Climate Change: Earth's Giant Game of Tetris
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Provided by: TED-Ed|Published on: July 30, 2021
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Synopsis
- 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.

Subjects: Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Joss Fong
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
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.
Scientist Notes
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.
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