GEO-EQUITY MODULES (GEMS): CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES THAT ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN GEO-ETHICS, GEO-EQUITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Geo-Equity Modules (GEMs) are classroom activities centered around real-life case studies involving environmental problems with intrinsic ethical and equity-related issues. Each GEM is created collaboratively by a team of graduate and undergraduate students (GEM Scholars) and faculty. The activities are then used in a variety of introductory Earth Science courses as tools to foster constructive dialogue and raise awareness among students about the connections between human actions, environmental repercussions, and the disproportionately negative effects on historically marginalized groups.

Three GEMs were created in Summer 2021 at IUPUI by GEM Scholars participating in a paid internship to research environmental issues, curate resources, and create content for the case studies. Topics chosen for the first GEMs are: lead contamination in East Chicago, Indiana, uranium mining and the Navajo Nation, and sea ice and the Pangnirtung Inuit Tribe. GEMs were specifically designed to mitigate barriers that may prevent some instructors from incorporating ethics and equity into their courses. They can be implemented in one class period, so they don’t require a large time commitment. They complement a range of geoscience course content and therefore can be used throughout the curriculum with minimal prep time. Lastly, they operate as in a “flipped” class – students do pre-class work in order to participate in group discussions and collaborative decision making during the class period, followed by individual reflections.

In surveys from students who participated in GEMs activities, 55% strongly agreed and 32% agreed that GEMs helped them to understand ethical issues surrounding decisions in some environmental policies. Additionally, 48% strongly agreed and 19% agreed that GEMs inspired them to learn more about ethics and equity in environmental issues. Classroom artifacts including worksheets and reflections were also collected, which showed students thinking deeply and critically about the issues, and coming up with creative and thoughtful alternative actions. In general, responses show that the GEMs model was successful in engaging undergraduate students in thoughtful discussions and reflections about environmental justice, prompting the creators to apply for funding to expand the program.