These activities can be used as one-time discussions or educational tools in chapter meetings, classroom presentations, meetings with teachers, stakeholders, and more. Teachers can also use them as lesson plans in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Advisory, and more. Select any of the activities, they don’t need to be completed in order. They will help address educational gaps on your campus. They’re designed to take 10-15 minutes but can be adjusted as needed. Anyone can lead these activities, you don’t have to be an expert in the topics!
Activity One: What is Environmental Justice? (Click to open)
Step 1:
Share this definition of environmental justice from the Environmental Protection Agency:
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys:
- The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards
- Equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.
Step 2:
Watch the below video by Grist to get a better picture of environmental justice. Discussion/response questions for participants:
- What did you notice in this video?
- What surprised you?
- How have you experienced or seen environmental justice issues in your school/community?
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write/discuss how they’ve seen or experienced environmental justice issues in their school/community
- Write/discuss which human rights are impacted by environmental justice issues
- Write/discuss what they want to learn about environmental justice
- Write an environmental justice pledge (how they want to fight for environmental justice)
Additional resources to dive deeper:
Activity Two: Climate Migrants (Click to open)
Step 1:
Ask: Why do people move?
Share this definition of climate migration from Climate Reality:
The movement of a person or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment due to climate change, are obliged to leave their habitual place of residence, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, within a State or across an international border.
Step 2:
Watch this video from VICE News:
After watching the video, discuss:
- How will climate change continue to impact people’s decision to move? (Think beyond the example in the video)
- How might future climate change induced weather and disasters put your region or community at risk?
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write/discuss, with climate migrants in mind, which human rights are impacted by climate change
- Write/discuss their own/family’s migration story, how they’ve seen or experienced climate migration in their school/community
- Write/discuss what they want to learn more about related to climate migration
- Write/discuss the similarities or differences with the stories of climate migrants
Additional resources to dive deeper:
Activity Three: Los Angeles Oil Drilling (Click to open)
Step 1:
Share this brief summary of oil wells in Los Angeles from U.S. News:
Today there are over 20,000 active, idle or abandoned wells spread across a county of 10 million people. About one-third of residents live less than a mile from an active well site, some right next door.
Watch this video from VICE news:
Step 2:
After watching the video, share this map and ask participants to see how close they and their friends live to a well. Ask them to find out (using the “Checkbox” feature on the website) what type of well is near them and if it is still active. Ask:
- What do you notice about this map?
- Which neighborhoods in Los Angeles seem to have the most oil wells?
Discussion/response questions:
- Who lives in these communities? (Consider race, socio-economic status, etc.)
- What surprised you about this information?
- Check out the latest law that stops new oil fields in Los Angeles. How does it help? Where does it fall short?
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write/discuss which human rights are affected by oil drilling
- Write/discuss their climate story, how they’ve been impacted by oil drilling or other environmental factors
- Write/discuss their hopes or fears about oil drilling in Los Angeles
- Write/discuss what they want to learn LA oil fields
Additional resources to dive deeper: