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Comenius multilateral project 21 st century hazards 4th meeting in Portugal, Guimaraes. September 2012. Special Gymnasium & Lyceum of Athens. What if air pollution was only a bad dream? An optional course. Students vs Carbon Dioxide = 1-0 Presenting:
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Comenius multilateral project21st century hazards 4th meeting in Portugal, Guimaraes September 2012
What if air pollution was only a bad dream? An optional course Students vs Carbon Dioxide = 1-0 Presenting: DimitriosDemertzis –student of Lyceum DespinaFilippidouM.Ed-Greek Language teacher
Objectives Duration3 h Cross curricular approach Language, Social and Politics Education, Science, Geography • Raising awareness on the greenhouse effect • Getting acquainted with the climatic changes and conceive air pollution as a main basic cause • Facing the problem. Working on solutions
Materials • For this lesson we needed: • The School board • A world map • Educational cd rom and dvd, edited by Non Governmental Organization Action Aid Hellas • A thermometer • Boardmarkers
Activities • First of all we explained our students that the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon which is very important for life on earth. • We used the drawing below and explained in simple words what is happening in each phase. We used more or less the following comments: Phase 1 • We made a drawing of the sun, the earth, the houses, the factories and the cars. We tried to show that the atmosphere surrounds the earth and actually gives life to everything we know. Our earth is like a blue, fragile sphere that should be kept in a huge balloon filled with air in order not to break into pieces. • Unfortunately all emissions that come from our house heating, cars and factories end up in the atmosphere…
Phase 2 • We explained the drawing by making some arrows showing the direction of the sun rays. The sun heats the earth. The earth preserves the heat that keeps her alive and expels the amount that is not needed back to space.
Phase 3 We made a drawing of a huge grey Cloud representing carbon dioxide (CO2). The circle of nature is blocked by human intervention. Despite the fact that the atmosphere is always there and takes care of the earth, its inhabitants do not really seem to take care of the atmosphere. Most human activities emit carbon dioxide (CO2) that forms a huge Cloud which surrounds the atmosphere like a thick layer.
Phase 4 • In this stage we drew the final set of arrows. Carbon dioxide (CO2) blocks the heat waves and sends them back to earth!!! As a result temperature rises and climatic conditions change dramatically. This is called ‘’the greenhouse effect’’. After the introduction we watched an educational DVD and students worked on the cd rom.
In another session we invited our students to think of several ways that the atmosphere is polluted and we focused mainly on cars.
In order to help them we showed them a flash card with the following symbols and explained that all the above produce CO2. How would they imagine Mr. CO2? Could they make a drawing of him?
WANTEDCarbon Dioxide(widely known as CO2)Usually found in : factory chimneys, car exhausts etcWanted for: dangerous rise of the Earth temperatureSuspect for: Severe climate changes extremely hazardous for lifeDetests: Forests , Plants, Flowers and active citizens
It was quite simple for students to find out that car as a means of transportation produces a large amount of CO2. The way we drive and keep our cars in a good condition may contribute to the reduction of atmosphere pollution in the cities we live.Therefore we invited our students to a brainstorming of ways of behavior that could reduce the atmosphere pollution in Athens.
Here are some proposals that our students suggest : • We use our car only when it is absolutely necessary. We use the metro, the bus or tram for short distances. We prefer to walk or ride our bicycle to avoid traffic jam. • If it is possible we try to find a house near the place we work in order to avoid commuting.
We avoid driving alone. We prefer to take with us friends, colleagues or members of our family going towards the same direction with us. • We try to drive having a steady speed. In this way we save money, too.
While travelling, we take few luggage with us. The more luggage we take the more fuel the car consumes. We may take out of our car boot old and useless objects. • We read carefully the manual of our car constructor. We may find there very useful information on the suitable fuel and oil for our car engine as well as proper ways to reduce impact to the environment.
Every year we have our car emissions checked by a mechanic. This measure has already been introduced by the state for all vehicles. • We do not forget the periodical service of our car as well as the suitable pressure of the tires. In this way we save money and fuel consumption. • We avoid using the air conditioning of the car when it is not absolutely necessary. Using the air conditioning fuel consumption increases up to 20%.
We go for bicycle!! In Europe more than 30% of the distances covered every day by car are shorter than 3 km, while another 50% are shorter than 5 km! For these distances bicycle may easily replace the car! 40% of the transportations are related with the place we work and schoo,l while the rest 60% is related with social activities, shopping, several services, recreation etc.
Using our bicycle instead of our car will have the following benefits: One of the most significant financial measures against crisis!!! Absolute lack of negative consequences in citizen life. Protection of monuments and parks. Reduction of traffic jam. Improvement of the quality of life in the city centre(amusement, civilization, shopping, social life) Increase of public transportation average speed. Very important benefits in human health and everyday life.
I was always thinking that someone’s got to do something about one or another problem.This was till the day I realized that this someone was me…..
