Using Props and Social Math to Communicate the Scale and Urgency of Climate Change

Learn to effectively communicate the scale and urgency of climate change through strategic use of props and social math techniques in this educational talk. Discover how to make large numbers comprehensible by placing them in meaningful social contexts, addressing the common lack of intuitive understanding of differences between thousands, millions, billions, and trillions. Follow a quantitative journey through what happens to a gallon of gasoline after it enters a gas tank, exploring how the 376 million gallons burned daily in the US translate to more than a gallon per person per day. Examine the physical properties of combustion through visual demonstrations, including how 5.5 pounds of carbon in a 6-pound gallon of gas combines with atmospheric oxygen to produce 19 pounds of CO2, and understand that sequestering this carbon requires growing an 8-foot 2x4 for each gallon burned. Master techniques for overcoming deficit models of understanding by identifying simple, undeniable facts and using strategic redundancy, fear, surprise, and thoughtful props to create both visual and visceral learning experiences. Access accompanying resources including a public Prezi presentation, materials list, and adaptation suggestions for different educational settings to implement these communication strategies in classrooms or other educational environments.