Activity 01
Map Investigation: EJScreen Analysis
Students access the EPA's EJScreen tool and search their own zip code or a teacher-provided urban area. They record the environmental justice index values, identify which demographic groups bear the highest environmental burden in that area, and discuss what geographic and historical factors might explain the pattern they find in the data.
Analyze how environmental hazards disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Facilitation TipDuring the Map Investigation, have students zoom into their own state or city first so they see familiar places in the data before tackling larger regions.
What to look forPose the question: 'Based on our study of environmental justice, what is one specific historical decision or policy that you believe has had the most significant impact on environmental inequality in the US, and why?' Allow students to share their reasoning and cite evidence from case studies.
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Activity 02
Case Study Investigation: Three Environmental Justice Battles
Small groups each research one landmark environmental justice case such as the Flint water crisis, Cancer Alley in Louisiana, the Dakota Access Pipeline dispute, or environmental health conditions in Richmond, CA. Each group presents the geographic location, the hazard, the affected community, and the outcome of any advocacy or legal efforts.
Explain the social and economic factors contributing to environmental injustice.
Facilitation TipFor the Case Study Investigation, assign each group a different battle and require them to present a 2-minute 'timeline' of key decisions that led to the injustice.
What to look forProvide students with a map of their local area or a nearby city, highlighting different neighborhoods. Ask them to identify one potential environmental burden (e.g., proximity to industrial sites, major highways) and one demographic characteristic (e.g., income level, racial makeup) for two different areas, then write a sentence explaining if they see a potential environmental justice issue.
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Activity 03
Think-Pair-Share: Who Bears the Climate Burden?
Students examine a map showing global CO2 emissions per capita alongside a map of countries most vulnerable to climate impacts including flooding, drought, and sea-level rise. They discuss the mismatch between who causes climate change and who suffers most from it, then extend this analysis to environmental justice patterns within U.S. cities.
Design strategies to promote environmental equity in local and global contexts.
Facilitation TipDuring the Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems like 'One community bears more risk because...' to guide precise academic language.
What to look forAsk students to write down one environmental burden and one environmental benefit. Then, have them describe a scenario where these burdens and benefits might be unequally distributed between two hypothetical communities with different socioeconomic characteristics.
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Activity 04
Solution Design Workshop: Environmental Equity in Our Community
Groups identify one environmental hazard disproportionately affecting a specific local or regional community and design a policy or community-organizing strategy to address it. Proposals are evaluated against criteria of feasibility, equity, and geographic reach. Groups present their plans to the class acting as a community review board.
Analyze how environmental hazards disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Facilitation TipIn the Solution Design Workshop, give students a budget limit and require them to justify every expense using evidence from their maps and case studies.
What to look forPose the question: 'Based on our study of environmental justice, what is one specific historical decision or policy that you believe has had the most significant impact on environmental inequality in the US, and why?' Allow students to share their reasoning and cite evidence from case studies.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach environmental justice by making students confront the uncomfortable truth that spatial inequality is not random but engineered through policy. Use GIS tools to let students uncover these patterns themselves, which research shows deepens understanding more than lectures. Avoid framing this as a debate about whether injustice exists; focus instead on how to measure and remedy it. Draw on local examples whenever possible to make the issue feel immediate rather than distant.
Successful learning looks like students using spatial data and historical evidence to explain why environmental burdens cluster in specific communities rather than spreading evenly. They should connect policy decisions to present-day maps and propose concrete solutions based on their analysis.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Map Investigation, watch for students who assume the data shows random distribution of pollution sources.
Use the EJScreen tool to have students overlay multiple layers (demographic data, pollution sources, flood risk) and specifically highlight how these layers overlap in specific communities rather than spreading evenly.
During the Case Study Investigation, watch for students who claim environmental injustice is accidental or unavoidable.
Have students trace the historical policy decisions (redlining maps, highway routes) on modern case study maps to show how these choices concentrated environmental burdens in communities of color.
During the Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who limit environmental justice to toxic waste sites only.
Ask students to map green space distribution alongside demographic data, then have them calculate tree canopy coverage per neighborhood to reveal disparities in heat exposure and health risks.
Methods used in this brief