Getting to Zero is a physical card game that is conceptualised for secondary school Geography students or anyone interested in Singapore’s energy options. The overall objective of the game is to enlighten student players on the kinds of national/institutional strategies that can be employed to strive for net-zero emissions as well as their accompanying trade-offs. The game consists of elements such as game cards, game currency and a scoring sheet for competitive game play. Student players will be presented with a slew of anthropogenic activities with varying carbon footprints (e.g. deforestation, coal mining). The player who has expended the least amount of financial resources to ensure the lowest level of emissions wins the game.

Score sheet for keeping track of total greenhouse gas emissions and financial resources

There are two types of cards in the game – power and policy cards. The power cards enable the players to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions while the policy cards stipulate environmental legislations that contribute to net-zero emissions. Overall, the game cards attempt to outline a succinct description of the subject matter in question.

Power cards that can help players to have a better chance at winning the card game

Policy cards on the installation of solar panels and car-free Sundays as means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The interactive policy and game cards are endowed with colourful icons and clear descriptions, which will appeal to visual (and kinaesthetic) learners (who are likely to handle them). There is also a wide array of policy cards that may encourage game-play repetition, thereby reinforcing an understanding of climate change mitigation policies. Additionally, the competitive nature of the game (i.e., winning/gaining and losing) reflects real-world sacrifices, trade-offs or opportunity costs that are wrought into the decision to move towards net-zero emissions.
This card game was originally conceptualised by environmental law researcher, Eric Bae, and redesigned by former NIE student and current Assumption English School teacher, Ng Wen Xin, with support from Dr. Tricia Seow, SLL/NIE and Ms. Melissa Low, Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions/ NUS. Please write in to sll@nie.edu.sg if you are interested in organising a workshop based on this card game, or to purchase it.
Additionally, if you are keen to know more about the pedagogical affordances of Getting to Zero and game-based learning in general, please refer to an article written by student teacher Ong Zhiqing [https://hsseonline.nie.edu.sg/the-pedagogical-affordances-of-game-based-learning-getting-to-zero-and-pro-environmental-action/].

A sample lesson package for secondary school students can be found here:

Lesson Plan for Getting to Zero

Resources for Stakeholders

Getting to Zero:  How to play

Getting to Zero: The explainer

Getting to Zero Facilitation prompts

The lesson plan was contributed by Mayflower Secondary School.(View the lesson plan)

SLL has collaborated with STEM Inc. and CHIJ Primary Toa Payoh to produce an SLS lesson for upper primary students. View the lesson package here:  https://vle.learning.moe.edu.sg/community-gallery/lesson/view/1de5215a-4516-48ce-a31f-6a99082ed3ae/cover

To order the Getting to Zero cards, click here