Youth Changemakers for Environmental Justice
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Civics
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 PBS Wisconsin Education
What it is
- This 8-minute video focuses on youth climate action and environmental justice in Wisconsin, exploring how young people are leading efforts to address climate change impacts in their communities.
- Students are introduced to concepts like environmental justice, marginalized groups, and food deserts.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students are familiar with climate change and how it impacts people in general.
- Activate prior knowledge by asking students to define environmental justice or describe what youth action looks like in their community.
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this video as a hook to spark inspiration for a class activism project.
- Precede this video with a lesson on environmental justice, using the video as a way to empower students and leave them thinking about solutions. Consider using this lesson plan.
- Use this resource in conjunction with the video for a mapping activity in which students identify environmental justice issues in their own community or school district.
Differentiation:
- Consider pausing the video when definitions for unknown vocabulary appear on the screen.
Extensions:
- Have students research local youth activism organizations in the area similar to BYFY and identify ways they can get involved.
- Students design a community action project proposal, keeping in mind the needs of those in the community and what would best serve marginalized groups.
Related Resources:
- Students interested in youth action can check out this toolkit for hosting a youth climate summit.
- For another Wisconsin-specific story about youth action, check out this video.
- Use this video for a quick explanation of environmental justice.
From the scientist review
This video resource explores the work of Wisconsin’s Youth Climate Action Fund, a student-led group that supports environmental and climate action projects. All claims list sources on screen, with many cited from trusted scientific institutions or peer-reviewed journals. The project is clearly grounded in environmental justice, with a focus on individual, local climate action. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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