Carbon Footprint

Everyone has a carbon footprint, which is the number of greenhouse gasses released into the air. Examples include activities such as heating your house, transportation, and trash disposal.

Objectives

Students will learn about the concept of carbon footprint and how it applies to soccer, understanding the sport's environmental impact and ways to reduce it. Students will calculate their own carbon footprint.

Materials

  • Worksheet
Carbon Footprint

Academic Standards

Grade 6
Science 6.1.B The student is expected to use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.
Grade 7
Science 7.1.B The student is expected to use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.
Grade 8
Science 8.1.B The student is expected to use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems.
Science 8.11.C The student is expected to describe the carbon cycle.

Carbon Footprint

Discussion Questions

  • What is a carbon footprint?
  • Why is it important to think about our impact on the environment?
  • How can sports organizations like MLS help the environment?

Reflection Questions

  • How did working on the activity change your perspective on the environmental impact of sports events like soccer games?
  • What actions can you take to reduce your carbon footprint?
  • How can you encourage others to reduce their carbon footprints?

Answer Key

Responses will vary based on students’ own data. Encourage answers that emphasize tangible improvement based on realistic goals to reduce carbon footprint.

Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint

Setup

  • There is minimal set-up in this lesson.

Vocabulary

Carbon footprint: the total amount of greenhouse gases - including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide - emitted into the atmosphere as a result of human activities.

Carbon Footprint

Activity

  • Start the lesson by leading students in a short discussion to assess their prior knowledge using the questions provided or your own.
    • Start with a brief discussion on what a carbon footprint is: the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, that are emitted by our actions.
    • Explain why it’s important to be aware of our carbon footprint in terms of environmental impact and climate change.
  • Teach students about the main contributors to the carbon footprint in soccer.
    • Transportation & travel, stadium energy use, and waste management.
    • Before going into detail about each of the categories, brainstorm a list of examples of human activity that would contribute to each of these examples with students on the board.
  • Transportation & Travel
    • Discuss the carbon footprint associated with teams traveling for games, especially long distances.
    • Explore how fan travel to stadiums contributes to carbon emissions.
  • Stadium Energy Use
    • Discuss how the energy usage in stadiums, including lighting and heating/cooling, contributes to carbon emissions.
    • Explore the energy needs for scoreboards, electronic displays, and other technologies used during games.
  • Waste Management
    • Discuss the environmental impact of single-use plastics, such as water bottles and food containers, used during games.
    • Explore how soccer teams are implementing recycling programs to reduce waste.
  • Show students the video below on sustainability and then discuss it afterward.
  • MLS's Green Initiatives
    • Introduce MLS’s sustainability program, MLS Green, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of soccer.
    • Use a computer and projector to show students the MLS Green website or present information about various initiatives (e.g., using renewable energy, promoting recycling, reducing waste).
    • Discuss specific examples, such as how stadiums are using solar panels, recycling programs during games, and efforts to reduce water usage.
  • Calculating Personal Carbon Footprints
    • Go through the worksheet together, explaining each section: Home Energy Use, Transportation, Water Use, and Waste and Recycling.
    • Have students calculate their carbon footprints using the worksheet and calculators.
    • Have students share their carbon footprint scores and discuss what surprised them about their results.
    • Discuss how their scores compare to each other and brainstorm ideas on how to lower their carbon footprints.
  • Lead students in a short reflection at the end of the lesson using the questions provided of your own.

Additional Activity

  • Create an actionable plan for reducing their carbon footprint based on tracking their weekly data.
  • Have students work in small groups to design an eco-friendly soccer event. Encourage them to consider minimizing transportation-related emissions, reducing energy usage, and implementing waste reduction strategies.
  • Create a chart on chart paper listing common activities and their carbon footprint impacts, along with alternative eco-friendly practices.
  • Divide students into small groups and challenge them to design a green initiative for their school or community, inspired by MLS Green.
    • Have each group create a poster or presentation detailing their initiative, how it would reduce carbon footprints, and steps for implementation.
Carbon Footprint