SYNOPSIS: This lesson explores the benefits of green spaces, how green spaces are disappearing, and how the disappearance of green spaces relates to environmental justice.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students understand the relationship between disappearing green spaces and environmental justice in their community. The lesson is elementary, suitable for classroom, use and has no scientific misconceptions. All materials are thoroughly sourced and have passed our science review.

POSITIVES:
-Students will better understand deforestation utilizing Google Earth.
-Students learn how urban tree cover disproportionately benefits wealthier communities.
-This lesson uplifts student voices and creates student agency to make the world better.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 2 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-Knowledge of the terms goods and services would be helpful prior to this lesson.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students are able to select one of three options in the Inspire section of this lesson.
-Outgoing students can share their mini-comics or stories with the class when they are finished.
-Teachers can support students who feel motivated to make changes in their schools or communities. Any project like this can extend far beyond this lesson.

In this lesson, students compare and contrast emissions from different modes of transportation and explore the concept of transportation planning.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students analyze a bar graph of carbon dioxide emissions by different modes of transportation and calculate the most environmentally conscious modes of travel based on emissions.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze commuter survey results of the top concerns with public transportation and complete real-world math problems based on different transportation scenarios, calculating the difference in carbon emission outputs.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn about transportation planners and watch a video about Hong Kong's transit system.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students compare and contrast emissions from different modes of transportation and explore the concept of transportation planning.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson asks students to investigate the amount of carbon emitted by different forms of transportation. The numbers used for the calculations are backed by peer-reviewed science, and the methodologies come from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This lesson has passed our scientific review process.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson builds upon students' understanding of place in the world and the impact of individual lifestyle choices.
-It features relevant real-world math problems.
-It offers career path integration in the sector of transportation planning and transit.
-Students creatively brainstorm solutions for real-world issues and civil concerns.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 2 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-Students should have knowledge of reading a bar graph and a basic understanding of interpreting data.
-If students do not have background knowledge of their community's public transportation systems, they should be appropriately introduced to the basics of how buses, metros, and railways work.
-The graph in the Inquire section uses the unit CO2e to measure emissions from different modes of transportation. CO2e stands for carbon dioxide equivalent, which is the measure of the impact of all greenhouse gases in terms of the amount of CO2 that would create the same amount of warming. For the purpose of this lesson and the age of the learners, it is probably best to just use the terms “carbon dioxide” and “CO2.”

DIFFERENTIATION:
-There can be number-set choices for math problems available for different abilities and skill sets.
-Students can work in pairs or small groups.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson connects Indigenous communities with the natural environment.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson explores the relationship between man and nature and how culture influences ecosystem services. It gives a foundation for young people to be change agents in their generation. This lesson has passed our credibility process and is recommended for the classroom.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson connects government policy to Indigenous activism.
-Heterogeneous small groups allow for supported learning.
-Excellent social studies and ELA integration.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-If you choose to have the students walking around and writing on posters in the Inspire section, you must have the posters up and ready before the lesson. Students could also write their thoughts on a chalkboard or whiteboard.
-Prior knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and their resistance to colonialism is helpful.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Newsela offers different reading levels and read alouds for students of varying abilities.
-Grouping students by ability may be helpful in the Investigate section if students are reading aloud to each other.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson explores different transit systems around the world and unpacks the decision-making process behind transportation planning.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson has students investigate what transportation planners do and the transportation systems of different countries. All external links are valid, and this lesson has passed our scientific review process.

