Ecological footprints
Pupils usually enjoy and value opportunities to compare their own 'ecological footprint' with those of people in other cultures and countries.
The footprint activity on this page could ideally culminate in pupils considering the choices they have and positive actions they could take to reduce the size of their own footprint. This is active global citizenship.
Now carry out the Activity on the right.
Activity Resources:
- Images
- Interactive
- Sound
- Text
- Video
Activity
- To find out what ecological footprints are and how they can vary, read the articles by John Spooner and Fred Pearce under the Text icon above. These articles could also be used to stimulate discussion with older pupils, and could be adapted for use with younger age-groups.
- Click on the Text icon, too, to find the chart from the 'WWF Living Planet Report 2002' on ecological footprints per person, per country to stimulate discussion. The summary on the right hand side is useful and the full report is available for download from the website.
Pupils can discuss:- the possible reasons behind the differences in footprints, such as population growth, economic development and technological change;
- the likely resulting impact, unless urgent action is taken, on life expectancy, education and economies.
- The WWF 'Living Planet report for 2004' contains a graph (which can be animated) to show the human ecological footprint over the last 30 years or so. This is a very good stimulus for a class discussion. To find the graph, revisit the WWF homepage using the link below, and use the Search facility to find the 'Living Planet Report'. WWF homepage
- Pupils can use one or more of the following three websites to calculate their own environmental impact:
Ecological footprint quiz
This is suitable for both primary and secondary pupils. Click on your country on the map to chose your language and then start the quiz.
www.open2.net/home.html
'Postcards from the Future' interactive quiz from the Open University. This explores the impact of your lifestyle today on the UK coast of the future. Go to 'Learning' and click on 'Postcards from the Future'.
Both these footprint quizzes clearly present an oversimplified picture. Older pupils may enjoy writing their own additional questions with ranges of possible answers and then reflecting on how much these may contribute to their own ecological footprints. The Carbon Calculator: Click on 'CO2 calculators' to try out the 'Car and Home' calculator and the 'Air Travel' calculator. This could be a homework exercise, involving the family. - Lastly, pupils could try an ecological footprint activity from 'Science UPD8'. 'Football's footprint' is based around the FA Cup Final 2005, for KS3 pupils. Teachers must sign up to the site to download activities. Science UPD8 Go to Finder and click on 'Topics'. Go to 'Environmental chemistry' and click on 'Football's footprint'. You will also find the pupil information sheets under the Text icon above.
