• Views 805
  • Favorites

Database Provider

Author

EPA

Grades

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Geography, Health

Resource Types

  • Charts, Graphs, and Tables
  • Interactive Media

Regional Focus

North America, United States, USA - Northeast, New Jersey

EPA's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

5.0
|
Ask a Question

Synopsis
  • This is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that displays publicly available EPA data, combining environmental and demographic indicators. 
  • Students can choose an address or place to investigate and then select from a variety of map types, places, reports, and tools to use.
Teaching Tips

Positives 

  • This map provides students with a huge range of possible questions to investigate about locations in the United States.
  • Students may see trends between higher concentrations of pollutants and some health conditions.

Additional Prerequisites 

  • Use the plus and minus to zoom in and out in the bottom-right corner and toggle between map base layers in the bottom-left corner.
  • More detailed instructions for how to use the map can be found by clicking on "Help" and there is a glossary link and mobile-friendly site link as well.

Differentiation

  • There is a lot of data here. Grouping students may be useful so they can make sense of the data together.
  • This resource could be useful in researching a variety of topics and questions in social studies, biology, health, and economics classes.
  • Other similar resources to consider include this TedEd video about urban trees, this StC lesson plan about pollution in Louisiana, and this Vox video about industrial water pollution.

Scientist Notes
Map output is from ESRI and it is reliable. Data layers and symbology are simplified for students in middle and high school. This resource is recommended.
Standards
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
  • College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
    • Dimension 2: Geography
      • D2.Geo.1.9-12 Use geospatial and related technologies to create maps to display and explain the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics.
      • D2.Geo.2.9-12 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their political, cultural, and economic dynamics.
      • D2.Geo.3.9-12 Use geographic data to analyze variations in the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics at multiple scales.
      • D2.Geo.5.9-12 Evaluate how political and economic decisions throughout time have influenced cultural and environmental characteristics of various places and regions.
      • D2.Geo.6.9-12 Evaluate the impact of human settlement activities on the environmental and cultural characteristics of specific places and regions.
      • D2.Geo.8.9-12 Evaluate the impact of economic activities and political decisions on spatial patterns within and among urban, suburban, and rural regions.
  • Related Resources

    Reviews

    Login to leave a review
    • This tool is amazing because it compares environmental and demographic indicators to give environmental justice scores for census blocks around the country. It very clearly shows environmental justice on a small scale. My students loved exploring it. Very eye-opening.
      2 years ago