Life Cycle Analysis of a Chicken Nugget

• In this activity, students will use prior knowledge, online research, and discussion to examine the production, distribution, use, and disposal of a familiar food item, the chicken nugget.
• Students consider the sustainability impacts of this product and imagine “a day in the life” of one of the many people whose job includes a part of this lifecycle.
• This resource includes a Google Slides presentation, worksheet, and activity cards.

• This lesson is relevant to middle and high school students who will be easily engaged by the fast-food and consumer waste context.
• The Engage component of this lesson has a hands-on student activity with cards, that encourages students to work together and share information.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should already have a working knowledge of sustainability and its three components (social, economic, and environmental).

• The slide notes have extensive background information, which can help teachers better facilitate discussion. The slide notes also include videos to provide additional context.

Differentiation

• This lesson could be taught in an economics class, especially if the topics of life cycle analysis and circular economy are relevant.
• The videos linked in the slide notes could help provide context for English language learners who may be less familiar with the terms.
• Students can connect prior knowledge and information from the PowerPoint to outline the environmental impacts of a specific stage in the manufacturing process using a role-play activity.
• The lesson includes many opportunities for extension such as creating a life cycle system diagram or building a circular economy solution for the sustainability problems that this lesson highlights.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.