Climate justice and environmental inequality
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how climate change impacts are felt unequally and why this leads many people to call for climate justice.
Key learning points
- Historically, high income countries have produced more greenhouse gases than low income countries.
- Low income countries are often more vulnerable to climate change as they have fewer resources to adapt to its impacts.
- Many people call for climate justice, so that poorer and more vulnerable people are not unfairly affected.
Keywords
Greenhouse gases - gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, such as carbon dioxide
Climate change - long-term changes in the climate and weather patterns
Anthropogenic - caused by human activity
Common misconception
China produces the most greenhouse gases per capita in the world.
China produces the most greenhouse gases in the world, but with a population of over 1.4 billion people, their per capita emissions are significantly lower than many other countries.
Teacher tip
An extension of the final activity can be to hold a debate on the topic of climate justice. A good way to manage this is to give pupils different roles and ask them to argue from their perspective.
Equipment
Pupils may want to use atlases in this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the term 'development' describe in geography?
Q2.What is one common indicator used to measure development?
Q3.Which of these is an example of inequality?
Q4.What does 'life expectancy' measure?
Q5.Which of these best shows global inequality?
Q6.What tool can show inequality on a map?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What are greenhouse gases?
Q2.What does the term 'climate change' describe?
Q3.Which country produces the most greenhouse gases per capita?
Q4.What makes climate change an issue of inequality?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Climate justice and environmental inequality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Climate justice and environmental inequality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Global inequalities and development: how does life vary around the world? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.