POSITIVES:
-Students have the opportunity to collaborate and reason with each other.
-Students conduct research and present their findings orally.
-Students are exposed to global connections.
-Students activate creativity and imagination.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-Students should have prior knowledge of accessing information using the Internet.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teacher can modify the Investigate section through the following ways based on students' needs:
-Low Level: Teacher provides students with mostly visuals and/or audio recordings describing the different transportation systems and allows students to write keywords and share.
-On Level: Teacher provides students with a mix of visuals and brief sentences from articles describing the different transportation systems. Students can write 1-4 sentences to share.
-High Level: Teacher provides students with complete articles describing the different transit systems and allows students to highlight in the text. Students then write 5+ complete sentences prior to their sharing with the whole class.
-In the Inspire section, students have the option to work independently or in groups.
-If working in groups, students can choose the specific role that fits their personality the best.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students explore critical media literacy and begin creating their advertisements.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students understand the implication of advertisement in influencing green transportation. It is suitable to engage students to create advertisements so as to influence the adoption of green public transportation. All accompanying materials used in the lesson have been verified and validated. On that account, this lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson features critical media literacy, an important skill for all students.
-This lesson supports collaboration amongst peers.
-Students explore real-world problems through project-based learning.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-The videos on slides 13-15 will automatically start and stop at the appropriate times.
-Students should understand how to read a rubric and use it as a guide for increasing their scores.
-The final lesson in this unit plan does not allow any more class time for students to create their advertisements. After this class is over, you could allow more class time for advertisement creation or ask students to finish their advertisements outside of class.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You can break down the definition of critical media literacy.
-You can allot multiple days following this lesson for advertisement creation time based on students' needs.
-Some students may be using different technologies to create their advertisements (e.g., TikTok, Adobe Spark, Canva, etc.). It may take those students longer to finish their advertisements if they are also learning a new technology.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson features the final advertisement presentations and provides students with the opportunity to think about how to use these projects to make an impact in real life.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson gives students a chance to reflect on the power of advertisement and ways to engage the public to use the metro as a sustainable green transportation model. The materials used in the lesson have been verified and are accurate. Hence, this lesson is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-Students explore real-world problems through project-based learning.
-Students practice oral presentation skills.
-Students practice giving constructive feedback to their peers.
-This lesson empowers students to continue their projects after the allotted class time has ended.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 6 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-You can review a code of conduct or guidelines for oral presentations prior to this lesson. This can include an introduction for how to be a prepared speaker and active listener.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You may scaffold reflection questions with sentence frames.
-You can decide on alternative ways to conduct student presentations based on students' needs.
-Potential action projects for students are listed on slide 14 of the teacher slideshow.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students engage in critical media literacy, investigate the impacts of petroleum extraction, and create media to promote sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The effects of petroleum exploration on the environment and human health are covered in this lesson for the pupils. Petroleum drilling is typically done on Native territories, in low-income areas, and in Black neighborhoods. Since unsustainable oil extraction will endanger lives and communities, the course is aimed to give students the tools they need to develop media and advocacy messages that would encourage systemic change. This lesson passed our science review process after all the materials were fact-checked.

POSITIVES:
-Students engage and interact with multimedia and develop critical media literacy skills.
-Students participate in hands-on learning to aid in understanding and participation.
-Students participate in group discussions to share diverse ideas and perspectives.
-Students have agency and choice over their culminating project and next steps to display their work further.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This lesson is designed to be taught as a multi-day lesson in five parts. The Multi-Day Schedule Visual provides appropriate stopping points.
-Students should have some background knowledge about petroleum and should know that it is a broad category that includes both crude oil and petroleum products.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-The culminating project can be completed independently, in pairs, or in small groups. Teachers may choose to allow students to work individually based on students' preferences and needs.
-Worksheets may be completed individually, in mixed-ability groups, or as a whole group led by the teacher.
-Videos may be paused and discussed in short segments.

SYNOPSIS: In this final lesson in the green spaces unit, students will use their knowledge to take action.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson emphasizes ways to create awareness to localize green spaces in classroom or community. This technique is suitable for students to adopt. This lesson has no scientific misconceptions and is recommended for use in the classroom.

