Black Carbon: Dirty Sidekick of CO2
Provided by: ACE|Published on: January 11, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: ACE
Location: Earth
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 →
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 short animated video from ACE personifies particulate matter, also known as black carbon, demonstrating where it comes from, how it affects the environment and climate, and ways to reduce it.
- The video highlights a significant cause of climate change and air pollution that is often overlooked.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video simplifies a complex scientific topic in a fun and inviting way.
- Through graphics, animations, and storytelling, the video presents both a problem and a variety of solutions.
Prerequisites
- This video is part of the Our Climate Our Future Shorts series.
- You may need to zoom out or use the full-screen mode to see the whole picture on the screen.
- The suggestion to use pellets, which are made from trees, should be evaluated with students, as the demand for pellets has led to increasing rates of deforestation in many parts of the world.
Differentiation & Implementation
- It may be helpful for students to take notes throughout the video or pause after topics, as the video presents a lot of information in a short amount of time.
- This video can also be used in health or biology classes during lessons about the effects of fine particulate matter and pollution on the respiratory system and overall health.
- This video on CO2 and fossil fuels and this video on CO2 and climate change may help provide context and useful background information.
- Have students write down any terms they are unfamiliar with as they watch the video and then work in pairs to define them.
This video introduces and discuses black carbon and its impact on the climate, vegetation, and human health. Additionally, the sources and potential options to reduce black carbon are discussed. The video does recognize how difficult reducing black carbon would be but provides hope for how this can be done. 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 →
