"Carl Gets Some Rest"
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Provided by: EPA|Published on: January 7, 2026
EbooksScientist Reviewed
K12
Scientist Reviewed 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
- This children’s story from the EPA can be read together as an ebook or printed and used as a coloring book to help students learn about other forms of transportation that kids can use.
- There are also notes in the book that explain how car use causes air pollution and that using alternatives can help reduce this pollution.
Subjects: Science, English Language Arts
Authors: EPA
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The "Message to Adults" at the beginning of the book provides excellent context about air pollution and solutions to reduce driving.
- Students will love coloring the cute characters in this story!
Prerequisites
- Before reading, it may benefit students to have a discussion about air quality and how it can impact students' health. Teachers may want to precede this lesson with this one to help students understand the health effects of poor air quality.
- Some students may become anxious and frustrated if they don't have control over their transportation use or don’t have alternatives available to them, so teachers can lead off with this acknowledgment.
Differentiation & Implementation
- To demonstrate their understanding, older students can finish the sentence stem, "I can give my car some rest by..." and draw a picture of them riding their bike, taking the bus, etc.
- If students live in a rural area without buses or trains, they can discuss alternative ways to give their cars a rest, such as carpooling.
- To continue thinking about alternatives to taking a car to school, students can watch this animated video.
- Teachers can use this story to make connections to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being.
This resource is a coloring book with a short story about different types of transportation. The story encourages the use of public and non-gas-powered transportation to help care for the environment and reduce air pollution through a story about a tired car named Carl. The story and content are simple and easy for younger students to understand. Despite the age of the resource, the information is accurate and relevant, and will likely remain so for years, as it discusses basic information about transportation. The information presented is accurate, and 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 →
