In class we did an exercise where we traced the path of a cup of coffee from its manufacture to our drinking it during the afternoon break. In groups we had to trace its journey and map any inputs or externalities that had gone into getting the cup there. Our group's diagram got very involved very quickly, as we mapped energy inputs (in the form of fossil fuels and the sun), water, labour, transport etc.
Different groups mapped different types of coffee (one near us did fair trade coffee) and we then compared our diagrams.
It was a very useful way of seeing the externalities in a process or object, and also in seeing how interrelated they all are. It also allows the groups to work them out for themselves, rather than being lectured to about environmental impacts and possibly switching off (Our workshop group ended up using it as one of our workshop activities because it was so good at demonstrating those externalities and their relationships).
I think though that it would be more useful in small to medium sized groups (10-30 people), and it does have the limitation that it is primarily a mapping exercise - it doesn't demonstrate how changing one thing can have a knock-on effect. It should probably be used in conjunction with another exercise that demonstrates change/cause and effect.
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