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Differences in Americans' Motivations for Eating Plant-Rich Foods

Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |Published on: January 18, 2023

Graphs/Tables Grades 9-12, ap-college

Synopsis

This report presents the findings of a survey to determine what motivates Americans to have a more plant-based diet and provides recommendations to encourage people further.
The data collected from the survey is presented in graphs, segmenting parts of the population based on their motivations.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, Health

Authors: Karine Lacroix et al., Matthew Goldberg, Jennifer Marlon, Seth Rosenthal, Matthew Ballew, Xinran Wang, Martial Jefferson, Jillian Semaan and Anthony Leiserowitz

Region: North America, United States

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The article presents the findings through a series of charts while discussing the conclusions drawn from said findings.
This article is a great way to introduce students to how population segmentation and surveys are used in scientific studies.
After reading the article, students can participate in the survey.

Additional Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with reading and interpreting graphs.
The study is specific to the motivations of Americans. Students should be aware that these findings do not reflect the motivations and barriers of people living in other countries.
Students should click the hyperlinks related to the Six Americas Survey to better understand the final population segmentation presented in the article.

Differentiation

As a challenge, have more advanced students try to interpret the data presented in the graphs before reading the researchers' conclusions.
This resource can also be used in statistics classes during lessons about interpreting data, means, confidence intervals, and research.
As an extension, have students follow the instructions at the bottom of the article to use the survey tool and determine their community's willingness and motivation to adopt a plant-based diet.
Have students read this article to learn more about the potential of adopting plant-rich diets to reduce carbon emissions.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts scientific research on public opinion and behavior. They also engage the public in climate change science and solutions, in partnerships with governments, media, companies, and civil society.