MathTappers: Carbon Choices 2.0

The MathTappers: Carbon Choices app is crafted with the intention of enhancing middle school students' understanding of the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions associated with their lifestyle choices. It is important to note that the app focuses on a select number of consumption categories, excluding factors such as heating, air conditioning, and non-food consumables, to facilitate a clearer understanding for its users. The app encourages students to monitor and estimate their consumption habits over a week in four primary areas: showers, entertainment, travel, and food. Following this, users receive an assessment that estimates the annual CO2e emissions generated in these consumption categories.

For many, terms like climate change, greenhouse gases (GHG), and CO2e can feel nebulous. While we recognize these terms signify a significant global issue, comprehending their implications and scales can be challenging. This application aims to nudge students towards a more solid grasp of these numeric values by linking everyday activities—such as bathing, eating, transportation, and entertainment—to the resultant emissions over a year based on their individual choices.

Users will typically observe that their estimated carbon footprint for these activities ranges from 1,000 to 4,000 kg of CO2e annually. By quantifying their personal contributions to CO2e emissions through daily choices, students may find climate change more tangible and thus easier to discuss and tackle. For context, it is estimated that the average North American lifestyle contributes approximately 20 tonnes of CO2e each year (source: Our World in Data).

The app's design specifically addresses activities relevant to youth by allowing users to detail their:

• Shower usage: flow rate, input temperature, output temperature, and duration.
• Food selections: categorization of foods into high, medium, and low impact.
• Transportation choices: vehicle fuel economy, fuel type, and kilometers traveled.
• Entertainment activities: system wattage consumed and duration of use.

Through these inputs, students can discover the kg of CO2e emissions projected from their lifestyle choices over a year.

The development team behind the MathTappers apps comprises math educators and researchers focused on crafting engaging tools that facilitate mathematical understanding one concept at a time. The MathTappers suite is designed to support mathematical learning through visual models, interactive content linked to games, and practical suggestions for parents and educators.

For additional resources, please explore all available MathTappers apps at MathTappers.com:

• MathTappers: MultiMatch: A matching app that encourages learners to create and share their own matching game decks.
• MathTappers: Clock Master: A tool for learning how to tell time.
• MathTappers: Estimate Fractions: An introduction to understanding fraction sums and differences.
• MathTappers: Find Sums: Aids in mastering basic addition and subtraction facts.
• MathTappers: Multiples: Focuses on essential multiplication and division facts.
• MathTappers: Equivalents: Covers equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• MathTappers: Find Angle: Assists in identifying the relative positions of angle arms for specified angles.