Measuring Your Impact: Calculating individual carbon footprints

In this ETP, students use Excel to develop simple equations that will enable them to estimate their carbon footprint. This is a set of lessons and activities focused on helping students develop a catalog of carbon footprint considerations, as well as of quantifying those considerations in order to estimate how much carbon dioxide they are emitting through various activities. Once students sum their carbon footprint they will be able to analyze how small decisions about energy use in the short run can have larger impacts. Potentially this same method of using Excel to quantify a catalogue of use and activities could also be used for water consumption. The project involves quantifying a conservation of mass application, requires higher order thinking the cost benefit analysis of how small changes can result in big changes,and engages students in thinking about their own values.