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WATCH WHERE YOU STEP
ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES
Students identify the components of an
Ecological Footprint by creating a web
diagram of all the resources they use in their
everyday lives and the mark or “footprint” this
consumption leaves on the environment. The
activity emphasizes the interconnectedness
of lifestyle, population, and environmental
impacts, and focuses on solutions to reduce
Ecological Footprints.
OVERVIEW
• What are the environmental, economic,
and social impacts of a typical U.S. diet and
lifestyle?
• What would be the consequences if the rest
of the world adopted a U.S. lifestyle?
• What can we do to reduce impacts
associated with resource consumption?
INQUIRY/CRITICAL
THINKING QUESTIONS
OBJECTIVES
Students will:
• Identify the resources, processes, and
impacts embodied in everyday activities
• Describe the interconnectedness of
population, lifestyle, economics, and
environmental issues
• Discuss, create, and implement ways to
reduce Ecological Footprints
• Social Studies
(Geography, Economics, Global Studies)
• Science (Life, Environmental)
• Math
SUBJECT AREAS
GRADE LEVEL: 5–11
NATIONAL STANDARDS
CONSISTENCY
• NCSS: 2, 3, 7, 9
• NSES: C, F
• Ecological Footprint
• Carrying Capacity
KEY ISSUES/CONCEPTS
TIME REQUIRED: 1 hour
• Overhead: Definition and Components
of an Ecological Footprint
• (Optional) Handout: Hamburger,
Fries, and a Cola
Activity
Introduction
1. (Optional) Do a Sides Debate using the
statements below (see Sides Debate lesson
on page 28):
• “There are enough resources to meet the
LESSON
12
FTF Related Reading
• Intermediate: Chapter 4 from
Global Issues and Sustainable Solutions
• Advanced: Unit 2, Chapters 3 and 4 from
It’s All Connected
Materials/Preparation
• Butcher paper, 1 sheet per group
of 3-4 students
• Marking pens, colored, 2–3 pens
per group of 3-4 students
Watch Where You Step
needs of everyone on the planet.”
• “The U.S. gives more to the world, and
therefore can take more from the world.”
2. Introduce the concept of Ecological
Footprint using the overhead, Definition and
Components of an Ecological Footprint.
Tell students that in order to understand
this concept, they will create a diagram
illustrating everything that is associated with
1 component of their Ecological Footprint.
Steps
1. Give the following directions before
grouping students and assigning their
Footprint component: In groups, brainstorm
and map all of the resources, processes,
and impacts associated with 1 component
of your Ecological Footprint, such as a
meal, mode of transport, favorite object,
or item of clothing. For example, for ‘My
Favorite Meal,’ you would first agree on a
meal you like, write and/or draw it in the
center of the paper, and then write and/or
draw the resources and processes it took to
produce it.
2. Do a short verbal example together with
the class. Ask them what it takes to create
a hamburger (cow, bun, lettuce, etc.).
There are a few steps between the cow
and the burger itself. What are they? (e.g.
grass, butcher, meat grinder). Between
the cow and the burger, we have the
slaughterhouse, the transportation of the
beef to the restaurant, the energy to heat
the stove to cook the burger, and so on.
Now, think about all the steps required to
make your item, including the resources
needed to produce, process, deliver, serve,
and dispose of it (e.g. farmland, water, farm
machinery, fertilizer, pesticides, petroleum
fuels, electrical energy, transportation,
refrigeration, markets, and restaurants).
What impacts result from each of those
processes and technologies (e.g. soil
erosion, pesticide runoff, air pollution,
freeway crowding, and urban sprawl)? Use
the optional handout Hamburger, Fries, and
a Cola as an example of what goes into
producing this common U.S. meal.
3. Arrange students in groups of 3-4.
4. Assign each group 1 of the following
scenarios that illustrate 1 component of an
Ecological Footprint, and have them begin
their web diagrams (if you have a large
class, you can assign items to more than
one group):
• My Favorite Food
• How I Traveled Here Today (a mode of
transportation)
• My Favorite Object (a toy, sports
equipment, etc.)
