Lesson 5b: Environmental Sustainability
In what ways do we help/hurt our environment?
Objective:
To help students understand the impact they have on the environment. Using an online calculation tool, students
can estimate how many planets would be necessary if everyone on earth lived (consumed) the same amount of
resources as they do.
Background:
This is an excellent activity to compare and contrast with students in other classes. The areas of consumption can
be analyzed for cultural influences, and steps can be taken by students to reduce their ecological footprint.
Prepare:
Be sure that all students can access the internet for 15-20 minutes.
Use the www.myfootprint.org online calculator to calculate your own footprint. Familiarize yourself with
the calculator, the required information and the vocabulary.
One or two days before the lesson: as homework, ask students to obtain the necessary information for
the calculator.
List on the board the categories of consumption used in footprint calculation. (Oxygen, Food, Water,
Fiber, Energy, Infrastructure, Waste Disposal, Recreation)
Explore the possibility of integrating the data collection and interpretation with current math and science
goals.
Consider using the Facing the Future lessons “Watch where you step” and “Now hear this” on
www.facingthefuture.org. This website also has additional lesson plans and extensions concerning the
footprint.
Teach:
Assign each student to a computer and have them go to www.myfootprint.org. Have them follow the
steps to calculate their footprint.
Collect everyone!s final calculation and average the numbers to generate your class footprint. Decipher
the biggest areas of consumption. Circle them on the list of categories you wrote on the board.
Begin brainstorming ways to reduce consumption or the impact.
Post message to other Bridges classes with figures and ideas. Inquire about their results.
Now is the time to help students begin to brainstorm and organize some ideas for their digital stories! Save
all notes from class discussions! Consider your teaching goals and the values that students expressed in
Lesson 3: What do we care about?. Then brainstorm an idea list. How can these ideas and feelings be
represented using photography? Multi-media piece?
(WE CAN DEFINITELY ADD MORE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION - LINK TO SARAH'S CURRICULUM, FLOW, ETC)