Resource Overview
Students compare the life cycle stages of four everyday products in order to hypothesize which item has the lowest environmental footprint, and then brainstorm possible improvements to one product’s life cycle to minimize its eco-impact.
Students will be able to:
- Name and sequence the five stages of a product’s life cycle.
- Explain what factors influence the environmental impact of each life cycle stage.
- Conduct a basic life cycle analysis of a consumer product.
- Compare the five life cycle stages of four different products and use reasoning to determine which product has the lowest overall eco-impact.
- Formulate a plan for decreasing the impact of a product by altering one stage of its life cycle.
Features of This Resource
- Middle school life cycle analysis activity
- Students tackle a problem and offer solutions
- Great lesson for teaching personal impacts on the environment
How Do I Get This Lesson Plan?
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