Monitoring Methane: Human Health and Abatement
Provided by: ACE|Published on: November 30, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Economics, Civics, Health
Authors: ACE
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
- In this lesson, students will learn about natural gas extraction, worldwide methane emissions, and the health impacts of fracking from data and specific examples from Texas and New Mexico.
- Students will hear about a young man's experience in Odessa, Texas with natural gas extraction in his town, evaluate his statements, read about the health implications associated with fracking, analyze data, and produce infographics.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video is well-produced, captivating, and easy to understand.
- The infographic activity is engaging for students who are hands-on learners.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students and teachers can download the data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) as a CSV file.
- Teachers must sign up for a free account to access the lesson plan.
- Students should know how to use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) model for science writing.
- Students should understand the greenhouse effect, climate change, and methane's role as a greenhouse gas.
Differentiation
- Students can watch the video at home to prepare for an in-class discussion on climate policy in Texas and other areas with fracking operations.
- This lesson can fit within a larger unit on the human health impacts of climate change.
- Civics students can brainstorm policies to regulate methane emissions and discuss the connection between corporate interests and policy decisions made by lawmakers.
- Language arts students can expand their work with infographics and write a public service announcement.
Methane emissions from natural gas extraction seriously impact the climate and human health. In this lesson, students interact with data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) to assess emissions and abatement technologies. The IEA methane tracker is interactive, well-cited, and even features comparisons with other sources. It clearly shows the costs of abatement technologies, including many that can save money when implemented. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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.
Learn about our review process →
