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Environmental Justice
​Earth  Day - April 22

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated in 175 countries to raise awareness about environmental issues. According to the Earth Day Network, it is the largest secular civic event in the world. (Edliberation.org)

instructional   resources

Click on the images below to access  resources for teaching about Environmental Justice in the classroom. NOTE: These resources are for Elementary and Middle School educators.
A People’s Curriculum for the Earth: Teaching Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis, edited by Bill Bigelow and Tim Swinehart. This book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Schools magazine, along with classroom-friendly readings on climate change, energy, water, food, and pollution, as well as on people who are working to improve the environment. For links to activity PDF's, see below.

“Cookie Mining Activity” -- for use with “Coal, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Mountaintop Removal,” by Bill Bigelow, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 200-207.

“Coal Export Mixer” -- for use with “Exporting Coal and Climate Change,” by Bill Bigelow, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 220-225.

“Amber Energy Morrow Pacific Project ad” -- for use with “Exporting Coal and Climate Change,” by Bill Bigelow, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 220-225.

“Environmental Crime on Trial: Roles” -- for use with “Environmental Crime on Trial,” by Brady Bennon, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 231-237.

“Role Play: The Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline” -- for use with “Dirty Oil and Shovel-Ready Jobs,” by Abby Mac Phail, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 241-246.

“World Trade Organization Summit on Food and Patenting” -- for use with “Got Milk, Got Patents, Got Profits?” by Tim Swinehart, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 338-344.
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“Irish Famine Roles” -- for use with “Hunger on Trial,” by Bill Bigelow, in A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, pp. 355-360.

Instructional Resources

Click on the images below to access  resources for teaching about Environmental Justice in the classroom. 
NOTE: These resources are for Middle and High School educators.
Analyzing Environmental Justice - Middle & High School Teaching Activity from Learning for Justice. A lesson that helps students understand how pollution disproportionately affects people who are poor and members of racial and ethnic minorities. It also provides instructions on using maps to locate environmental injustice.
Don't Take Our Voice Away: A Role Play on the Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change - High School ​Teaching Activity by Julie Treick O’Neill and Tim Swinehart from Rethinking Schools. A role play on the Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change asks students to develop a list of demands to present to the rest of the world at a climate change meeting.
Race, Poverty and the Environment -This journal links issues of racism and poverty with environmental justice. Some recent resources are available for free download; older resources require a purchase. ​

Video  Resources

Click on the images below to view videos to promote Earth Day and Environmental Justice. Click on the arrow to make full screen.

Parent Resources

Teachers, Child Care Providers, Children’s Librarians, and Parents! The Children's Environmental Health Committee of the American Public Health Association curated some excellent resources on how the environment affects human health just for you, whether you want to plan a book reading, an educational game or activity, or incorporate a lesson plan into your class. A number of these activities can be performed at home during school closures!