Grade 8 ELA Carbon Footprints Performance Task Student Name: Carbon Footprints

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1 Carbon Footprints Your Assignment: Your class is writing articles for the school newspaper on carbon footprints. You need to write an informational essay on what a carbon footprint is, the important role carbon footprints have on the world, and the different things people can do to change their carbon footprint. You will also need to support the statements you make in your essay with details from the texts. After you have reviewed these sources, you will answer some questions about them. Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read the sources carefully so you will have the information to answer the questions and finalize your research. You may take notes on the information you find in the sources as you read. In part 2, you will write an informational essay on a topic related to the sources. Directions for beginning: You may now look at the sources. You can look back to these sources as much as you would like. Be sure to take notes when reading. You may want to use them while you are writing your essay. Research questions: After examining the research sources, use the rest of the time in part 1 to answer three questions. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also, your answers will help you think about the information you have read, which should help you write your story in part 2. You may refer back to your scratch paper to review your notes when you think it would be helpful. Answer the questions in the spaces below the questions. Your written notes on scratch paper will be available to you in part 1 and part 2 of the performance task. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 1

2 PART 1 This scientific article, written by scientist Sarah Gosling, was published on January 22, 2014, in the magazine Today's World. It describes what a carbon footprint is. What is a Carbon Footprint? By: Sarah Gosling Most people are aware that they have a carbon footprint, but what does this actually entail? A closer look will bring you in touch with your carbon footprint and raise your awareness of the amount of damage that is being done to the planet by your daily actions. A carbon footprint is defined as the amount of carbon dioxide a person leaves behind through their daily actions. This can be produced directly or indirectly because of human activities. Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas, which scientists believe to be one of the contributing factors to the warming of the Earth, or better known as global warming. The size of a carbon footprint all depends upon the daily actions of a person. Some of the actions which produce carbon dioxide include using electricity, heating or cooling a home. Using gasoline to drive a car, taking a plane, and buying/consuming certain foods that may be wrapped in plastic or shipped from afar also produce carbon dioxide. Driving a car produces carbon dioxide. For example when you drive a car the engine burns fuel. The fuel burning produces carbon dioxide, and the amount of carbon dioxide produced varies based on distance. For every gallon of gasoline that is consumed, 8.7 kg of carbon dioxide is produced. There are many ways to reduce the carbon dioxide that is produced from driving. One way is to drive slower and accelerate smoothly. Another way is to drive at the speed limit, and then maintaining a steady speed. Also being cautious of turns and stops. Besides driving, another way is to keep up with maintenance; making sure the car is tuned up, keeping up with oil, air, and fuel filter changes helps a lot as well. Another way is to keep the car's tires inflated; keeping up with tire maintenance alone can save pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Many people have also invested in EPA certified cars, which are fuel efficient and safer for the environment. Another way to reduce the carbon footprint that is produced through usage of cars, is to carpool. Carpooling just once a week reduces your carbon footprint by 20 percent. There are multiple ways to reduce one's carbon footprint at home. One way is to invest in a programmable thermostat. Another way is to invest in compact fluorescent light bulbs. These light bulbs save at least $40 each. Water conserving showerheads and toilets save water and heating costs. Making sure to buy appliances and windows that have an Energy Star labels save costs and energy in the long run. Making sure computers are completely shut down saves energy as well. Instead of printing out files, you can it, or use double-sided printing, which saves paper. You should also turn off any lights or electronics that are not in use. Using recycled products instead of manufactured products also reduces carbon footprint greatly. Reducing the carbon footprint in your home is not hard, as long as you remember what preventative actions should be taken. Your carbon footprint can be reduced during your next party too. For your next birthday party make sure not to waste paper by using recycled or post-consumer waste paper for your invitations and cards. Having organic and/or locally grown food at the party also helps immensely. Also, having the party at a local location cuts down the carbon footprint produced from transportation. These are all small measures that can be taken to reduce your carbon footprint. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 2

