• This lesson plan, activity, math and graphing exercise, and accompanying podcast teaches students about the technologies being investigated to directly remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 
• Students will learn about the economic and engineering challenges that we face when thinking about large-scale carbon sequestration through direct air capture machinery or carbon capture from emission sources.

Positives

• The engaging activity will get students out of their chairs and working together to find the "carbon dioxide molecules" in the "atmosphere."
  
• The Educator Guide is downloadable and includes all of the resources needed for teachers to successfully deliver the lesson.
• There is a downloadable transcript of the podcast.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• The full educator guide includes teacher pages and student pages.
• There is also a guide for teachers who need support with how to use all TILclimate Educator Guides.

Differentiation

• Economics classes can analyze the conclusion that mitigation (preventing emissions) is cheaper and more cost-effective than greenhouse gas removal.
• Engineering classes can do further research on current direct air capture technologies and brainstorm possible creative improvements.
• Biology classes can use this resource to discuss the additional ecological benefits of protecting forests, soil, mangroves, wetlands, coral reefs, and other natural ecosystems that sequester huge amounts of carbon, while also providing wildlife habitat and ecosystem services to the entire planet.
  
• Other resources related to these topics include this lesson about carbon sequestration as a climate solution, this video about the potential for mass carbon capture, and this video about soil's ability to sequester carbon.

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