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    eeCourse

    Teaching about Climate Justice


    Jump to: Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 |  Module 4
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    Course Overview

    Welcome to the Teaching about Climate Justice eeCourse! This course is designed to prepare you to teach about climate justice topics with your middle or high school students. Thank you for taking the time to engage in this course experience, deepen your understanding of climate justice, confront and explore your own feelings about teaching climate justice topics, gather new resources you could use in your classroom, and create high-quality, locally relevant lesson plans that you can incorporate into your current curriculum.  

    Objectives

    By the end of this course, you will be able to: 

    • Understand how equity and inequity, intersectionality and climate change are related.

    • Identify intersectional climate leaders and organizations in your community or state. 

    • Gain a deeper understanding of climate justice and Identify climate justice issues and solutions in your community.

    • Explore the principles for teaching climate justice and feel better be prepared to make the case for teaching climate justice.

    • Explore strategies to address climate anxiety.

    • Explore and reflect on how your identity and your students’ identities and how identity  impacts the teaching and learning of climate justice.

    • Investigate civic engagement and how students can take action to give them hope in the face of the climate crisis.

    • Create a lesson plan on climate justice that moves students through a series of hands-on activities in a clear and appropriate learning progression.

    Expectations

    As a student of this course, it is expected that you:

    • Have some background knowledge of and comfortability engaging with or teaching climate change topics in the classroom .

      • If this is not the case, please check out CAEE's Climate Literacy eeCourse.

    • Commit the time required to complete all readings, assignments, and assessments.

    • Complete Modules 1-4 and their associated assignments, as well as submit the final course evaluation.  You will have 8 weeks to complete the course.


    Completing Tasks and Assignments

    For each Module, you will record responses to prompts and complete tasks in a Course Journal. At the end of each module, you will submit your Course Journal with the relevant sections completed. 

    The Course Journal and other documents will be provided in the form of Google Docs.  You can either download as a Word document or "Make a Copy" under the File menu to edit it as your own. Assignments can be submitted as Google Docs by using the link-sharing feature. Assignments can also be submitted by attaching Word documents. If you have questions or would prefer another option, please contact Lisa Eadens at lisaeadens@caee.org.


    Grading 

    • Assignments must be completed with a score of 2 as indicated on the scoring guide provided.
    • If you complete all of the course assignments with a grade of 2 or more you will receive a Certificate of Completion for 15-hours of professional development.


    Important Dates

    This course runs for 8 weeks, from January 26 – March 20, 2026. Although you can complete the course at your own pace, below is a recommended schedule for completing each module:

    • Module 1 – Complete by February 9
    • Module 2 – Complete by February 23
    • Module 3 – Complete by March 9
    • Module 4 – Complete by March 20

    Additionally, you will be required to attend at least one 1-hour online discussion with fellow eeCourse participants. A Doodle Poll will be sent on the first week to schedule a time that works best for course participants.


    Meet Your Course Moderator

    Your course moderator is Lisa Eadens. She will review and score your assignments, offer feedback and facilitate the online discussion. Read more about Lisa below!

    Lisa grew up in a small mountain town on Colorado’s Western Slope where she developed a love for outdoor recreation and a respect for our natural world. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Davidson College and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida, where she also completed a Certificate in Environmental Education and Communications. 

    Lisa has worked in environmental education for over 20 years, starting as an intern at the National Wildlife Federation and advancing to leadership roles, including directing a nonprofit watershed partnership and opening a multi-million-dollar environmental learning center. Lisa joined the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education in 2013 and currently serves as Program Coordinator where she coordinates CAEE's professional development trainings along with the Careers in Natural Resources Initiative. Lisa currently lives in Golden with her husband, three kids, two cats and dog. In her free time, you will find her hiking, skiing, cheering on the Broncos or relaxing with friends and family.


    Get to Know the Course


    Please watch this video walk-through to learn how to navigate course modules, materials, and assignments in Moodle. Although this video uses the "Foundations of Teaching Environmental Education" eeCourse as an example, the information shared is applicable to any eeCourse.

         

     

         


    This course was supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Environmental Education Grants.   It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Agency. 

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    Module 1: Climate Change, Equity, and Intersectionality

    Description
    In this module, participants will explore the concept of climate change, how it relates to climate equity, and associated terms such as intersectionality as crucial to teaching climate justice. 

    Objectives

    After completing this module participants will be able to:

    • Self reflect on their own comfort with teaching climate change.
    • Explain how equity and inequity and climate change are related.
    • Explore intersectionality and the climate movement
    • Identify intersectional climate leaders and organizations in their community or state to connect with.

