At-home and at school learning resources from Learning for a Sustainable Future
Week 22: Climate Justice
Climate change is not only an environmental problem; it is a social issue. Climate Justice recognizes that different communities feel the effects of climate change differently; however, the impacts of climate change are not felt equally. Low-income communities, Indigenous communities, people of colour, people with disabilities, seniors, women and children can all be susceptible to the risks caused by climate change. Climate justice is about equality so that everyone has equal access to basic needs such as clean air, food, shelter and clean water. Fighting climate change and its adverse impacts on our social, economic, and health is urgent, which is why teaching students about climate justice is so important.

As climate change is only becoming more of an issue over time, educators need to introduce both the topics of climate change and climate justice into their classrooms. By teaching students about climate justice, educators are giving them the information they need on social issues to make informed decisions regarding climate change in the future.
In this story, students will learn how humans influence climate change and how it affects different parts of the world. Students will describe and report the weather, understand how rising sea levels impact coastal communities, and brainstorm ways to reduce our carbon footprint.



Activities
  • Read What in the World is Happening to Our Climate. Help students understand how sea-level rise can affect coastal communities, residents and environments with Seashores on the Move Discuss ways to reduce the impacts of humans on the land, water and other living things in the local environment
  • Listen to Sila and the Land to learn more about how Indigenous Peoples connect to their land and the significant challenges their communities face due to the impacts of climate change
  • Complete the Climate Justice and Action Through Art activity to help students understand the current problems with pollution and climate change
  • Use the lesson plan What's Fair? to help students explore the difference between being fair and unfair and how being fair helps everyone get along
  • Teach your students about diversity and social justice with the You Can Be activity
What did you think of What in the World is Happening with Our Climate?
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Students work towards understanding climate change and then engage in a conversation with guests to the classroom or virtually to understand the changes to their area. Students will learn more about the environmental changes in their communities and how it affects the elderly's daily lives.




Activities
What did you think of Community Conversations for Climate Change?
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This resource connects students to climate change and its effects on children living in the world's most vulnerable communities. The lesson's objective is to provide practical support to encourage students to take positive action on climate change. The activities enable students to learn more about climate change and its effects on the world's children.



Activities
  • Watch Climate Change and Children; after viewing, have students brainstorm how children are affected by climate change. Discuss why the most vulnerable children can be more at risk to the effects of climate change
  • Have students reflect on what social justice issues are important to them and use poetry to convey and promote their issues with Social Justice Poetry
  • Environmental Justice for All has students propose actions to resolve various scenarios and then research issues related to environmental justice
  • Climate Justice in the Canadian Arctic has students examine how climate change disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples through inquiry
What did you think of Heat Up Over Climate Change?
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Are you looking for new ways to teach about climate change and social justice? This resource package provides teachers with activities to engage their students with how climate action intersects with social justice. Students will consider the causes and effects of climate change through a fairness and equity lens. Using figures, quotes and videos, students discuss and act on reducing their carbon emissions while becoming more socially just.


Activities
  • View the Introduction to Climate Justice? video. Discuss examples of places and populations that are the most vulnerable to climate change? Have students write their own definition of climate justice and create a similar video to share with their peers
  • Have students draft a What is Climate Justice? Create a Tweet or Instagram post that will inspire others
  • Stories from the Climate Crisis: A Mixer – this role-play activity introduces students to 22 individuals worldwide, each affected differently by climate change. Students meet one another in character and learn about the impact of climate change in their lives and how each is responding
  • Use photographs to teach Social Justice with this Exposing Homelessness and Poverty lesson plan
  • Explore Art for Climate Justice, where artists share their perspectives on climate change. Create your piece of art and message regarding climate justice
What did you think of Climate Justice in BC Lessons for Transformation?
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About Learning Inside Out

Above you will find a selection of activities, broken down by various grade levels. These guides will be released weekly and archived on our Learning Inside Out page, so you can always access the full catalogue.

All activities have been modified from resources on our R4R database, simplified and adapted for both outdoor learning in the school yard or at-home as needed. The activity descriptions above should contain all the information and links that you need!

If you'd like to view the full original resource on R4R, including curriculum connections for every province/territory, click the activity title.

We want this guide to work for you, so your feedback is invaluable to us.
Use the feedback button at the bottom of this Guide, or email us at info@LSF-LST.ca. We would also love to see photos of students engaging in the activities, please e-mail us any pictures or videos you have!
Let us know how this helped your learning and teaching from home or at school indoors and (hopefully) outdoors and what you'd like to see more of by filling out our brief feedback form!
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Please share widely with any parents and teachers in your life!
Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) is a Canadian charity with over 25 years of experience working within the education system. Our Resources for Rethinking (R4R) database is an award-winning collection of resources that are peer-reviewed by certified teachers and connected to curriculum in all provinces and territories. R4R is recommended on many Ministry of Education websites.
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