The Impact

of Communities on
the Environment
In t his a c t iv it y, the participants identify ways to
reduce their personal impact on the environment.
t i m e r e q u i r e d 2 0 to 3 0 m i n u t e s
i n t e n d e d fo r g r a d e s 9 - 1 2
Mat er ial s
N eed ed

» newsprint and markers

» 100 animal crackers

Activity Steps
1 Div id e t he pa rt i c ipa nt s into five groups. Distribute the 100 animal crackers to the three
groups in this way: 86 to one group, 10 to another group, and four to the remaining three groups.
Then note that this is the actual pattern of consumption in our world. Ask the participants why
they think we should take care of the environment.

Allow for a variety of responses.

2 N o t e t hat experts tell us that by the year 2050, we would need five more planets if everyone
in the world were to live like we do now in North America. What do the participants think of this?

3
Again allow for a few responses.

Dis c us s with the participants what the saying “living lightly on the land” means. Do all rural
families “live lightly on the land?” Ask them to think about rural families in the United States.
Discuss how lifestyle choices affect the impact we have on the environment. Make a list of lifestyle

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 choices that are considered “living lightly” (biking or using public transportation, eating lower on

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the food chain, buying less, etc.). You may wish to note these ideas on a sheet of newsprint.

A s k t he pa rt ic ipa nt s if they recycle at home and school? What things do they throw out
that could be recycled? Allow for a few responses. Then share the following key points:
» The average American consumes over 25 times more resources than the average person
from a developing country. That means that a family in a developing country would have to
have 75 children to have the same environmental impact as an American family with three
children. (Source: worldpopulationbalance.org)

» One of the biggest environmental problems facing our planet is where to put our garbage. A
person in North America creates about 40 times more garbage than someone in India. Each
person in the U.S. produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage per day. (Source: Environmental
Protection Agency)

» The United States and Nicaragua are both countries with coastlines, mountains, cities, and
farms. However, on average, Americans use six times more energy than Nicaraguans do.

» Every time we buy something, we are also buying all the energy that was used to produce
that item.

» Americans use much more water than people do in many countries. For example, people in
Tanzania use only 2.6 gallons of water a day compared with Americans who use an average
of 80 to 100 gallons.

» The 20 percent of the population that lives in the richest countries put far more stress on the
earth than does the rest of the world. For example, this richest fifth of the world:

» consumes 84 percent of all paper; the poorest fifth, 1.1 percent.

» uses 58 percent of total energy; the poorest fifth, 4 percent.

» consumes 54 percent of all meat and fish; the poorest fifth, 5 percent.

» owns 87 percent of the world’s vehicles; the poorest fifth, less than 1 percent.

» According to the United Nations, a child born in an industrial country such as the United
States will have an environmental impact on the earth 30 to 50 times greater than a child

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born in a developing country.

S ugge s t t hat the participants consider doing one or all of the following activities at home in
the upcoming days or weeks:
» In the morning, fill a bucket with water. Try to use only that much water throughout the day.
Wash with it, drink it, and use it to cook your meals. Remember it is all the water you have
for flushing toilets and washing clothes too. Consider how your habits would change if that
was all the water you had every day?

» Initiate a garbage-free day. Do not throw anything into the garbage. Compost, recycle, or
reuse everything.

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 » Use self-stick notes to make “energy saver” reminders for you and your family at home. Post
them where family members will see them (by light switches, on the dishwasher, in the bath-
room, etc.). Sample statements might include the following: Turn Off the Lights!; Use Only
When Full!; Shorter Showers!

Now ask the participants to gather back in their groups of six, and come up with one creative way
to help either educate others about energy, water, and overall consumption, or to help reduce the
amount of consumption. Note that these should be fun and creative ideas (and practical).

6 C o n c l ud e b y inviting each group to share their idea. Then challenge and encourage the
participants to commit to following through on at least one idea presented during the activity.

(The above activity is drawn from Communities Around the World, Around the Corner: An Educational
Resource for Young People in Grades 3-6. Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O.
Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.)

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 About World Vision
W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We
see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can
be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World
Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and
families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across
many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.

W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,
and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based
materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision
Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace
its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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