Ecological Footprint Quick Check

What is ecological footprint?

• The spreading of urban areas into rural areas to accommodate an expanding population.

• The act of moving from rural to urban areas.

• The amount of land required by a person for waste management, food and transport etc.

• It is a measure of the impact living things have on the environment

Answer explanation

Ecological footprint is the amount of land required by a person for waste management, food, and transport. It measures the impact individuals have on the environment.

What is the primary purpose of calculating an ecological footprint?

• To measure the amount of water used by an individual annually.

• To determine the impact of a person on the environment based on their consumption patterns and waste production.

• To calculate the total earnings of an individual.

• To understand the migration patterns of different species.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Which of the following activities would most likely increase your ecological footprint?

• Recycling waste materials.

• Using public transportation instead of a private car.

• Increasing consumption of meat and dairy products.

• Planting trees in your community.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

How can reducing meat consumption impact your ecological footprint?

• It has no significant impact.

• It increases the footprint due to higher reliance on plant-based products.

• It reduces the footprint by decreasing demand for land and water-intensive livestock.

• It increases global warming potential due to increased cultivation of legumes.

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DOK Level 2: Skill/Concept

Analyze the impact of buying locally grown vegetables instead of imported ones on your ecological footprint.

• Increases footprint due to limited variety forcing more transportation.

• Reduces footprint by decreasing transportation distances.

• No impact, as vegetable production emissions are negligible.

• Increases footprint as local farms may use more primitive, inefficient farming techniques.

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DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

You want to develop a year-long project to track and improve your family's ecological footprint. What are key metrics (things) you would measure?

• Weekly leisure activities and entertainment hours.

• Daily water, energy consumption, and waste production.

• Annual income and expenditure on luxury items.

• Number of family gatherings per year.

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DOK Level 4: Extended Thinking

How is ecological footprint measured?

• In terms hectares of land required by each person in a selected area for food, water, transport, housing and waste management

• In terms of number of years it would take before resources ran out

• In terms of the average life expectancy of a nation

• In terms of shoe size, e.g. women's 9

Which is NOT a way to decrease your ecological footprint?

• Eating less meat and processed foods
• Walking or biking to school
• Turning off electricity and water when you're not using it. 
• Driving a large car around for fun.

What kinds of resources make up your ecological footprint?

• waste production

• water and energy use

• food and shelter

• clothing and transportation

• All of the above

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Jamie is estimating the portion of his ecological footprint that arises from

the food he eats. What property of the food should he measure?

• a. its cost to Jamie or his family

• b. the carbon dioxide that its production adds to the atmosphere

• c. the total area of land or water resources that is needed to provide and

  transport the food

• d. the total volume of fossil fuels, fertilizer, fresh water, and other resources that

  are needed to provide the food.

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NGSS.HS-LS2-7