Exploring the Grand Challenges
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Provided by: OER Project|Published on: June 3, 2025
VideosScientist Reviewed
5-12
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
- In this video from OER Project: Climate, students will learn about the five main categories of human activities that contribute to carbon emissions, and the challenges facing decarbonization.
- Students will learn how the ways we get energy, make materials, grow and raise things, and get from one place to another interact to create carbon emissions, and make decarbonization a difficult task.
- This is one of many lessons in the online Climate course by OER Project.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: OER Project: Climate
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The key points in the video are conveniently marked in the progress bar with red dots.
- This video does an excellent job of showing students how interconnected carbon emissions are and the relationship between daily activities and climate change.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand that greenhouse gas emissions exacerbate climate change.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use the Key Points suggested in the video to create guided notes or exit tickets. Teachers can also check the box to enable pausing after key points to discuss what was shared in the video.
- After watching, teachers can create a chart showing each of the grand challenges. Teachers can then ask students to connect certain activities to the grand challenges they contribute to. For example, students can think about playing basketball in the gym, discussing the power used to have the lights on, the materials used to make the basketball and its packaging, the materials used to make the gym, and even the emissions from the car the physical education teacher drove to get to school that day.
- Students can look at solutions for decarbonization, like those mentioned at the end of the video. Students can research clean energy, electric vehicles, public transportation, sustainable agriculture, green building, and more.
This video resource presents a holistic look at decarbonization, listing each category of emissions as a “Grand Challenge.” The video features clear narration and graphics, and pause points are included after key ideas are presented. The links between everyday activities, e.g. baking a cake, and carbon emissions are shown, highlighting the complexities of mitigating climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
OER Project
OER Project equips teachers with free, innovative curricula and teaching tools that spark curiosity and inspire critical thinking in students. Our courses place student inquiry at the center of learning, and are designed to be adaptable across age levels and state standards.
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 →
