Math & Engineering
Ecological Footprint: Introduction to Green Math
Summary
This introductory lesson engages students in calculating their personal ecological footprint using an online footprint calculator. Students analyze how their food consumption, consumer habits, energy use, and travel behaviors contribute to global resource demand. By comparing their results to planetary limits, students evaluate the concept of carrying capacity and explore strategies to reduce ...
Type
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Got Gas
Summary
This interdisciplinary high school lesson set integrates mathematics, sustainability, and energy economics through three connected activities: (1) calculating “miles per dollar” as an alternative fuel-efficiency metric, (2) modeling local transportation distances using coordinate geometry and linear equations, and (3) analyzing oil supply and demand trends using scatter plots, lines of best fit ...
Type
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Lifecycle and Sustainability: Enrichment Lesson
Summary
This high school lesson introduces students to lifecycle analysis (LCA) and sustainability evaluation tools to critically assess whether products or processes are truly “green.” Students examine the sustainability triangle (environment, economy, and equity) and conduct a lifecycle analysis of a selected product to identify inputs, outputs, impacts, and tradeoffs. The lesson emphasizes systems ...
Type
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)