    Estimated Time for Completion:
    2 hours

    Benchmark Assessment:

    Module 1 Tasks:



    • Climate Change Overview

      Before discussing climate justice, it’s important to understand climate change because the two are interrelated. Furthermore, this intersection is critical to communicating to students when teaching climate justice. Thus, our first module assesses your understanding and comfort with teaching climate change in your classroom. The question is: Where do you stand when you think about teaching about climate change?  

      FIRST: Access the Course Journal. You will need to either Make a Copy of this file and edit it as your own Google Doc or download it as a Microsoft Word document. Click File, Make a Copy or Download. You will record responses to prompts and complete tasks in your own version of the Course Journal throughout this course. At the end of each module, you will submit your Course Journal with the relevant sections completed. 

      SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT A: Read the statements on each slide and create a text box in the slide with your name and the number that corresponds to your viewpoint, as well as a brief explanation for why you chose the number you chose on the number line located here. Please feel free to note other thoughts in your COURSE JOURNAL.


    • SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT B: How do you compare with educators nationwide? Revisit your responses to the previous assignment and look at the following “State of Climate Education Report.” Where did you find agreement with the sentiments you expressed?  What does this data, especially compared to your responses, leave you wondering?  What are some of the trends? If you could, would you change any of your responses to the statements in assignment 1 based on what you read?  Provide a reflection (>100 words) on your responses to these questions in your COURSE JOURNAL.


    • Climate Change and Equity 

      As many of you highlighted in SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT A, not everyone feels the climate crisis and its consequences equally. In fact, those who bear the greatest consequences (e.g., young people, communities in the Global South, Indigenous communities, etc.) have historically contributed the least to causing this issue. As such, the climate crisis is often regarded as an “equity” issue. 


      “Equity” is a term that is central to this course as it is inextricably linked to climate justice. Equity refers to “meeting communities where they are and allocating resources and opportunities as needed to create equal outcomes for all community members.” (United Way of National Capital Area) Based on this definition, equity differs from equality because equity does not strive for resources communities the same, but resourcing based on what communities need. 


      The question for this section is as follows: What is the intersection of climate change and equity?


      TASK: Watch- approximately 15 minutes 



    • SECTION 2, ASSIGNMENT: In your COURSE JOURNAL, develop a reflection on the following from the video you just watched:  What surprised you?  How did hearing this information make you feel? How do you think such information would make your students feel? How might education relate to the social restructuring that Kevin Anderson illustrates? How might this information impact your teaching about climate change? Please note that these topics are weighty and are likely to be for students as well. We will explore best practices for teaching climate justice topics in MODULE 3.

    • Intersectionality

      As explored in the previous sections, climate change highlights deep societal inequities. One reason for this phenomenon is that climate change is an intersectional issue. In other words, and as illustrated in the following graphic and video, climate intersects with other systems of inequity to exacerbate these issues. 


      TASK: Read the article entitled Yale Experts Explain Intersectionality and Climate Change. 


      TASK: Take a look at the following graphic illustrating the intersectional nature of multiple systems of oppression. 


      (Graphic Reference: Climate Justice Crash Course pg 10 https://www.maineclimateaction.org/climatejusticecrashcourse)

      Now, let's highlight a few examples that apply intersectionality as a concept to the climate crisis to understand how climate injustice operates in practice. 

      • Indigenous Sovereignty + Climate Justice: Indigenous communities in what is now the U.S. and well beyond continue to fight for their rights. In the U.S., we have 574 federally recognized tribes that are sovereign nations. Of these, 40% are in what is now Alaska. As the Arctic warms twice as fast as the rest of the world, Native Alaskan communities face threats to their historical, and cultural practices, livelihoods, and even languages (read more here)

      • Economic Justice + Climate Justice: 83% of those living in poverty (less than $2.15/day) live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. As it has it, these places are amongst the most climate-harmed. In 2022 alone, severe flooding displaced eight million people in Pakistan, and droughts in the Horn of Africa impacted 36 million people. These communities have less financial resources to adapt to the climate impacts they continue to grapple with. 


    • SECTION 3, ASSIGNMENT: Based on the examples above, choose one of the systems of inequity and illustrate a before and after of how climate change might deepen these inequities. Please give an example that directly relates to your community. Please upload your illustration to your COURSE JOURNAL (as a note, you will not be graded on artistic ability; we simply want to see how you conceptualize these ideas). 


    • Diving Deeper Into Intersectionality

      Now that you have been introduced to the concept of intersectionality and how the impacts of climate are amplified when people also are experiencing other oppressions, like ageism, sexism, racism, poverty, and ableism. Let's explore intersectionality further. 


      TASK: Briefly take a look at the following resources discussing climate change and intersectionality.



