Meet the greenhouse gases

These greenhouse gas cards, made by NASA, are a good source of information for learners. They are a fun stimulus for discussing human influences on the atmosphere, beginning to introduce ideas related to climate change. There are six cards, each providing key information about one of the main greenhouse gases.

Royal Meteorological Society climate change content quality mark

< 30 minutes

KS2

Preparation

What you need

copies of the meet the greenhouse gases cards

Location

Indoors

Step by step

What are greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat. They let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, but they prevent the heat that the sunlight brings from leaving the atmosphere. The main greenhouse gases are:

water vapour
carbon dioxide
methane
ozone
nitrous oxide
chlorofluorocarbons

Suggested outline

Begin by explaining that greenhouse gases can trap energy from Earth.

Ask learners why they think they are called greenhouse gases.

Highlight that overall, greenhouse gases are important, ensuring our planet is not too cold for life to exist, but that an increased concentration of these gases is the main cause of global warming and climate change.

Learners can then answer the following questions using their set of cards:

How many human activities can you think of that produce these gases?
Which greenhouse gases are not produced naturally?
What could people do to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

The cards are found at meet the greenhouse gases. Display them on tablets/computers or download and print copies.

Curriculum links

This activity can be used to support curriculum knowledge and skill development in science, alongside enhancing nature education, with age appropriate adaptations.

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