Climate Change: Earth's Giant Game of Tetris

Videos

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Chemistry, Biology, Earth 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 TED-Ed
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What it is

  • This video describes the carbon cycle and illustrates the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on climate change using the game Tetris as a metaphor. 
  • Students can complete interactive questions, explore related content, and engage with others by commenting on a forum with existing questions and responses. 

Teaching tips

Positives

  • The video is short, illustrative, and encourages viewers to take action.
  • The website has a guided structure of Watch, Think, Dig Deeper, and Discuss.
  • Existing forum responses provide a rich look into how others have conflicting views on the topic.

Additional Prerequisites

  • Students need to be at least 13 years old to create a TED-Ed account with their email, so they can answer the embedded questions and contribute to the open forum.
  • The teacher should plan some way for students to show accountability, perhaps with a screenshot of their discussion post at the end.

Differentiation

  • In an English class, have students write about ways of clearing the "blocks" and slowing down the incoming "blocks" to practice using analogies.
  • It is adaptable to virtual learning as long as there are clear instructions for what to turn in.
  • The video gives younger students an introduction to the impact of greenhouse gases while providing a hook for older students about the urgency of climate change.
  • The teacher has the freedom to choose resources from the Dig Deeper section to plan a personalized grade-appropriate activity.
  • Other resources on this topic include this video on changes in global carbon dioxide levels and this Vox video on how humans disrupted the carbon cycle.

From the scientist review

The game of Tetris contains the basic features to understand the interaction between the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, climate change, and human activities. This resource is suitable for students to explore these changes.
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