Lungs of the Earth
Provided by: |Published on: January 18, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 4, 5, 6, 7
Type: Podcasts
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
Authors:
Location: Earth, North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > California
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 →
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 podcast, hosted by 11-year-old Zachary of Los Angeles, discusses the importance of healthy forests, the definition and effects of mass deforestation, the filtration system of trees, and the importance of tree canopies, like those that sequoia trees provide.
- The podcast includes an interview with the founder of an organization working to clone old-growth trees, a tree trivia game, and a comical weather report.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The narration from a child is an engaging element for students.
- The adult guest mentions that his best hope for the future is young people.
Additional Prerequisites
- Audio ads play before the podcast begins and after it ends.
- Vocabulary is somewhat rigorous, so a printed definition list will be helpful.
- The adult guest mentions the impossibility of an older woman having a baby, so teachers of younger students might need to prepare for questions.
- The information is available for download.
Differentiation
- The adult guest presents a call to action that every human plants and cares for two trees, so science teachers may wish to enhance the lesson with each student planting a tree seed or pod.
- The narrator mentions bamboo as a sustainable alternative to wood, so teachers may wish to have a few bamboo products on hand for reference.
- English classes can utilize the podcast when practicing listening and note-taking skills.
- Teachers may wish to show students, especially ELL students, a model of the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle.
- Students with auditory processing difficulties may benefit from using speech-to-text technology to create a transcript for the podcast.
- Language arts students can write poetry to illustrate the metaphor comparing trees to lungs.
This ~20-minute podcast from We the Children discusses current climate change issues. Children who have concerns about the future of our planet host the podcast. Each podcast presents an interview with a climate expert and a discussion about organizations that are helping in the fight against climate change. This podcast is well-researched and includes expert analysis. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussion about climate change issues.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
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.
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