History Lesson: Is Climate Change Ecocide?
Lesson Plan
1 hour 30 minutesGrades8, 9, 10, 11, 12Social Studies
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Breck Foster
About this lesson
Students use CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) to determine if climate change meets the definition of ecocide. Students research causes, effects, and whether or not corporations acted with knowledge, then present their findings. The lesson includes options for further exploration of Big Oil’s prior knowledge of the industry’s impact on climate change.
Inquire: Students discuss whether climate change could be considered ecocide.
Investigate: Students apply the definition of ecocide to the causes and effects of climate change and explore examples of acting “with knowledge.”
Inspire: Students construct a collective visual representation of climate change’s causes, effects, and myriad contributors.
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Suggestions
- This lesson could be taught in a U.S. or World History class within the context of the long-term effects of the Industrial Revolution, or challenges arising from globalization or economic development.
- This lesson could be taught in a social studies class studying international law and human rights.
- This lesson could connect to a study of the COP meetings, including COP28, where for the first time nations mentioned fossil fuels and agreed to work toward phasing them out.
- The SubjectToClimate lesson Environmental Restoration: Social Studies Lesson can be taught between Lessons 2 and 3, or after Lesson 3, of this unit.
- Teachers can use the Ecocide Evaluation Tool in this lesson and across any lesson or unit for students to evaluate acts of environmental damage. The tool includes a definition chart, primary and secondary resources, a chart, and a final reflection for students to complete.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 2 of 3 in our 8th-12th grade History Unit Plan: Ecocide.
- The lesson assumes that students have some prior knowledge about climate change, but they also will build their knowledge during this lesson.
- For more teacher background on climate change or environmental justice, consider the Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change, How to Teach about Environmental Justice, and SubjectToClimate’s Essential Climate Change Education courses.
- If you need help navigating difficult conversations in a way that will make students feel safe and heard, you can find ideas in this article by CLEAN.
- Teachers should review the Ecocide Evaluation Tool prior to the lesson as an optional teaching resource, homework assignment, or for further discussion.
Differentiation
- Teacher can limit the reading and viewing options to reduce the amount of time needed.
- An alternative resource for the Investigate section is the PBS video “Climate Change and the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and the Islands.”
- For an optional activity between lessons 2 and 3, students can listen to this 26-minute podcast of a symposium on ecocide. Of special interest are the speakers who explain mining in Jamaica and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
- Students can identify the role of the government in prioritizing economic interests over those of people and nature, as well as the ways that international law has driven positive changes.
- This activity can help students understand the evidence being used to build a case for the crime of ecocide as a tool for justice.
- The Ecocide Law website is an excellent resource that provides many possible extension activities or material for further study.
- Students can analyze the counterarguments defending ExxonMobil by watching and discussing The Truth about #ExxonKnew reporting (2015 EnergyInDepth).
- Instead of the ExxonMobil case, students could examine other potential instances of “acting with knowledge” in the news. For example:
- Students can explore how acts of war drive climate change, expanding the wartime crime of ecocide by showing how it connects more broadly to climate change. This Guardian article might be sensitive for students as it discusses the Israel-Hamas War.
- Students can examine the claims made in this 2024 report from the Center for Climate Integrity about the collusion between “big oil” and plastics producers to obscure data about the feasibility of recycling and the environmental impact of plastics. Students can also view this news report on the topic.
From the scientist review
This resource allows students to learn about ecocide and how it has manifested at different spatial scales. The history of ecocide, the extent to which humans have contributed to it and how it has been greenwashed over time are also covered, along with scientific proof. We have verified the scientific integrity of this lesson and we recommend it for teaching.
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About the teacher writer
Breck Foster
Oregon State Lead
Breck Foster, M.Ed., is SubjectToClimate's Oregon State Lead. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and brings 21 years of experience in education. She engages students in climate action through her school's Green Team and is active in statewide initiatives, including Oregon Educators for Climate Education and the Oregon Climate Education Thought Leaders Committee. Fun fact: she enjoys cooking and neighborhood walks with friends, family, and their dog.
