Set-up Directions:
Computers will be needed for each group of students.
Location and Scorecard worksheets and the Information sheet will be needed for each group or student.
A wall map is useful.
Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Putting the words "Environmental Justice" on the blackboard and asking what they mean should be enough to begin a discussion. There are many definitions of environmental justice and so try to encourage as many different viewpoints as possible. Students can be asked to write their definition and then compare it with the "official" definitions on the Environmental Justice Introduction from the State of Maryland web page (provided in the overview of this lesson). Students should be steered toward the concept of equal exposure to pollutants as one aspect of environmental justice. This will be the aspect being examined in this lesson.
The whole class will gather information about the location of their school. A different location can be chosen, but it is recommended that the class work as a whole initially as some of the data can be intimidating to work with. One computer with a projector can be used for the whole class, but it would probably help the students more if they could use their own computer at the same time.
The students should use the websites provided to gather the information for the Location worksheet. Each student (or group) should complete their own worksheet, even though the work is being done as a class.
The Scorecard website will then be used to complete the column "Location 1" of the Scorecard worksheet. Use the Information sheet to help students understand the ratios given. Make sure they are comfortable using the websites as they will have to do so on their own for the next day. The Scorecard website defines the terms used and exactly what data was gathered from when. This is useful to help understand some of the information, and can be found by clicking on the term that you would like defined.
Activity 1 - Our Location
After an introductory discussion about environmental justice students gather climate and population data for the county where their school is located.
Use the Climate Page, Factfinder and Map Maker websites to accomplish this.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
Students should answer all questions on the Location Worksheet. They can complete the worksheet on the computer or on a separate piece of paper. It is recommended that this be done as a whole class.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
After the second part of this lesson, students will use this information to compare the location of the school to another location the teacher or student group has chosen.
Activity 2 - Is there Justice Here?
As a class the students will use the Scorecard website to determine the relative pollution burdens in the county where their school is located. The Scorecard worksheet provided in this lesson is set up so students look at one measure by which to compare the pollution burden: Race, Homeownership, Education Level, or Poverty Level. These four were chosen because the percentage of the population in each of these groups can be gathered from Factfinder (and should have been on the Location worksheet). The class as a whole should choose one measure and use it for the next part of the lesson as well.
Students are asked to record information for all four pollution types evaluated by Scorecard in this way: (releases of toxic chemicals, cancer risks from hazardous air pollutants, superfund sites, and facilities emitting criteria air pollutants).
Students are asked to record the group that bears the most burden and the ratio of the burden borne by one group to that of the other. Stress to the students that the ratios compare the exposures and are not a reflection of the absolute exposure. They will be asked to go back and examine the absolute numbers (given in the bar graphs) in the next part of the lesson. In addition, for some students reinforcement of the meaning of the ratios may be necessary. Help them undesrtand that the group listed on top bears more burden if the ratio is greater than one, and the group on the bottom bears more burden if the ratio is less than one. A separate information sheet has been provided on ratios as this can be confusing.
Show students that clicking on various terms gives definitions and further information.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
Students will fill out the Scorecard Worksheet, column for "Location 1" as a class.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
Students will use this information when comparing to the second location in the next part of the lesson.
Wrap Up:
The students should have a good understanding of how to use the websites to gather the information they need. Answer any questions and review any procedures that seemed problematic. Let students know that they will gather the same information for a second location in the next part of the lesson. If the teacher is choosing the locations, explain why those were chosen. If the students are choosing, ask them to think about what location they would like to choose and why (it has much less rain, many more immigrants, etc.)