• This short animated video personifies particulate matter, also known as black carbon, demonstrating where it comes from, how it affects the environment and climate, and ways to reduce it.
• The video highlights a significant cause of climate change and air pollution that is often overlooked.

Positives

• The video simplifies a complex scientific topic in a fun and easy-to-understand way.
• Through graphics, animations, and storytelling, the video presents both a problem and a variety of solutions.

Additional Prerequisites

• This video is part of the Our Climate Our Future Shorts series.
• You may need to zoom out or use the full-screen mode to see the whole picture on the screen.
• The suggestion to use pellets, which are made from trees, should be evaluated with students, as the demand for pellets has led to increasing rates of deforestation in many parts of the world.
  

Differentiation

• It may be helpful for students to take notes throughout the video or pause after topics, as the video presents a lot of information in a short amount of time.
• This video can also be used in health or biology classes during lessons about the effects of fine particulate matter and pollution on the respiratory system and overall health.
• As an extension, older and more advanced students can use this tool to map where levels of black carbon may be highest in the United States.
• This video on CO₂ and fossil fuels and this video on CO₂ and climate change may help provide context and useful background information. 
• Have students write down any terms they are unfamiliar with as they watch the video and then work in pairs to define them.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.