The Olympic Flame: Energy and Emissions CER

Olympic Flame Energy and Emissions: A Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) Lesson

In this lesson, students analyze how different Olympic flame designs use energy and produce carbon dioxide emissions. By comparing traditional combustion flames with electric, hydrogen-powered, and biofuel-based alternatives, students evaluate how energy choices affect environmental impact while considering cultural symbolism and design constraints.

The Olympic flame is engineered to burn continuously throughout the Games under challenging weather conditions, making it a powerful real-world example of an energy system. Recent Olympic Games have introduced alternative flame designs intended to reduce emissions, prompting public debate about how technology and sustainability should interact with tradition. This lesson uses those examples to anchor abstract energy concepts in a meaningful, authentic context.

Students calculate energy consumption using power–time relationships and estimate CO₂ emissions using emissions factors. The emphasis is on comparison, systems thinking, and reasoning rather than precision. The lesson culminates in a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) task in which students defend a design choice using quantitative data and contextual evidence. The activity is designed for one to two class periods and aligns well with environmental science, physics, and AP Environmental Science coursework.

Teachers can support implementation using the teacher guide, which includes facilitation notes and worked solutions, and students complete the activity using the student CER worksheet included with this lesson.