Young People Taking Action to Protect our Warming Planet

Lesson Plans

Grades6-APSocial Studies, English Language Arts

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Project Look Sharp

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What it is

In this media literacy activity, students will analyze four article excerpts on youth from Baltimore, Indonesia, California, Canada, and the coast of Florida who are working for social and environmental justice.
This resource includes a lesson plan and a student handout.

Teaching tips

Positives

The lesson plan provides discussion questions for a variety of academic subjects.
Students will enjoy reading about youth who took a stand against climate change and made changes in their communities.

Additional Prerequisites

Teachers must create a free account to access materials.
This handout will help students determine if the sources are reliable.

Differentiation

Students can respond to questions individually or in small groups before discussing the answers as a class.
Students can discuss environmental problems in their communities and think of ways to challenge those problems.
Other resources on this topic include this video on youth activists fighting for climate justice, this SubjectToClimate lesson plan on getting involved in climate activism, and this TED video featuring a youth activist.

From the scientist review

The resource is suitable for preparing students to develop tactics for local, national, regional, and global environmental stress. There is no contradiction in the methods used and this resource is recommended for teaching climate, environmental, and social justice.

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At a glance

Grades: 6-AP
Subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Other types: Articles/Websites, Activity - Classroom, Worksheets
Format: PDF
Language: English
Location: Asia, North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > California, North America > United States > Florida, North America > United States > Maryland
Provider: Project Look Sharp
Authors: Project Look Sharp, Joanne Church, Sox Sperry
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · MS-ESS3-3. + 14 more

Core

Core Standards legacy

MS-ESS3-3.MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-4.MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
D2.Civ.10.6-8D2.Civ.10.6-8 Explain the relevance of personal interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society.
D4.6.6-8D4.6.6-8 Draw on multiple disciplinary lenses to analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at local, regional, and global levels over time, identifying its characteristics and causes, and the challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
D4.7.6-8D4.7.6-8 Assess their individual and collective capacities to take action to address local, regional, and global problems, taking into account a range of possible levers of power, strategies, and potential outcomes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
HS-LS2-6.HS-LS2-6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-ESS3-1.HS-ESS3-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
HS-ESS3-4.HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
D4.6.9-12D4.6.9-12 Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place.
D4.7.9-12D4.7.9-12 Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.

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