Students explore cases of environmental injustice around the world, investigating why it persists and what they can do about it. They learn that environmental justice refers to everyone living in a clean, safe environment, and that environmental injustice is when some people do not. Students investigate different environmental disasters, beginning with the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, and examine how these disasters can spur new laws, like environmental right-to-know laws.
Students investigate how factors like the speed and location of a disaster, who is impacted, and available data affect what happens and how people respond. Investigations into the roles and needs of different groups — like governments, community members, and companies — help students understand what to consider when looking for solutions to environmental injustice. The unit culminates with students creating an action plan to bring together multiple groups and parties to address an environmental hazard.
“The message that there are solutions to help us combat climate change and that people are working together to solve problems helped students stay in a place of curiosity; they didn’t show anxiety over the content.”
“There is something for all different kinds of learners. We are moving spaces, drawing, talking in big and small groups, writing. Some of my kiddos who would have been disengaged quite possibly the entire time were engaged in at least two or more parts of this lesson.”
“My students often refer to the experience and knowledge gained. I plan to use Seeds to Solutions lessons in the future.”
“This did a great job of piquing students’ interest and sparking opposing points of view, which created lively discussions on the topic.”
“I heard comments like, ‘I didn’t realize how much climate change affects my community,’ and, ‘This project made me think about what I can do to help.'”
“I love how the data was more interactive and chunked into smaller pieces. I also like how there was a way to bring all the knowledge and wondering back to come up with a conclusion to the problem.”
“I have learned ways to improve my teaching, and I have been at this for 38 years. The students are gaining a deeper understanding of what climate change is: what causes climate change, and the impact of climate change on crop yield.”
“This lesson brought in cultural stories from the original people who inhabited California. This is a perspective that is not often taught in science. I think that the kids liked having science be a little less facts and figures and more story.”
“They’ve never thought about stuff like this before, and now they’re sharing it. One girl said this was the only class that she went home and talked to her parents about.”
“Using the maps and seeing things like schools and how close they are to hazards is really cool. They may not be super connected personally, but they can put themselves in the shoes of other kids and try to relate. I know it’s working because I have a kid that just watches Netflix all day, every day and he pulled out his earbud and participated!”
“When you’re out in the workforce, you’re trying to solve problems that don’t have a clear, immediate answer. So doing stuff like this helps give students practice.”
“Every lesson was so thoroughly designed, the case study design book was beautifully organized, and it helped to give my class a real-life understanding of how college/graduate-level academic research works. Being able to connect their research back to environmental issues they actually experience was simply icing on the cake. Well done!”
Kim Fortun, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Prerna Srigyan, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Margaret Tebbe, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Nadine Tanio, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Margaux Fisher, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Katie Vo, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Taranjot Bhari, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Aeris Melody Johnson, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Lena Fortun, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Sierra Howard, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Julia Lin, EcoGovLab, UC Irvine
Jennifer Cao, UC Irvine
Thomas Herman, San Diego State University
Mimi Coughlin, Sacramento State University
Matt Ellinger, Designer
Hosun Kang, UC Irvine
K. Lily Wu, OEHHA and Cal EPA
Wongyong Park, University of Southampton
Doron Zinger, CSU Dominguez Hills
Jean Flanagan, BSCS
Susan Lyons, Development Editor
Anita Palmer, GIS Etc
Stacey Lane, Illustrator
Darin Newton, Development Editor
Erica Brauer, Granada Hills Charter
Graham Lockett, Culver USD
Craig Manges, Lemoore UHSD
Kate Morris, The Waverly School
Laura Rivera, Torrance Unified School District
Ann Wegmann, Patrick Henry High School
