Living Large
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
What it is
This video explores the concept of environmental footprints, showing how much land is required to support the average American's lifestyle.
It also compares the footprints of an average person in the United States to an average person in many other countries.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites:
The concept of an ecological footprint may be a novel concept for some, so be ready to discuss this further with students.
Classroom Implementation:
Discuss the social norms and built-in infrastructure that may make it harder for Americans to reduce their ecological footprints, even if they don't consume a lot of "stuff".
Extensions:
Have students brainstorm ways of changing American culture and infrastructure to accommodate a more sustainable lifestyle with smaller ecological footprints.
Other resources on this topic include this footprint calculator, this interactive data resource about the main causes of carbon emissions, this article about food waste, and this video about individual actions.
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