Conducting Case Studies

Lesson Plans

Grades12Earth and Space Sciences, Civics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Ten Strands

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What it is

In this Seeds to Solutions Grade 12 unit from Ten Strands and the San Mateo County Office of Education, students examine environmental justice by investigating the root causes of environmental hazards, who is most affected, and how different groups respond to these inequities.
Through case studies, civic data analysis, and document-based writing, students explore fast and slow environmental disasters, analyze multiple perspectives, and build evidence-based models and arguments for justice-oriented solutions.

Teaching tips

Positives

The provided Design Book serves as a convenient place for students to access all of the relevant materials for completing their case studies.
In selecting their region, exploring the data, and designing their own case study, students will feel a sense of ownership over their projects in this unit that will enrich the learning process.

Prerequisites

The link to the NIEHS guide in Lesson 3 is broken, as is the link for the EJ Screen. Additionally, the link to the National Climate Task Force | The White House in the Design Book is broken.
Students should understand climate change, its causes, and how it affects Earth's systems.

Differentiation & Implementation

There are opportunities in this unit to collaborate with language arts classes, especially with the components related to supporting a claim with evidence.
This unit provides alternative accessible student materials for students using screen reader technology.
Some students may benefit from working on their case studies in a group or from having a few people working individually on the same region, with opportunities given to collaborate periodically.

From the scientist review

This resource tasks students with conducting an environmental justice case study at a California school. The resource is exceptionally well-sourced, with many peer-reviewed references. Environmental justice and climate change are rightly linked as students are guided through integrating data from various disciplines to form a comprehensive case study. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 12
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Civics
Other types: Articles/Websites, Videos, Data, Graphs, and Maps, Activity - Classroom, Worksheets
Format: Google Docs, Google Slides, YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: North America > United States > California
Provider: Ten Strands
Authors: Seeds to Solutions, Ten Strands
Published: August 1, 2025
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D1.1.9-12 + 23 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D1.1.9-12Explain how a question reflects an enduring issue in the field.
D3.1.9-12Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.9Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

HS-ESS3-A.2.All forms of energy production and other resource extraction have associated economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors. (HS-ESS3-2)
HS-ESS3-C.1.The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3)
HS-ETS1-A.1.Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them. (secondary to HS-PS2-3)
HS-ETS1-B.1.When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts. (secondary to HS-LS2-7), (secondary to HS-LS4-6)
HS-ETS1-C.Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. (secondary to HS-PS1-6)
HS-CCC-Scale,Proportion, and Quantity.3. Patterns observable at one scale may not be observable or exist at other scales.
HS-CCC-Systemsand System Models.4. Models can be used to predict the behavior of a system, but these predictions have limited precision and reliability due to the assumptions and approximations inherent in models.

Wisconsin Climate Education Hub

English Language Arts

SL.11-12.5Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
R.11-12.1Cite relevant textual evidence that strongly supports analysis of what the text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences, including determining where the text is ambiguous; develop questions for deeper understanding and for further exploration. (RI&RL)
R.11-12.8Delineate and evaluate an argument in applicable texts, applying a lens (e.g., constitutional principles, logical fallacy, legal reasoning, belief systems, codes of ethics, philosophies, etc.) to assess the validity or fallacy of key arguments, determining whether the supporting evidence is relevant and sufficient. (RI)
W.11-12.2Write text in a variety of modes: a) Write arguments and literary analysis to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts. Establish the significance of the claim(s) using valid reasoning. literary theory and relevant and sufficient evidence which introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns; b) Write informative texts that examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content by introducing a topic; organizing complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; including formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension; thoroughly developing the topic by selecting the most significant and relevant well-chosen facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, and other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic; c) Write narratives that develop real or imagined experiences or events using relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences that organize an event sequence logically. Engages and orients the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator or characters; using techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
W.11-12.7Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem that is rhetorically authentic and culturally sustaining; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating an understanding of the subject under investigation.
SL.11-12.1Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on topics, texts, and issues, listening actively, and building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.11-12.2Analyze and synthesize multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source noting discrepancies among data.
SL.11-12.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying perspective, such that listeners can follow the reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives addressed, and the organization. Intentionally utilize development, substance, and style appropriate to purpose, audience, and situation.

Science

HS-ESS3-1.Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
HS-ETS1-1.Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
HS-ETS1-2.Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
HS-ETS1-3.Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Social Studies

SS.Inq2.b.hAnalyze and weigh relevance of a source through a disciplinary lens to determine how the author, context, audience, and purpose affect the reliability, limitations, and usefulness of a source.

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