Climate Justice Is Social Justice
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Civics, Geography
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Jack Harries
What it is
- This video explains how climate change impacts those who are least responsible for it, including people of color, Indigenous people, and women, most harshly.
- Students will learn that the history of colonialism and slavery are directly linked to climate change and that developing countries will continue to suffer the most extreme effects of the climate crisis unless wealthier countries actively pursue climate justice.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This video is engaging and thought-provoking.
- This video is a fantastic conversation starter for a multitude of topics.
Additional Prerequisites
- Ads may play before and during this video.
Differentiation
- Cross-curricular connections can be made in language arts classes when reading about justice issues or writing persuasively, as the presenter does an excellent job laying out an argument.
- Before viewing, have students work in pairs to make a Venn diagram of climate justice and social justice. After viewing, have students revisit their diagrams to move or add concepts to the intersection between climate justice and social justice, then make a class concept web to show how all of the concepts are connected.
- Other related resources include this video about the links between climate and racial justice, this collection of resources for teaching environmental justice, and this video about kids getting involved in climate justice.
From the scientist review
The resource discusses the pressing global concerns we face now, linking the slave trade, the industrial revolution, and climate change to social injustice and global inequities. In the global south, Indigenous peoples and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. This is a contrast to the global north. This resource is appropriate for the classroom since it will motivate students to advocate for social and environmental justice in their neighborhoods.
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