Name of Lesson: What is Environmental Justice?

Curriculum and Grade Level: Environmental Science, Grades 9-12.

Date: Pollution Unit, in the last 2 weeks (applying information learned about pollution to a real-
world problem).

Resources:
- Word Splash Vocabulary Activity Power Point.
- Graphic Organizer T-Chart.
- Map: Air Pollution in Minority Areas.
- Questions: Air Pollution In Minority Areas.
- Biases in Exposure to Pollution Homework.
Lesson plan resources (Graphic Organizer T-Chart, Map, Map Questions, and Biases In Exposure
in Pollution Homework) retrieved from the Teaching Tolerance website:
Analyzing Environmental Justice. (2017). Teaching Tolerance. Retrieved from:
tolerance.org, November 11, 2017.

Central Focus of Lesson:

Standard/Objectives.
Standards Objective

NGSS ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth
Systems: The sustainability of human societies
and the biodiversity that supports them requires
responsible management of natural resources.
(Cognitive) After defining Environmental Justice,
SWBAT evaluate the relationship between race/
socio-economic status and exposure to pollutants
to determine the viability of the current
management of human-generated hazardous
materials by summarizing data from graphs.

CA ELD Standards: Grades 9-10. Standard 10b
(Writing): (Bridging) Write clear and coherent
summaries of texts and experiences using
complete and concise sentences and key words
(e.g., from notes or graphic organizers)
After participating in a lesson about Environmental
Justice, SWBAT analyze and summarize data
using complete concise sentences and key words.

Essential Questions:
- What is Environmental Justice?
- How is pollution related to Inequality?
- How can maps and graphs help us see where injustice exists?

Enduring Understanding:
- Made-made pollution disproportionately effects minorities and groups of low socio-economic
status, as supported by collected data. These inequalities are the concern of Environmental
Justice.
Lesson Steps
The 5E Instructional Steps/Guiding Questions Timing
Model: Steps of the
Lesson.

Engagement Using the projector, teacher displays the word pollution 10 mins.
Word Splash Vocabulary surrounded by the other 4 vocabulary words. Look at the words
Activity. Words: that are surrounding pollution. With your group, discuss how
Pollution, Inequality, those three words could relate to pollution. Together, write
Minority, Environmental down two ways you think they could relate, and 2 questions you
Justice, and have about these words. Be ready to share. Students
Environmental Racism. brainstorm how the words relate to pollution, and write down
their ideas to share. Teacher guides a discussion with students
about what they think the words mean, how they may relate to
pollution, and what they are wondering about. As the students
discuss the words, teacher compiles lists of what each word
means on the board, eventually completing full definitions for the
students to see. The teacher instructs the students to make sure
they copy the definitions in their notes.

Exploration 1. So we are looking at how pollution may eect things like 5 mins.
Teacher guides students equality and social justice. Now we will brainstorm who is
through a Graphic aected most by pollution. With your group, write your ideas
Organizer- brainstorm a on this T-Chart. In the left hand column, create a list of who is
list of groups of people aected most by pollution. Think about everything we
who are aected by discussed about pollution, such as how it aects the body
pollution, and why they and where it is usually found, to help you with this list. For
are aected by it. example, we talked about how people with Asthma are
aected more by air pollution. Students brainstorm with
group to compile a list of groups of people who are eected
by pollution. When you have your list, look at the right-hand
column. Think about why each group of people is aected by
pollution. For example, people with Asthma are more
eected by air pollution because their lungs dont function as
well as healthy lungs. Within 5 minutes, put as many items on
the list as you can with your partner. Student groups write
down why each group is eected by pollution.

Teacher helps students 2. When youve got your chart, look to see if your list includes 5 Mins.
add socio-economic any groups of people who are aected by pollution for reasons
status and race to the besides their physical health. For example, do you have low-
list. income people on your list? What about members of race and
ethnic minority groups? If not, add it to the left column, and
discuss with your partner why these people might be more
aected by pollution than those who have more money or are
part of the majority race group. Students add these groups to
their list, and brainstorm why they may be eected more by
pollution. Teacher asks students to share some of their ideas,
writing them on the board. Students fill in the reasons in the
right-hand column of their T-chart.
 The 5E Instructional Steps/Guiding Questions Timing
Model: Steps of the
Lesson.

