful.

STEP 4

Closer: The Grand Challenges

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 8 of Lesson 4.1 Teaching Guide Locked .

Extension Materials
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Use this article if you’re looking for a text to explore the Grand Challenge framework.
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Understanding Emissions

How can we make sense of a number like 51,000,000,000? Discover how breaking up the problem can make it easier to grasp.