3 There are various websites in which an individual can input information in order to calculate a carbon footprint. These websites usually ask for information such as the amount of driving you do, your usage of lights, and other carbon dioxide producing activities. This calculator allows one to see their usage, and reduce their usage if needed. These websites help you easily view where the production of carbon footprint can be reduced. Luckily, there are easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint. It is as simple as being aware of the amount of greenhouse gases you are producing. After being aware, you can turn off the light when you leave the room, ride a bike when possible, and set the air conditioner at a higher temperature. Taking simple steps such as these can reduce your carbon footprint and can help make the Earth a better place. Gosling, S. (2013). What is a carbon footprint? Today's World. Retrieved from Source 2 This article, written by researcher Tarah Copperfield, was published in an online article on May 3, This article discusses how to reduce one's carbon footprint. 10 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint By: Tarah Copperfield Inevitably each of us will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in some way. It is impossible to completely prevent the production of carbon dioxide, but there are many things we can do that can minimize our carbon footprint. Here are just a few. 1. Pay Attention to Packaging When you are out shopping, try to go to stores that keep packaging to a minimum. For example, when buying fruit, buy loose lemons instead of the ones that are in boxes or bags. Also, avoid items that are packaged within non-recyclable bags and boxes, and remember to take reusable bags to the grocery store. This alone can reduce the amount of plastic bags thrown away by millions. 2. Stop Buying Bottled Water If you did not know this already, bottled water has a huge carbon footprint. This is not only due to its packaging, but also because all of the bottled water has to travel great distances just to get to the store or into your home. Some of the bottles are recycled, but unfortunately most are not, which makes the footprint even larger. Try buying a reusable bottle for water. This will help save endless amounts of plastic bottles from making their way into landfills. 3. Unplug it Make sure that you unplug appliances that you do not use frequently. Even if appliances are off, they still draw in power if they are plugged in. Cell phone chargers, laptops, TVs, and stereos should all be unplugged when they are not in use. 4. Buy Organic and Local When you buy local food, you can cut down on miles of traveling that produce has to make. Also, when you buy local food you will be getting fresher, healthier products as well. Buying local or organic foods is a good start, but dining at restaurants that serve locally-produced foods will contribute even more. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 3

4 5. Use Cold Water You do not have to take a cold shower, but washing your clothes in cold water is a start. It takes a lot of energy to warm water, and when you multiply that energy by the number of loads of laundry and then by the number of households, the impact is quite significant. 6. Buy Locally, If Possible Try to reduce online shopping if possible. Shipping burns fuel, every 5 pound package that is shipped across air creates 12 pounds of carbon dioxide. And every 5-pound package that is shipped by truck creates 3.5 pounds of carbon dioxide. 7. Reduce Driving Try to carpool or use public transportation when going out. For every gallon of gasoline that is consumed, 8.7 kg of carbon dioxide is produced. This can be prevented by carpooling, riding bikes, using the subway, or other public transportation. 8. Buy Energy Star Label Products Investing in energy-saving appliances, windows, and light bulbs reduces carbon footprint and also saves money in the long run. 9. Keep Up With Car Maintenance Make sure to keep up with oil changes, air and fuel filter changes, tune ups, and making sure your tires are fully inflated. Keeping your tires inflated properly saves pounds of carbon dioxide alone a year! 10. Recycle/Use Recycled Products Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Buy recycled cards and paper. Use double-sided printing. files instead of printing them out. Every pound of manufactured product produces 4-8 pounds of carbon dioxide. Copperfield, T. (2014). How to reduce your carbon footprint. Go Green Today. Retrieved from Source 3 This journal, written by Ashley Marsden, was published on September 21, 2014, in the journal Changing the World. This discusses her experience reducing her carbon footprint. Making a Difference in a Month: An Environmentally Friendly Blog on How You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint By: Ashley Marsden A carbon footprint is defined as the amount of carbon dioxide a person produces directly or indirectly because of human activities. Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas, which scientists believe to be one of the contributing factors to the warming of the Earth, or better known as global warming. One can reduce their carbon footprint by making small changes in their lifestyle. After hearing about what a carbon footprint is and learning things that I can do to make a difference, I decided to go on a one month journey to reduce my carbon footprint. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 4

