Living Large
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Provided by: ACE|Published on: April 27, 2021
VideosScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- Chapter 2 of the Our Climate Our Future series includes a video and worksheet.
- The 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.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
Authors: ACE
Region: North America, United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video provides good analogies and the animated content is engaging.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers will need to register for a free account to access the materials.
- The concept of an ecological footprint may be a novel concept for some, so be ready to discuss this further with students.
- There is an answer key available for the worksheet.
Differentiation
- There are related videos available for extended learning.
- Social studies and economics classes could 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".
- Students could 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.
Scientist Notes
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE)
Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE)'s mission is to educate, inspire and support young people to lead the fight for their future. To achieve their mission, ACE ensures young people have everything they need to understand the science of climate emergency and advocate for solutions.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