3. Teacher hands groups a map and accompanying questions. 20 mins

These questions will help you analyze the map. Answer the
questions as a group, and we will discuss what sort of
information we can get from the map. Students work together
to analyze the map, guided by the provided questions, which
they answer.

Explanation Teacher asks students to share their answers from the last 4 10

Teacher leads a questions, in order. Why do you think we find more point mins
discussion based on sources of pollution in areas where people of the minority race
what students have live? Would you want to live there? What would a more
discerned from the map. environmentally just situation look like on this map? Student
groups share their answers, and participate in a discussion about
the correlation between race and exposure to pollution. By
asking questions such as, what could we do to make this
situation better?, the teacher guides students to think about
possible solutions to this Environmental Justice issue.

Extended questions: Think about where you live, or other places

youve been. Are there sources of pollution near? Are they point
or non-point or both? Can you think of any other examples of
Environmental Racism?

Elaboration Teacher explains that for homework, the students will look at a 2 mins
Individual homework. few graphs that show exposure to pollutants according to socio-
economic class and race. Students need to summarize, in a
concise sentence, what each graph is showing. Explain that the
summary should be a short conclusion of the relationship shown
from the data in the graph and use key words from the data.

Evaluation 1. Ticket Out the Door Quick Write: Teacher writes question on 5 mins
Reflection the board: Is there a moral duty to promote Environmental
Justice? Use this term in your answer. Students know that they
must write at least 3 sentences for a Quick Write. Students write
down their thoughts on a sheet of paper, and turn it into the
teacher as they leave class for the day. Teacher collects the
quick write as well as the group T-Chart, map, and map
questions.

Evidence of Learning:
The assessment of student learning of this lesson will be evaluated formally and informally.
Formally the students work will be turned in for grades. Informally, the teacher will use a
simple rubric to assess how each student achieved the content and language objectives set for the
lesson. The information gained from this informal assessment will be used to determine the need
for further instruction on the topic.
- Diagnostic informal assessment: The vocabulary activity (Word Splash) is the Engagement.
Teacher assesses students beginning understanding of what Environmental Justice/Racism are,
and how they relate to pollution.
- Formative Assessments: Throughout the Explore and Explain portion of the lesson, teacher
analyzes students responses and participation to gauge the formation of understanding of the
concept.
- Summative Assessments: The Graphic Organizer and Map Questions are turned in for group
credit. Individual students will be formally assessed on their understanding of Environmental
Justice through the ability to summarize information from the four graphs assigned for
homework. The quick-write is turned in for credit, but not graded on grammar, spelling, or
content.
- Each students understanding will be evaluated using a scoring rubric by teacher, both formal
and informal assessments will inform this evaluation including: notes on vocabulary words,
group work on data analyzation, individual homework, and individual reflections.
Scoring Rubric
1 2 3 4

Content Students do not Student try, but Student correctly Student accurately
analyze the data incorrectly analyze analyze the analyzes the
provided, and do the data provided, provided data, but relationships in the
not display and inaccurately inaccurately define provided data and
knowledge of define Environmental display a good
Environmental Environmental Justice in their understanding of
Justice in their Justice in their reflection. Environmental
reflection. reflection. Justice in their
reflection.

Language Student incorrectly Student tries, but Student correctly Student correctly
analyzes the data incorrectly analyzes analyzes the data, analyzes the the
with incoherent the data and uses but does not use data, summarizing
sentences. the key words key words or it in concise
incorrectly. concise sentences. sentence which use
key words from the
data.

