Overview

Using the lens of environmental justice, students will measure, track, and analyze the environmental health of their neighborhood. Students will examine water quality, native versus invasive plant species, and heat pollution in order to develop an interactive map of the community ecosystems.

Project Initiation

The project launch was a panel of local activists (community gardeners, environmental scientists) to get students looking at these scientists/adults either gathering data or creating solutions to peoples environmental issues. Students also spend time researching famous incidences of environmental justice vs injustice.

Community Activist Videos

Environmental Scientist

City Farmers

New Roots Community Garden

Project Exploration and Development

Students will be focusing on this PBL question in primarily their English and Science classes. In science class, we research instances of significant environmental issues and their causes and possible solutions. Students will then learn to take data from their own neighborhoods to examine the health of their own block. In English class, students are reading the novel "The 9th Ward" and examining the environmental injustice that took place during that storm. Then students took that data from science classes and created community PSA's. These PSA's are shared at the local school level (admin/teacher panel) and the local community.

Lessons

• As students read through their novel, English Teachers showed this video of Ms. Zeran and her experience with the rebuilding of Hurricane.

• Science Lessons (w/screencast of directions)

• Science Lesson Slides
  

Project Revision and Exhibition

Students participated in their own showcase panel with Principals, counselors and other teachers/students. Students took this feedback to revise their community PSA's about neighborhood health.

See Presentations to School Community

Teachers and Subjects

Kelsey Zeran - 6th/7th Science

David Sellers - 7th/8th Science

Molly Powell- Ed Specialist

David Cooper - 6th English