Human-caused climate change is impacting communities all around the world, resulting in devastating effects such as intense heat waves, wildfires, worsening storms and flooding, and glacial melt. Certain communities such as children, older adults, communities of color, and low-income communities are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For example, many organizations have noted that communities of color and low income communities are often located in areas which experience the most frequent impacts of climate change, such as more flood prone neighborhoods or areas next to pollution sources. These groups also have fewer resources to respond to these climate issues and rebuild from extreme weather events, exacerbating prevailing and systemic inequities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations in 2015, seek to urgently address climate change and lead to a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world, and recognize that climate change is central to remedying many human rights issues. 

This lesson plan begins with the EPA’s Generate Game which guides students through a set of activities designed to help students better understand the tradeoffs and impacts of various energy choices. A class discussion then places energy choices within a human rights framework and teaches students how to use the sustainable development goals as a lens for understanding energy choices before beginning to brainstorm potential solutions.