"The metaphor of butterfly power is very empowering. It suggests that each of us individually can make a difference, and that the consequences of our actions may be more profound that we expect"

There were a few moments within Moshes paper that I found inspiring, however I picked this quote specifically because I like to remind myself how often I forget things that I should already know. The quote I chose was specifically a reminder of why many of us are choosing the road to become educators in the first place. It encapsulates potential students have, and puts their knowledge at the ready and waits for opportunity. We, the teachers, are here to nurture the growth and ensure that the students are aware of their actions will have a reaction and those around us are also impacted by the decisions we make. Anyone can make a difference, and everyone gets a chance to.  

"Imagine you are driving in your car and every mile you drive you throw a pound of trash out your window. And every one else on the freeway in their cars and trucks is doing the exact same thing, and people driving Hummers are throwing two bags out at a time."

This quote I enjoyed because of the application of the question. I have a similar example where I bring in a large log and I ask kids what they think it is made out of. Most of the time they just reply with "... well... wood?" and that leads to the question "well, what exactly is wood?". Then reviewing the system of photosynthesis, the pesky carbon dioxide gets taken in and exchanged for oxygen! But where does the carbon go? Carbon doesn't seem to leave the system, it becomes apart of the tree. Then what happens when we burn wood? It requires heat energy, lots of oxygen, and as a result we get is a warm slow burning wood, some ash, and that missing carbon dioxide. So all the carbon from the original carbon dioxide gets trapped in the wood in a solid form, and that heavy log we just burned into ash just turned all that solid carbon into a gaseous state and now back into the environment. A 20 pound log is easily reduced to ashes where majority of the 20 pounds is now in a different physical state. These are opportunities where we can encourage students to think and apply their knowledge to the natural world around them. It can begin anywhere and any time, but it requires the right environment to encourage the right kind of thinking. 


2) I believe the right step is to address the climate issues as honestly as possible. I agree that teachers have the responsibilities to fulfill all the requirements in the curriculum, but it is up to educators to assist in the process of developing critical thinking. Moshe does a great example of this by using classroom problems and exercising their "number sense" by quantifying an amount. Number sense can be applied to the garbage example so a student will understand that 20 pounds of trash is difficult to ignore if the trash were to be piled on the side of highways.

I would avoid forcing the idea, but encourage them to do some thinking about what every day activities they do and how does it impact the environment? Questioning where any kind of materialistic good comes from, and where does it go afterwards. For example, plastic has a multitude of uses and has quite a presence on our planet. The one good thing about plastic is that it lasts forever, and one bad thing about plastic is that well, it lasts forever. When we think of used engine oils, where can we place these once refined goods that were harnessed from a different environment? Are there any kind of processes that exist that can return it back in the environment? Is that even possible? Why is no one developing these kinds of technologies? And I like to think that most of the questions students have in this case can be solved by diving deeper into science. By exploring different disciplines of science and providing different