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The Lifestyle Project
https://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/enviroprojects/lifestyle.html

Karin Kirk, John J. Thomas, SERC - Starting Point Collection

This multi-week project begins with a measurement of baseline consumptive behavior followed by three weeks of working to reduce the use of water, energy, high-impact foods, and other materials. The assignment uses an Excel spreadsheet that calculates direct energy and water use as well as indirect carbon dioxide and water use associated with food consumption. After completing the project, students understand that they do indeed play a role in the big picture. They also learn that making small changes to their lifestyles is not difficult and they can easily reduce their personal impact on the environment.

This is a multi-week project that can either be done as a project assignment outside the classroom or adapted to be carried out over a shorter time scale.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»


Grade Level

Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines

4. Personal and Civic Responsibility:B) Recognizing citizens' rightrs and responsiblities
Other materials addressing:
B) Recognizing citizens' rightrs and responsiblities.
4. Personal and Civic Responsibility:D) Accepting personal responsibility
Other materials addressing:
D) Accepting personal responsibility.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.3 Humans and Their Societies:D) Global Connections
Other materials addressing:
D) Global Connections.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:A) Human/environment interactions
Other materials addressing:
A) Human/environment interactions.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:C) Resources
Other materials addressing:
C) Resources.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:D) Technology
Other materials addressing:
D) Technology.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:E) Environmental Issues
Other materials addressing:
E) Environmental Issues.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues:A) Identifying and investigating issues
Other materials addressing:
A) Identifying and investigating issues.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues:B) Sorting out the consequences of issues
Other materials addressing:
B) Sorting out the consequences of issues.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues:C) Identifying and evaluation alternative solutions and courses of action
Other materials addressing:
C) Identifying and evaluation alternative solutions and courses of action.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.2 Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills:C) Planning and taking action
Other materials addressing:
C) Planning and taking action.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.2 Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills:D) Evaluating the results of actions
Other materials addressing:
D) Evaluating the results of actions.
3. Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues:3.2 Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills:B) Evaluating the need for citizen action
Other materials addressing:
B) Evaluating the need for citizen action.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • Requires educator buy-in and active promotion throughout the run of the project.
  • Parts of the Eco-Quiz will have to be changed to reflect the educator’s geographical location since some questions deal with conditions (water supply, etc.) in northern New York.
  • Can be used in a distance learning setting.
  • Although this is a multi-week project, it can be used over a shorter time scale and adapted to a variety of topics and age ranges. Project can run in the background of a course, so it does not require 3 weeks of actual class time.

About the Content

  • Connects personal actions to the larger-scale problems of energy use.
  • Allows for quantified approach to students' energy use and waste output.
  • Solid background materials for educator.

About the Pedagogy

  • An original approach to getting students involved personally in energy use and climate change.
  • Project is very relevant to students’ lives.
  • Many ways to approach the project and the exact categories are up to each student.
  • Use of an eJournal is a good tool to monitor student progress.
  • Strong plan for assessment (evaluating eJournals, having embedded questions in the eJournal, and provides ancillary assignments).
  • Interesting alternate assignments provided.
  • Very good advice on how to kick off the project and also how to maintain student motivation through the project.
  • Includes introductory quiz, calculators, and exercises for measuring energy use.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • Well organized and laid out for ease of use by both students and educator.
Entered the Collection: February 2012 | Last Reviewed: January 2025

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