• My Favorite Piece of Clothing
5. Allow about 20 minutes for this portion
of the activity. Encourage students to
be creative and think of everything that
is related to the object. Remind them to
include items such as transportation of a
product, the marketing of popular brand
items, health issues, and waste disposal.
6. After completing their diagrams, have
students brainstorm and list, on the back
of their butcher paper, 10 things that they
can do personally to reduce their Ecological
Footprint (in relation to the item they
mapped).
7. Have each group present their diagrams
and report their findings and solutions to
the class. As students present their footprint
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WATCH WHERE YOU STEP
ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES LESSON
12
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ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES
LESSON
12
same meals, transportation, clothing, etc.?
• What impacts might result if everyone in
the world were to enjoy the same lifestyle?
How would that impact you economically,
environmentally, socially, and politically? How
might that impact your access to education,
employment, and recreation?
• What would be the consequences of 12 billion
people having the same lifestyle? Would that
be sustainable? How might your life change in
response?
For Advanced Students
• If only a small percentage of the world’s
people were able to enjoy such a meal,
mode of transportation, or clothing while
the rest of the world did without, what might
the environmental, social, and security
consequences be?
• Why would stabilizing the U.S. population
have a major impact on trends in global
reduction solutions, be sure to emphasize
that they do not need to give up everything
they like, but rather should focus on ways
to reduce their impacts. For example, they
do not need to say that people should
never drive cars; rather, they could say that
people could ride a bike to school when
possible, or once a week.
8. Bring the class back together for reflection
questions.
Assessment
Reflection Questions
For Intermediate and Advanced Students
• Discuss the average size of an Ecological
Footprint of a person living in the United States
(about 24 acres) as compared to someone
living in India (about 2 acres).
• What impacts might result if twice as many
people lived in our community and enjoyed the
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ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES LESSON
12
resource consumption and environmental
damage (despite the fact that the United
States constitutes less than 5 percent of global
population)?
• Does lessening our impacts necessarily mean
reducing our quality of life? Are there ways of
enhancing your quality of life while reducing
your impacts (e.g. driving a higher mileage car,
generating less waste, saving money by using
more efficient appliances)?
• How else could you maintain a comfortable
and fulfilling lifestyle, but lower the associated
environmental impacts?
Lesson Extensions
• For younger students, you may want to
have the class focus on 1 component of an
Ecological Footprint rather than those listed
above. For example, you could have the whole
class choose a meal and then assign 1 part of
the meal to each group.
• Bring in an everyday item in its original
packaging (such as a juice box, CD, cookies,
drink cup, small appliance, toy, etc.) and have
the class analyze the Ecological Footprint
created by producing, distributing, and
disposing of the item. Discuss alternatives to
using the item and/or how the item could be
produced in a more sustainable manner. Then
assign students to do the same (individually or
in small groups) with an item of their choice.
Have them propose their sustainable solution to
other users and/or the manufacturer of the item.
• Have students do a “trash carry” activity. Give
each student a large, empty trash bag and have
them carry it with them, putting into it all of the
trash they generate in 1, 2, or 3 days. Have
them weigh their bag of trash at the end of the
day(s). Brainstorm ways they could reduce
the amount of trash they generate. Repeat the
exercise on another day, implementing their
trash-reduction ideas. Have them then weigh
their second bag of trash. Did they succeed in
reducing the amount of their trash? Discuss
other ways trash can be reduced.
Writing/Art Connection
• Use the book Material World by Peter Menzel
Material World by Peter Menzel
Material World
to analyze the Ecological Footprints of people
around the world. Have the students create their
own “material world” picture of their bedroom at
home, either as a photo or a drawing, and write
a short paper describing the project.