UDL for Whole Class:

- Utilize the 10:2 Rule to maximize student engagement.
- Provide visual and auditory definitions of vocabulary words.
- A simple, visual vocabulary activity is used to introduce the topic, assess prior-knowledge,
define academic language used, and examine the relationship between the words.
- Students analyze data from maps and graphs, guided by questions, to conclude something
about the relationship between two factors.
- Students work in groups to promote communication, listening, and cooperation skills.
- Students are given a graphic organizer to help them organize their ideas.
- Discussions facilitated by the teacher to include all students, giving positive responses to
student ideas, utilizing wait times to promote student thought, and building off of each others
ideas to come to conclusions.
- Students complete a reflection at the end of the class to summarize their ideas on the topic.
This is also used by the teacher to informally assess the students understanding of
Environmental Justice.
- The homework reinforces the concepts of Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism,
as well as writing, summarizing, and data analysis.

Adaptions/Differentiations for EL/R Students:

According to the class profile, 2 students are considered EL, at a CELDT level 4. There are 23
Re-designated students, putting them at about a 4-5 CELDT level. The following strategies
should be implemented in the lesson to modify the instruction for those students:
- All the EL students in the class are at either the 4 or 5 CELDT level. According to Krashens
theory of i+1, students should be given attainable challenges that provide the practice needed
to advance their language learning. Therefore, the Bridging level of the CA ELD standards is
chosen for this lesson.
- Group formations: because the EL students are at a high CELDT level, they are paired with an
English-speaking student. The groups should be made up of 2 Re-designated or EL students
and 2 English proficient students.
- During the Engage portion of the lesson, the teacher should go to each EL student and check
the definitions they have written down. If necessary, the teacher should provide the students
with written definitions of the academic vocabulary words with examples to the EL students,
but only if it is found that the students are not grasping the concept.
- EL students are provided with a graphic organizer that gives a 1-2 sentence explanation, in
simple terms, what should go in each column of the T-Chart.
- The teacher should rotate to these student often throughout the Explore phase of the lesson to
ensure they are following along and understanding.
- Each part of the lesson involved discussion. This provides practice for all EL and R students
speaking and listening skills. The teacher should call on EL and R students just as frequently
as English-Speaking students, allowing them wait time, paraphrasing what they say, asking
them to elaborate, and helping to refine the use of vocabulary when needed.
- The reflection portion is a chance for students to practice writing. It is informal, so students
get a chance to practice putting their ideas into words without the stress of using perfect
grammar or spelling. This is a chance for the teacher to assess the students use of the
vocabulary introduced at the beginning of the lesson.
- The homework is practice in reading, analyzing information, summarizing, and writing in
English. EL students are provided with a modified worksheet which includes: Fill-in-the-
blank questions that help them break down the graph into parts (the x-axis is, the y axis is
this graph shows the relationship between.), to help the students organize their summaries
into concise sentences.

Adaptions/Differentiations for 3 Focus Students:

- Luke (IEP-ADD): Luke has been grouped with students who encourage his production, rather
than those that distract him. He is sat close to instruction, facing the teacher. Teacher should
check for comprehension frequently, and refocus him to the task on hand.
- Cruz (EL, CELDT Level 4-5): Cruz is paired with R and English-proficient students to help
him make sense of what they are doing. Cruz receives the modified homework. Teacher
should rotate to Cruz to check his definitions of the vocabulary words. If he is struggling to
grasp the content, Cruz will receive the written aids.
- Anthony D (R, IEP): Anthony has an IEP, but the biggest issue is his lack of motivation to
achieve in school. He is a sophomore, but has failed almost every class in high school.
Anthony is grouped with students to minimize distractions. Teacher should frequently check
for understanding throughout the lesson, and rotate to him frequently to refocus him to the
task on hand.

Using knowledge about students everyday experiences, cultural and language

backgrounds, practices, and interests to inform instruction?
- This lesson involves social issues of inequality of race and class. The majority of the students
in the class are of the minority in both of these groups. This is an opportunity for a meaning-
making lesson, but it needs to be implemented carefully. The teacher should facilitate
discussions and keep the language appropriate. Students may have misconceptions about
these issues, the teacher needs to guide the discussion to address them. On the other hand, the
teacher needs to be sure to use appropriate terminology as well.
- This lesson is student-centered. The teacher facilitates the discussions, adding guiding
questions when needed, but the students are doing the work, and therefore doing the learning.
Based on case studies done on these classes, teacher-centered lectures are ineffective.
Breaking up instruction maximizes student engagement.