      Explore the Intersectional Environmentalist Website and resources

    • SECTION 4, ASSIGNMENT: Using the IE searchable database or by searching on Google find an organization in your state or city that is focused on intersectionality and climate change.  If one comes up, you are encouraged to connect with them to learn more.  These organizations might be interested in sharing more about their work with your students.  

      Do you have any intersectional climate justice leaders in your state that could inspire your students?  Consider inviting them in to speak, or having your students research folks in your state leading your climate justice movement.  In your COURSE JOURNAL, record your local research.


    • Submit Module 1 Course Journal Assignment
      Opened: Friday, 4 October 2024, 11:00 AM

      Submit Modul 1 Course Journal:

      • Upload your COURSE JOURNAL with MODULE 1 Assignments completed. You may either upload it as a Word document or share a link to your Course Journal Google Document (Be sure that you set the Sharing Setting to “Anyone with the link” and the role of “Commenter”). 

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    Module 2: Climate Justice

    Description: In this module, participants will build on the material they explored in the previous module, tying climate change, equity, and intersectionality into the concept of climate justice. 

    Objectives:
    After completing this module participants will be able to…

    • Define climate justice
    • Gain a deeper understanding of the 6 pillars of climate justice
    • Identify climate justice issues and solutions in their own communities

    Estimated Time for Completion:
    2 hours

    Benchmark Assessment:

    Module 2 Tasks:


    • Defining Climate Justice

      The topics of climate change, equity, and intersectionality (explored in the proceeding module) are inextricably linked to conceptualizing climate justice. Namely, social justice issues such as those encompassed by equity and intersectionality are crucial to achieving climate justice. 


      TASK 1: Watch this short video clip. 
       
      After watching the video, please explore this resource: The Climate Justice Crash Course.  Review at least two different sections that you are least familiar with. While some content is specific to Maine, most of the document's topics are universal.

    • SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT: In your COURSE JOURNAL, (no more than 1000 words) please develop a reflection answering the following questions:

      • Please describe in your own words what climate justice means to you.  

      • What biases or assumptions do you have about climate justice? 

      • How did you feel after exploring the climate justice crash course?  What came up for you? Did you learn something new that you could use in your teaching?


    • The Six Pillars of Climate Justice

      The University of California’s Center for Climate Justice proposes 6 pillars making up Climate Justice. The Six Pillars are as follows: 


    • SECTION 2, ASSIGNMENT: After exploring the above resources and exploring the University of California’s Center for Climate Justice website.  Please briefly record in your COURSE JOURNAL information that surprised you or questions you have about the six pillars of climate justice. 


    • Climate Justice In My Community

      Each of us has climate justice issues happening in our own communities. From a lack of access to healthy, local food, to inequitable access to climate education across our schools, we face many challenges that are connected to the climate crisis. We know that “climate change takes any problem you already had, any threat you were already under, and multiplies it. Climate change is not the great equalizer, it is the great multiplier," -Mary Annaise Heglar.  Let’s think more about how the climate crisis impacts the most vulnerable people in your community. 

      SECTION 3, ASSIGNMENT: Refer back to the illustrations you created for MODULE 1, SECTION 3, ASSIGNMENT 1. In your COURSE JOURNAL, develop a response as a caption for the illustration you created. 

      Please reflect on the following questions.

      • Why is the specific social justice issue you chose one that is important to your community? 

      • How does this issue intersect with climate change

      • What makes it an issue of climate justice? 

      • Which of the 6 pillars of climate justice does this issue fall under and why? 

      • How can an intersectional approach be used to address this issue?


    • Submit Module 2 Course Journal Assignment
      Opened: Friday, 4 October 2024, 11:00 AM

      Submit Module 2 Course Journal:

      • Upload your COURSE JOURNAL with MODULE 2 Assignments completed. You may either upload it as a Word document or share a link to your Course Journal Google Document (Be sure that you set the Sharing Setting to “Anyone with the link” and the role of “Commenter”). 

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    Module 3: Best Practices for Climate Justice Teaching

    Description:
    In this module, participants will explore some of the best practices for teaching climate justice in their classrooms, including recognizing the navigating potential pushback, the topic’s sensitivity, use of appropriate sources, and teaching principles. 

    Objectives:
    After completing this module participants will…

    • Be prepared to make the case for teaching climate justice.
    • Explore the principles for teaching climate justice.
    • Discover strategies to address climate anxiety
    • Explore and reflect on how their identity and their students identity impacts the teaching of climate justice
    • Investigate civic engagement and how students can take action to give them hope in the face of the climate crisis.


