Chicagoans living near heavy-traffic corridors breathe the most polluted air

This resource is a news article from May 16, 2022. It shares the experiences of members living in Little Village in Chicago, Illinois and identifies the connections between traffic, air pollution, and health. It also names some specific areas where traffic related health pollution is the worst in Little Village. Organization: NPR NPR is an […]

Illinois Public Health Community Map

This resource is an interactive map provided by the Illinois Public Health Department. Using the map, you can look at doctor visit rates for the health issues listed below. The map provides data on race/ethnicity, age, education, and household income in various community areas across the state of Illinois. The map provides data for the […]

IQAir Earth

This resource is an interactive map that shows the Air Quality Index in cities all over the world. It also provides a daily world AQI ranking. Organization: IQAir Every year, 7 million people die from air pollution, and billions suffer unnecessarily from the effects of poor air quality. Yet many of people don’t have access to […]

Wangari’s trees of peace: A true story from Africa

A book biography of environmentalist Wangari Maathai shows young readers exactly how much of a difference one determined person with a vision can make. Born near Mount Kenya, Wangari misses the trees of her homeland while she is in the United States studying. Upon her return, she finds a desolate land where buildings have displaced […]

The Weight of Numbers: Air Pollution and PM2.5

Emanating from smokestacks, vehicle engines, construction projects, and fires large and small, airborne pollution – sometimes smaller than the width of a human hair, and very often the product of human activity – is not just contributing to climate change. It is a leading driver of heart disease and stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory infections the […]

Chicago Flood Equity Map

This interactive map shows the racial disparities in flooding by Chicago zip code. Click a location on the map to view underlying flood statistics within that zip code. You may also search for an address or zip code to locate a specific place of interest (Source). Creator(s): Center for Neighborhood Technology CNT delivers innovative analysis […]

Margarito’s Forest / El Bosque de Don Margarito / Ri k’iche’laj ri tat Margarito

This true story, set in a remote village in the mountains of central Guatemala, helps explain one Maya family’s understanding of living in harmony with nature. Margarito’s forest was inspired by Don Margarito and his lifelong commitment to the ecology of his community. After a young Esteban complains of having to carry a seedling tree […]

Climate Lit

Climate Lit is a hub for building young people’s climate literacy with literature, film, and stories in other media. The website offers a literature database, curricula, and a climate glossary all of which are focusing on increasing students’ climate literacy. Organization: Climate Lit Climate Lit was founded in 2021 as a cooperative of educators, scholars, […]

Think Earth Environmental Education Foundation

The Think Earth Environmental Education Foundation provides virtual field trips so students can explore the ocean in their own classroom. Each virtual field trip contains the following: They also provide free K-8 curriculum for those who make a free account. Think Earth instructional units teach students: Think Earth helps develop students’ understanding of how their […]

Our Earth: How Kids are Saving the Planet

A windmill built from bicycle parts, a bridge made for a monkey, and a touch of magic…Young people are doing amazing things for the future of our planet. Here are true stories of kids from around the world who each had an idea that started small and turned into something big. Read about ways that […]