• Have students write a letter to someone about
the Ecological Footprint concept. By writing a
letter, students demonstrate that they understand
what an Ecological Footprint is, why the concept
is an important one, and how one’s footprint
might be reduced. Alternatively, if a student
feels it is not important to reduce one’s footprint,
they may explain why they feel that way. Give
students the following instructions: Write a letter
to a friend, cousin, parent, or someone else that
you know. In your letter, you must:
• Briefly explain what an Ecological
Footprint is. What have you learned
about it?
• Suggest ways that you and the recipient
of your letter might reduce your Ecological
Footprints. Be realistic. What are some
things you might really try?
• Try to convince the other person that it is
worth trying these suggestions. Explain
why you think it is important to reduce
the size of your Ecological Footprint.
Alternatively, if you believe that it is not
important to do so, then explain why
not. Try calculating your own Ecological
Footprint, as described below, before
writing your letter.
Math/Technology Connection
• Students can calculate the size of their
own Ecological Footprint and compare it
with people around the world by visiting
www.myfootprint.org.
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WATCH WHERE YOU STEP
ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES
LESSON
12
Mathis Wackernagel introduces the Ecological
Footprint and paints a picture of our current
global situation. Wackernagel explores the
implications of ecological deficits and provides
examples of how governments, communities,
and businesses are using the Ecological
Footprint to help improve their ecological
performance.
Books
• Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things,
John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning,
Northwest Environmental Watch, 1997. Stuff
follows a typical day in the life of a fictional,
middle-class North American, and tracks her
consumption.www.northwestwatch.org.
• Material World: A Global Family Portrait,
Peter Menzel, Sierra Club Books, 1994.
Award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel
brought together 16 of the world’s leading
photographers to create a visual portrait of life
in 30 nations.
Websites
• www.rprogress.org - Redefining Progress
works with a broad array of partners to shift
the economy and public policy towards
sustainability.
• www.footprintnetwork.org – Global
Footprint Network supports a sustainable
economy by advancing the Ecological
Footprint, a measurement and management
tool that makes the reality of planetary limits
relevant to decision-makers around the world.
Action Projects
• Do an Ecological Footprint Awareness
Campaign. Have the students post their
Footprint diagrams around the school with titles
such as, “This Is What It Takes to Bring You
Your Lunch” or “Have You Ever Wondered What
Resources It Takes to Get You to School Every
Day?”
• Have the students evaluate the food prepared
in the school cafeteria and present a proposal
to the school administration and their peers with
alternatives to high resource consumption and
wasteful practices.
• Have your students take the Facing the Future
Pledge to help create a just and sustainable
world. Reprint the pledge form on page 22 or
download it from www.facingthefuture.org.
Post the pledges in the classroom and revisit
them throughout the year. Have students write
in their journals about the activity and how their
pledge is going.
• Do a “trash audit” and develop (or improve) a
recycling program for the school. Include how
much and what kind of trash is produced, where
and how it is disposed of, and the associated
impacts. Determine the school’s financial cost
of the wasted materials and the handling and
disposal of the trash. Set up or improve the
existing structure for recycling (who can take it,
provide bins, etc.), educate the school on how
and what to recycle, and track results.
• Visit www.facingthefuture.org, click on Take
Action, then Fast Facts and Quick Actions
for more information and action opportunities on
reducing consumption and Ecological Footprints.