    Estimated Time for Completion:
    2 hours

    Benchmark Assessment:


    Module 3 Tasks:

    • Making the Case for Climate Justice Instruction

      Many teachers are worried about navigating pushback from parents or administrators when approaching topics of climate justice in the classroom. Climate justice can be considered a controversial topic depending on your school and community.  Unfortunately, climate justice has become an overly politicized issue even though it is a factual, scientific, and human issue. 

      On pg.1 of the “Starter Guide to Teaching Climate and Environmental Justice,” there is an excerpt that might be useful for you in making the case to parents and administrators about why you are tackling these topics in your classroom. 

      “Climate justice and civic engagement can provide a foundational framework for a real-world, culturally relevant context to advance disciplinary learning objectives, especially in STEM areas (Docette et al., 2023). With a student population that is more diverse than ever, and more aware of climate change and social injustice, climate justice issues can provide a meaningful way to teach and learn more abstract skills common in STEM disciplines.” 


      TASK: Read the article by Dr. Deb L Morrison  Teaching Climate Change- Parents and Communities Support You and then explore this research-based Framework from the Book Hard Questions: Learning to Teach Controversial Issues (Pace, 2021)

    • SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT A: In your COURSE JOURNAL, write a draft of a letter or email you would send home to parents or caregivers before you teach a lesson or unit on climate justice. 


    •  SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT B: Letter self assessment - after you complete your letter or email draft reflect on the following questions:


      1. Did your letter describe a purpose, rationale, and goal(s) for the lesson?


      1. Was your letter explicit that one of the goals of the lesson and/or unit is for your students to examine a complex issue from multiple perspectives in order to form their own understanding? 


      1. Did your letter detail some of the research-based resources that will be referenced in the lesson and describe how the lesson(s) align to state standards?


      1. Did your letter invite parents or caregivers to reach out with questions…making sure that lines of communication are open before, during, and even after the learning process?


      After completing the self-assessment- revise your letter to incorporate ideas from the self-assessment and post your revised letter under your original letter in your COURSE JOURNAL.



    • Principles for Teaching Climate Justice

      As we have explored, climate justice is a multi-faceted, deep-seated issue spanning many disciplines and topic areas. Moreover, such topics might be difficult for some students and even educators to grapple with. These feelings are valid and a natural response to the weightiness of these themes. Herein, you will explore some best practices for teaching climate justice that address these potential concerns. 

      TASK: Read the article: Teaching for Climate Justice: My Top 10 List by Bill Bigelow.



    • SECTION 2, ASSIGNMENT: In your COURSE JOURNAL, pick one of the principles of teaching climate justice described in the article. Please describe an activity or idea on how you might incorporate or integrate one of these principles in your own teaching.

      Deeper Dive Resources (not required)



    • Ecoemotions and Social/Emotional Learning

      It is imperative to recognize that climate justice and its associated topics are weighty issues. Thus, it is essential to support teachers' and students' social and emotional well-being while exploring climate justice topics. For teachers, finding peers who are also teaching climate justice topics is a great way to find support. For students, making sure they have similar peer groups for processing emotions is also critical. One of the potential negative emotions students and teachers might grapple with when diving into climate justice is a heightened feeling of climate anxiety.  Herein, we explore this feeling more, how to identify it, and how to work through it.

      The following are the best practices for reducing climate anxiety in our students from NAAEE’s “Educating for Just Climate Action: Guidelines for Excellence”.  When addressing climate anxiety appropriately your students will….

      • Recognize that past experiences with climate impacts (such as severe weather events, wildfires, flooding, and other upheavals) and climate injustices may prompt emotional responses. 

      • Recognize that negative emotions related to climate change and climate injustices, like loss, grief, and guilt, are a healthy response to the climate crisis, are important components of humans’ emotional ecosystems, and can catalyze individual and community responses to climate change.

      • Acknowledge and address climate anxiety. Know that feelings of climate anxiety are real and can lead to feelings of helplessness.

      • Access resources for addressing climate anxiety, despair, and trauma. Provide space for themselves and others, including educators, to maintain their own mental well-being and develop coping strategies. 

      TASK: Read or listen to the following articles: 

      Deeper Dive Resources (not required)

      2019 Article from Cleanet: “Controversy in the Classroom: Strategies for managing climate change discourse”

    • SECTION 3, ASSIGNMENT: In your COURSE JOURNAL, develop a 200-word response reflecting on the following from the articles you just read:  

      • What surprised you? 

      • What wasn’t surprising? 

      • What helps you feel grounded hope or motivation to counter climate anxiety in your life? 

      • How might this information impact your teaching about climate justice? 