5 WEEK 1 This week I have decided to ride my bike to and from school. My mom typically drives me to and from school, but starting this week I told her not to drive me anymore. At first, this was not an easy feat; I had to wake up earlier since it takes me longer to ride my bike to school than it does to have my mom take me. Plus my mom wanted to make sure I would not be late to school. After a few days I started enjoying the ride and the added exercise I received. I eventually started convincing my friends to join me, and soon most of my friends started biking to school as well. This reduced my carbon footprint that was caused by transportation. WEEK 2 This week I added in buying and eating mostly locally-grown and organic foods to my routine. When my mom went grocery shopping, I decided to tag along. I was able to inform her about how buying locally-grown produce and organic meats and vegetables helps in reducing our carbon footprint and makes us healthier overall. When we went out to dinner, I also informed my mom of a local restaurant that serves organic foods. We usually drive to further restaurants that do not serve organic foods, but this time stayed local, so this reduced our carbon footprint that would have been produced because of transportation and non-organic foods. WEEK 3 This week I decided to increase our in-home recycling. I set up garbage bins and labeled them so that we can clearly separate out glass, plastic, and cardboard recyclables. It was fun to organize this and educate my younger brothers and sisters on how important recycling is for our planet. I also educated my younger siblings on what a carbon footprint was and taught them the different ways to reduce their carbon footprint at home. WEEK 4 During the last week of my journey, I decided to make some energy changes around our house. My siblings and I swapped out our light bulbs with some compact fluorescent bulbs. These light bulbs save more than two-thirds of the energy of a regular incandescent bulb, and each bulb can eventually save $40 or more over its lifetime. I also started informing my mom and dad about energy saving appliance changes that they could invest in. They said they would keep it in mind for the next time they went shopping. Thanks to my experiences and the changes I have implemented into my life during my month-long journey, I feel better about my carbon footprint, and feel that the world will be a better place for many generations to come. Sharing these changes and influencing my siblings and friends to also implement these changes helped me realize that I can make a difference. When my siblings and my friends tell their friends and siblings, these changes will grow within the community. These changes were not major changes, and were easy to adapt to. But these changes will immensely reduce my carbon footprint Marsden, A. (2014). How to reduce your carbon footprint. Go Green Today. Retrieved from Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 5

6 Research Questions Using the information you have just read from the three articles, answer the questions below. 1. Explain the importance of creating a small carbon footprint. Use details from the texts you have read to support your answer. 2. Evaluate which of the three sources best explains the effect of reducing your carbon footprint. Use details from the texts to support your answer. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 6

7 3. Select the boxes to show the claim(s) that each source supports. Some of the sources will have more than one box selected. Sharing the changes you make to reduce your carbon footprint can influence others to reduce theirs. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide a person contributes to the world in a day, and it could be changed. Though we cannot completely diminish our carbon footprint, we can reduce it. Source 1 What is a Carbon Footprint? Source 2 10 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Source 3 Making a Difference in a Month: An Environmentally Friendly Blog on How You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint END OF PART 1 Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 7

8 PART 2 Directions: You will now review your notes and sources and plan, draft, edit, and revise your writing. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now read your assignment and the information about how your writing will be scored, then begin your work. Your assignment: Your class is writing articles for the school newspaper on carbon footprints. You need to write an informational essay on what a carbon footprint is, the important role carbon footprints have on the world, and the different things people can do to change their carbon footprint. Support the statements you make in your essay with details from the texts you have read. Explanatory Essay Scoring: Your explanatory essay will be scored using the following: 1. Organization/purpose: How effective was your information presented, and did you articulate it clearly? How well did you establish and develop your information? How well did you use a variety of transitions? How effective was your opening and closing for your audience and purpose? 2. Evidence/elaboration: How well did you develop your information using concrete evidence? How well did you use relevant details or information from the sources in your essay? 3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage, punctuation, capitalization and spelling? Now begin writing your essay. Manage your time carefully so that you can: plan your multi-paragraph essay write your multi-paragraph essay revise and edit your final draft of your multi-paragraph essay For part 2, you are being asked to write a multi-paragraph essay, so be as thorough as possible. Remember to check your notes and your prewriting/planning as you write and then revise and edit your essay. Copyright 2015 Key Data Systems 8