For Goodness Rake
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Provided by: Green Ninja|Published on: December 20, 2022
VideosScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed 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 →
Synopsis
- This video highlights the environmental impacts of leaf blowing as Green Ninja intervenes to mitigate the issues caused by a homeowner's leaf blower.
- Students will take a deeper look at some of the problems associated with gas-powered leaf blowers, alternatives to leaf blowing, and see how quiet and non-polluting raking leaves can be.
Subjects: Biology, Health
Authors: Green Ninja
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This resource includes a teacher's guide with student questions, additional learning experiences, resources, and notes.
- The video is humorous and somewhat exaggerated, which makes it very entertaining, but it also makes a powerful point.
Additional Prerequisites
- A number of the links in the Teacher Guide are no longer working.
- The teacher's guide provides questions that can be used before, during, and after the video, so be sure to plan ahead for strategic use of these questions.
Differentiation
- The "Frame" questions could be used in whole class discussions, turn-and-talk format, or for small group dialogue prior to watching the video to activate prior knowledge.
- Consider watching the video twice, providing students with the "Focus" questions before the second viewing and having them write answers to these questions in order to measure student comprehension of the content.
- The "Follow-up Questions" could either be used as an assessment or as an introduction to a class project or design of a campaign to reduce leaf blower use.
- Extension activities might include using the "Additional Notes and Resources" section to further learning, such as the newspaper article provided or the results of the scientific study about particulate matter released by leaf blowers.
- Consider a deeper look at the decomposition of organic and inorganic waste through this composting experiment.
This resource provides teachers with a guide to teach students about the carbon footprints of leaf blowers. The resources provided includes framing questions to gauge students understanding of carbon footprints prior to watching a video ~ 3.5 minutes long. The video centers around the Green Ninja, a climate action superhero and the use of leaf blowers. Focus questions along with follow-up questions and optional extension question(s) and an activity is provided. This video, along with the supporting material is well sourced and would make a great addition to a classroom discussing the effects that people and common yard tools have on the climate crisis and what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Green Ninja
Green Ninja grew out of academic research at San Jose State University that demonstrated how well-designed educational experiences can promote pro-environmental attitudes and behavior in youth. This research is the foundation for the Green Ninja middle school science curriculum that has been adopted by the California Department of Education as an approved NGSS science provider. Today, Green Ninja is the only commercial science publisher in the U.S. that uses local climate and environmental problems as a lens for teaching science. Green Ninja is a California Benefit Corporation with the goal of creating a cleaner and healthier planet for everyone.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