    • Identity and Climate Justice Instruction

      As explored in previous modules, one's identities and proximities to systems of oppression may make them disproportionately affected by climate issues. The same logic applies to climate justice education and instruction. For both students and teachers, their identities may make receiving and or delivering this instruction more difficult. As such, the best pedagogical practice is to be cognizant of how our identities might affect our teaching and ensure we think about how our students’ identities might impact their receiving the information. 


      TASK: Watch the 3-minute video from the Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation.  Reflect on your own identity and how that impacts you as an educator.
        
       

    • SECTION 4, ASSIGNMENT: Create a concept map (see examples here) reflecting on the video clip and questions below. Once your concept map is complete upload it or upload a picture of it into your COURSE JOURNAL.


      • What identities do you hold that make it easier and harder for you to teach climate justice themes and topics? 

      • Thinking back to the intersectional framework we explored in Module 1, which if any, systems might your student population face that make it more difficult for them to contend with climate justice themes? 

      • How might you support your students in moving through hard feelings? 

      • Who can you connect with for support and strategies regarding your own identity and its impact on how you teach about climate justice?


    • Taking Action with Students–Civic Engagement, Climate Action, and Hope

      As explored in the previous sections, it is expected that students may grapple with complex feelings about the climate crisis and its associated social issues. However, there is much hope that comes from taking action and being civically engaged in one’s community. In other words, civic engagement provides a remedy to climate anxiety and other associated feelings. In this section, we will explore the nexus of civic engagement, climate action, and hope. 


      TASK: Choose one of the following essays to read about the intersection of environmental education and civic engagement.

    • SECTION 5, ASSIGNMENT: In your COURSE JOURNAL, develop a written response (750 words or less) or draw an illustration (ensure to upload a photo to your journal) reflecting on the environmental education and civic engagement lessons you learned about through the articles. How might you take the lessons learned to develop a climate justice project to lead in your classroom? What kinds of action-oriented student-led projects might be possible in your school or community? How will you ensure that justice and community are centered in the initiative? 


    • Submit Module 3 Course Journal Assignment
      Opened: Friday, 4 October 2024, 11:00 AM

      Submit Module 3 Course Journal:

      • Upload your COURSE JOURNAL with MODULE 3 Assignments completed. You may either upload it as a Word document or share a link to your Course Journal Google Document (Be sure that you set the Sharing Setting to “Anyone with the link” and the role of “Commenter”). 

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    Module 4: Developing a Climate Justice Teaching Plan

    Description:
    After exploring climate justice, related concepts and the social-emotional-cultural implications of teaching climate justice, participants will develop a personalized teaching plan to explore climate justice with their students.

    Objectives:
    After completing this module, participants will…
    • Create a lesson plan on climate justice that moves students through a series of hands-on activities in a clear and appropriate learning progression.


    Estimated Time for Completion:
    3 hours

    Benchmark Assessment:


    Module 4 Tasks:

    • Climate Justice Lesson Planning

      TASK: Review the example environmental justice lesson plan developed by the California-based student education advocacy group, EJ Grassroots.

    • As evidenced in the lesson plan above, which explores the closely related concept of environmental justice, designing a climate justice lesson plan is multifaceted. The cumulative task ahead of you is to bridge the insights gained from this course to do just that. Using the EJ Grassroots lesson plan as an example, you are tasked with the following: 


      SECTION 1, ASSIGNMENT: Design a climate justice lesson plan that you can use in your classroom. The lesson, or series of lessons, will consist of three short modules. The first module will focus on exploring and highlighting different concepts related to climate justice. The second module will focus on giving concrete examples of climate injustice, especially in the context of the communities your students are a part of. The third and final module will focus on civic engagement and how to mobilize for action. 

      You can create your lesson utilizing whatever lesson planning template you regularly use; however, here is a document to help you incorporate required sections into your lesson plan. 


      Useful additional resources to support you in designing your lesson plan(s):


    • Submit Module 4 Lesson Plan Assignment
      Opened: Friday, 4 October 2024, 11:00 AM

      Submit Module 4 Course Journal:

      • Upload your COURSE JOURNAL with MODULE 4 Assignments completed. OR, submit a separate file or link with your Lesson Plan. You may either upload it as a Word document or share a link to your Course Journal Google Document (Be sure that you set the Sharing Setting to “Anyone with the link” and the role of “Commenter”). 

    • Course Evaluation Assignment
      Opened: Wednesday, 11 December 2024, 2:00 AM

      Your final assignment for this course is to submit a Course Evaluation. 

      After completing the evaluation and checking the completion box, you will be able to download/print a certificate of completion for your records.  The certificate will not appear until all activities and assignments are marked complete and have a passing grade.