Climate Action Infographic
Sean Whitcomb
Introduction
You are a part of a global effort to increase access to education and empower students through “open pedagogy.” Open pedagogy is a “free access” educational practice that places you – the student – at the center of your own learning process in a more engaging, collaborative learning environment. The ultimate purpose of this effort is to achieve greater social justice in our community in which the work can be freely shared with the broader community. This is a renewable assignment that is designed to enable you to become an agent of change in your community through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this work, you will integrate the disciplines of Biology to achieve SDG #13: Climate Action
Learning Objectives
Explain main factors which contribute to climate change.
Purpose/Rationale
The United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are designed to be “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” In this assignment you will focus on Goal #13: Climate Action.
Climate scientists have determined that the climate is changing mainly due to human activity, especially carbon emissions. These emissions come from three main sources: agriculture, transportation, and energy.
You will need to create an infographic that educates the public about one of these three main factors that contribute to climate change. You will use the Piktochart website to create your infographic.
Instructions
Research your topic
1. Decide whether you want to focus on agriculture, transportation, or energy for your infographic.
2. Research the ways that your chosen factor affects climate change in general.
3. Research specifically how this factor plays a role in your state’s carbon footprint. Here are some example of questions to consider:
a. What kinds of food are grown in your state and what farming methods are used?
b. What are the main forms of transportation in your state?
c. Where does your state get most of its energy from?
4. Keep track of the sources you use in your research. You will need to cite at least three sources at the end of your infographic.
Set up an account with Piktochart
1. Go to the Piktochart website and click the Start For Free button.
2. Set up an account using Google, Facebook, or an email address. Reply to the confirmation message that will be sent to your email account (if you signed up using email).
3. Sign in and answer the questions to set up a new account.
4. Click the Create new button and select Infographic.
5. You will see several templates that can be used to make an infographic. Choose any template you like, but make sure it will be easy to edit so it includes all the required elements for this assignment. Piktochart allows you to create up to 5 free infographics, so you can play around with a few templates and see what you like best.
6. Watch this 5-minute video on YouTube. It will go over the main steps for creating an infographic. Follow the steps in the video to create all the components in the assignment listed below.
Create your infographic
1. The template you use may be too large or too small to fit all the information. You can add, delete, and resize the “blocks” to fit your needs. There is no required length, but it should be large enough to cover all the required information without crowding.
2. Give your infographic a title that clearly states the purpose.
3. Write a short paragraph or bulleted list that gives some general background about the climate factor you are addressing (agriculture, transportation, or energy).
4. Include some data (with numbers) about your factor and its role in climate change.
5. Write at least three short paragraphs or lists explaining how the role of your chosen factor in your state’s carbon footprint. Put these in your own words, just like you would in an essay. NO QUOTES!
6. Insert at least one image to accompany each paragraph or list. The image should be directly related to the information in that section. Use the icons provided by Piktochart or use images you are allowed to use for free. This website explains how to find such images. DO NOT pull images from a normal Google Images search.
7. List three or more sources at the end of the infographic. You don’t need to put them in MLA or APA format; just include the name of the website and a link. Wikipedia shouldn’t be used as a source for this, but it’s a good place to find links to other sources.
8. Your infographic should be quick and easy to read (no long paragraphs), while still being thorough and getting all the important points across.
9. Your infographic should be visually appealing so it catches the eye.
10. When your infographic is complete, click the Download button and select Medium size. DO NOT select the “Download as blocks” option. Click the Download as PNG button and save the file on your computer.
11. Submit the infographic.
Format Requirements
N/A
Attribution