POSITIVES:
-Students have great agency and control over their projects.
-Students can have a direct and positive impact on their classroom space.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 6 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-Students should be familiar with green spaces by completing the previous lessons in this unit plan.
-Following up with all the students and their projects will most likely take a lot of time. For example, writing a short letter to the principal is very different from planning and executing a school garden. Make sure to provide reasonable guidelines for how much extra class time can be spent on the projects.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can pursue their projects individually or in groups.
-Weaker students may need more support than others, depending on which project they choose to pursue.
-Some students may have difficulty choosing a topic. Finding them a good partner or partners might help them fully engage in this project.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson promotes students' understanding of the power and influence of the media. Students will leverage this understanding to develop their own media campaigns for their reimagined metro systems.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson enables students to reimagine and pitch ways to advertise public transportation as a key strategy for sustainable green transportation. All materials have been verified and are accurate. For that reason, the lesson is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-Students connect professional media practices to their own opinions, ideas, questions, and values.
-Students explore different types of media messages and critically think about their influence on consumers.
-This lesson supports collaboration amongst peers.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-Students should have an understanding of various platforms or settings people might view advertisements.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can use personal devices and work in pairs or small groups to jigsaw the advertisement analysis for each example.
-Teacher can provide an extension activity for advanced students to look for alternative transportation advertisements that highlight sustainable options like public transportation or bikeshare.
-There are differentiated products for culminating projects that are attuned to diverse strengths from students. Students have the option to complete a poster, TikTok, billboard, video ad, or social media post to market their design.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces carbon emissions and the idea of carbon and ecological footprints to students.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Students understand key greenhouse gases that cause global warming, explain the greenhouse effect, identify carbon sources from the various transportation modes, and explore ways to reduce their individual carbon footprint from the transportation sector. All materials are well-sourced. As a result, this lesson has passed the science credibility process and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson connects to science standards and the understanding of the relationship between human activities and Earth.
-Students will develop a strong connection to self and the environment.
-This lesson features interaction with technology and digital literacy.
-This lesson features excellent vocabulary development.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Transportation unit.
-If students do not have a prior understanding of photosynthesis, it may be best to do a mini lesson on photosynthesis.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Definitions can be broken down for friendlier understanding.
-You can pause the videos to check for understanding and explain new ideas.
-Questions on the ecological footprint calculator quiz can be read aloud to students and taken as a whole class.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson explores ways in which students can address environmental injustice.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson provides basic knowledge on how trees sink CO2 and give off O2. Trees are one of the key solutions to drawdown of CO2, and students learn how to interpret and analyze tree maps in relation to environmental justice and the right action to green their environment. This lesson, including additional links, is properly cited. In this light, we recommend this lesson for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson directly shows the relationships among race, income, tree cover, and air pollution.
-It is very powerful when students compare the maps of Compton and Pasadena and begin to connect the dots.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-You will use two maps of Los Angeles during the Investigate phase of the lesson. The best move would probably be to print the maps beforehand. The lesson also calls for plastic sheet protectors and dry erase markers so students can compare the maps. If you do not have these materials or access to a printer, students can compare the two maps on a device.
-To learn more about youth climate activists, students can research groups like Zero Hour, Fridays for Future, or the Sunrise Movement.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Depending on the needs of your students, it may be best to compare the two maps of Los Angeles as an entire class.
-Higher-level students can compare maps in another lesson designed for 6th-8th graders called Redlining & Environmental Racism.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces the idea of green spaces to students.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to green spaces and how they can be identified and mapped. The read aloud, vocabulary, and external links are thoroughly sourced and written. This lesson has passed our science review.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson creates a collaborative learning environment for students as an introduction to green spaces and how to create more green spaces.
-This lesson features kinesthetic learning if teachers walk with their students around their school.
-Students will develop a strong connection to self and community through the read aloud of Sofia Valdez, Future Prez.
-This lesson features excellent vocabulary development.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-It is necessary to procure a copy of Sofia Valdez, Future Prez for this lesson.
-Identify the green spaces on your campus on your own before introducing this lesson to your class to make sure that you have accounted for all the green spaces.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Think-pair-share during read aloud where students can make predictions or answer questions.
-You can pause the read aloud before the text is read for students to make observations and predictions about the story.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate on their green spaces map.
-Possible extension: Do a campus tour and have students take notes on green spaces they observe.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson asks students to consider how their communities would look and feel with and without green spaces.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson accentuates the benefits of having green spaces vis-a-vis not having them in their community. We recommend this lesson for students to explore the benefits green spaces have on ecosystem health, mental health, and physical health. Students can also explore the maps to gain skills in urban planning. All the materials have been properly cited, and this lesson has passed our credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students have agency over their learning when conducting their own research.
-This can be integrated into an ELA class, as students will be reading informational text when conducting their own research.
-This can be integrated into an art class, as students will be drawing multiple maps.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-It may be helpful to have a mostly blank map of the school campus or community for students to use.
-Students should have some prior experience conducting research. This lesson uses Kiddle, a kid-friendly search engine.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You may need to preselect resources for some students who need scaffolding when conducting research.
-Some students may need a blank map of the school campus or community. Other students may wish to draw their maps from scratch using blank paper.
-Some students may prefer to draw, type, or use text-to-speech while taking notes.