Additional Resources
Films
• The Ecological Footprint: Accounting for
a Small Planet, Global Footprint Network,
Bullfrog Films, www.bullfrogfilms.com,
2005, 30 minutes. In this documentary film,
© 2006 FACING THE FUTURE: PEOPLE AND THE PLANET www.facingthefuture.org
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ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES
Lesson 12 Overhead:
Defi nition and Components
Defi nition and Components
of an Ecological Footprint
of an Ecological Footprint
Ecological Footprint:
Ecological Footprint:
The area of the Earth’s productive surface (land and sea)
The area of the Earth’s productive surface (land and sea)
that it takes to produce the goods and services necessary
that it takes to produce the goods and services necessary
to support a person’s lifestyle
to support a person’s lifestyle
Components of an Ecological Footprint:
Components of an Ecological Footprint:
• Oxygen
• Oxygen (e.g. trees for absorbing carbon dioxide)
(e.g. trees for absorbing carbon dioxide)
• Food (e.g. meat, dairy, fish, fruits and veggies)
(e.g. meat, dairy, fish, fruits and veggies)
• Water (e.g. drinking, cooking, washing)
• Fiber (e.g. clothes, wood, upholstery)
(e.g. clothes, wood, upholstery)
• Energy
• Energy (e.g. fuel for cars, heat for cooking)
• Infrastructure
Infrastructure (e.g. highways, hospitals, water facilities)
(e.g. highways, hospitals, water facilities)
• Waste Disposal
• Waste Disposal (e.g. garbage dumps, landfills)
(e.g. garbage dumps, landfills)
• Recreation
• Recreation (e.g. soccer fields, golf courses)
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ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH GLOBAL ISSUES
Hamburger,
Fries, and a Cola
Hamburger,
Fries, and a Cola
Hamburger,
What Did it Take To Produce
This American Meal?
• The meat came from cattle grazed initially on
public or private land, and later fed grain. About
10 percent of all public lands in the western
United States have been turned to desert by overgrazing, and about two-thirds of those public lands
are significantly degraded. Streamside lands, where cattle graze, have been especially damaged.
• It took approximately 2 pounds of grain to produce that quarter pound of meat, and that grain
production caused five times its weight in topsoil loss due to erosion from unsustainable farming
methods. Producing that grain also took substantial amounts of pesticides and fertilizers (half of all
fertilizer in the United States is applied to feed corn for animals), some of which ran off into surface
water or seeped into groundwater supplies. By the time the steer was finished in the feedlot, it took
600 gallons of water to build that hamburger patty. Once slaughtered and processed, the meat was
frozen, shipped by truck, kept cold, and then cooked on a grill using natural gas.
• The 5-ounce order of fries came from one 10-ounce potato grown in Idaho on half a square foot of
soil. It took 7.5 gallons of water to raise that potato, plus quantities of fertilizer and pesticides, some
of which ran off into the Columbia or Snake Rivers. Because of that, and dams that generate power
and divert water for irrigation, the Snake River sockeye salmon is virtually extinct. A number of other
species are also in decline because of these production practices.
• The potato was dug with a diesel-powered harvester and then trucked to a processing plant
where it was dehydrated, sliced, and frozen. The freezing was done by a cooling unit containing
hydrofluorocarbons, some of which escaped into the atmosphere and likely contributed to global
climate change. The frozen fries were then trucked to a distribution center, then on to a fast-food
restaurant where they were stored in a freezer and then fried in corn oil heated by electricity generated
by hydropower.
• The meal was served in a fast-food restaurant built on what once was originally forest, then farmland,
then converted to commercial/industrial uses as the city expanded. The ketchup in aluminum-foil
packets came from Pittsburgh and was made from Florida tomatoes. The salt came from Louisiana.
• The cola came from a Seattle processing plant. It is made of 90 percent water from the Cedar
River. The high-fructose corn syrup came from Iowa, as did the carbon dioxide used to produce the
fizz, which is produced by fermenting corn. The caffeine came from a processing plant that makes
decaffeinated coffee. The cola can was made from one-third recycled aluminum and two-thirds bauxite
ore strip-mined in Australia. It came to Washington State on a Korean freighter, and was processed
into aluminum using an amount of energy equivalent to a quart of gasoline. The energy came from
some of the same dams mentioned earlier that have contributed to a 97 percent decrease in the
salmon runs of the Columbia Basin.
• The typical mouthful of food consumed in the United States traveled 1,200 miles for us to eat it.
Along the way, it required packaging, energy, roads, bridges, and warehouses, and contributed to
atmospheric pollution, adverse health effects, and traffic congestion.