City and County of San Francisco
I Want It! I Need It!
Discuss wants and needs with your elementary ecologists and get them to consider what would happen to our natural resources if we all got everything that we want. Learners play a card sorting game and take an ecological footprint quiz on...
Curated OER
What is an Ecological Footprint?
Introduce youngsters to the term ecological footprint. Learners identify ways in which humans affect the environment. They look at the problems associated with the use of natural resources, and focus on ways to preserve natural...
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
Curated OER
Managing Your Energy Budget
Learners examine their ecological footprint. In this technology based lesson, students calculate patterns of consumption and suggest ways to decrease their resource usage. This lesson includes several multi-media resources, videos, and...
Curated OER
Ecological Footprint
Eighth graders discover their own ecological footprint and create a plan for reducing this figure. They extend this to the school and community to see how they are doing on this scale. They discuss the concept of the ecological...
Curated OER
Conservation in Costa Rica
Students brainstorm what they do that requires land use and use a worksheet to calculate their footprint (the total area of land and water required to produce all the resources they consume). They then compare their footprints to each...
Curated OER
Reducing Ecological Footprint Ads
Students examine the impact of geological footprints. In this geography skills lesson, students calculate geological footprints and discuss ways to reduce the footprints. Students create advertisements that motivate others to reduce...
Curated OER
Managing Your Energy Budget
Students experience an inequitable resource distribution and electronically calculate their own Ecological Footprint. The assess their resource use and learn more about sustainable living strategies in a video tour by Penn State...
BBC
Bbc News: Disposable Planet
The Earth's population is soaring, but its resources are finite. Can we provide food, water, energy? Watch a slideshow on our planet's future, and take a quiz to measure your impact on the Earth.
Idaho State University
Idaho State University: Global Processes, Resources and Our Ecological Footprint
An extensive report on the creation of our ecological footprint on the earth and how it impacts the global processes and natural resources.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Lifestyle Project at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
This is a five-week project where students explore and assess their personal lifestyle choices and how their habits impact on the environment. They try making choices that have less of a detrimental effect on the environment, and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Lifestyle Project at the University of Redlands
This is a three-week project where young scholars explore and assess their personal lifestyle choices and how their habits impact on the environment. They try making choices that have less of a detrimental effect on the environment, and...
Geographypods
Geographypods: Patterns and Change: Patterns in Resource Consumption
This collection of three learning modules looks at issues related to resource consumption. It examines theories about how population size affects consumption, the changing patterns of energy consumption, and ways to minimize consumption....
Other
Scic: Ecological Footprints From Around the World [Pdf]
In this lesson plan, learners will discover their own ecological footprint and will be able to compare it to that of people in various developing countries. They will also explore how their actions can impact the earth.
Other
Grace Communications: Food Print
An environmentally conscious group brings to light the relationship between food, water and energy, and the importance of sustainability. The site looks at issues such as animal welfare, social justices, food policy, the industrial food...
Other
Skidmore College: Lifestyle Project
A copy of an article published in the Journal of Geoscience Education. It describes how the Lifestyle Project got started, and how it is used with students to help them develop an awareness of how their daily habits and actions have an...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Seeing a Sustainable Future
In this video, Alex Steffen discusses ways that urban areas are able to reduce their ecological footprint and people can live more sustainable lifestyles. [10:14] Followed by a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Pacific Ocean: Mexico: Why Must We Care for the Environment?
Join Mateo on his trip to Mexico. During his trip, he will teach all about conservation, and contributing to a healthy environment.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Dairy Cows: Ecological 'Hoofprint'
Article discussing research that supports having dairy cows live outside year-round rather than in a barn, as this practice produces a much smaller ecological footprint. (Updated: July 11, 2012)
Other
Few: Human Impact on the Environment & Environmental Impact on Humans
Human beings have an enormous impact on the natural environment, and ultimately on each other. The way we chose to house, clothe, shelter, and meet the needs for vital resources such as food, energy, and water, not only affect the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Resource Usage Project and Journal
Students pick a resource and track their use of it over the course of one week. Students record their data in a spreadsheet, write a summary of it, and draw conclusions from their usage patterns. A detailed student handout is provided.
Other
World Land Trust: Personal Carbon Balanced Calculators
You will find a series of calculators here for exploring what your carbon footprint on the Earth is, based on your use of air travel, your regular means of transportation, your household habits, and fixed carbon dioxide emissions for the...
Other
Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador: Climate Change Club
Join the fun at the Climate Change Club where you can find out ways to take action at home, in school, and in your community. Keep up with the latest news in climate science, and link to fact sheets and other fun sites that care about...
Other
Global Footprint Network: Footprint Calculator
With this resource, students answer questions about their lifestyles and, in return, receive an ecological footprint report. It states how many planets would be required to support the human race if everyone had the same footprint.