InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Future of Food > Student Materials > Module 10: Food Systems  > Module 10.2: Assessing Food System Impacts on Natural Systems and Sustainability > Knowledge Check: Earth System Impacts and Life Cycle Analysis
InTeGrate's Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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These student materials complement the Future of Food Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.
Initial Publication Date: January 11, 2018

Knowledge Check: Earth System Impacts and Life Cycle Analysis

Questions - Knowledge Check

Question 1 - Short Answer on types of impacts from food system activities

One of the skills involved in building life-cycle analyses is the ability to conceptualize all the different impacts on natural systems related to the different functions of production, transport, and consumption of a product. The activities give below in each question form a part of the functioning of food systems. Identify an impact or impacts on the natural system (e.g. soil erosion, air pollution, water pollution) that would most likely result from these activities, based on the material in this module and previous modules. Then check your answers by clicking on "click for answer" as a review.

Transporting food by ship and truck:

Applying manure to soils:

Applying fertilizer to soils:

Tillage of soils:

Pesticide and herbicide application:

Question 2 - Short Answer

As preparation for doing your own life-cycle analysis, make a list of all of the energy needs you can think of that go into both manufacturing and operatinga car. You may want to also refer to the NCAT/ATTRA required reading to review an example life cycle analysis:

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »