Christian Rodriguez: Planting Possibility in the Ironbound
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Videos
Subjects: Biology, Civics, Career Skills
Authors: Project Drawdown
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > New Jersey
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 →
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 →
Synopsis
- This interview and its related materials focus on Christian Rodriguez, an urban farmer and community leader in the fence-line community of Ironbound in Newark, New Jersey.
- Christian explains their role in educating the community's youth and affecting change, their inspiration for starting this work, and their experience fighting for the space to be themselves.
- Christian's story and the story of their community include elements of environmental racism, hazardous conditions, and a lack of representation.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The interviewee shares a powerful message about being yourself that will resonate with many students.
- The urban farm is a beautiful example of how people in communities can help bring about the change they want to see.
Additional Prerequisites
- Before watching the video, students should understand how industrial practices affect neighboring communities.
- It may benefit students to know the term regenerative economy.
- The speaker talks about their experience growing up as a queer person of color. Prepare students to listen respectfully and maturely.
Differentiation
- The speaker mentions composting, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and reducing over-consumption as some topics they teach to the community. Students can brainstorm ways to align their daily lives with these ideas.
- Students can learn about the urban heat island effect and discuss how green spaces like Christian's keep the community cool.
- Students can research other case studies where marginalized groups are disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution, contaminated water, and other environmental hazards. Students can then discuss solutions to the pattern of environmental racism in the United States.
This resource encourages students to learn about composting, ecological restoration, responsible consumerism, urban farming, environmental justice, and other tactical approaches to combating climate change.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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