By Kristin Majda, Reuben Medlock, Stephanie Chiang with assistance from STEM4Real Coach custom ChatGPT chatbot on behalf of the CASE DEI Committee 

A group of students huddles over a map of their city. They are not just locating temperature variations—they are layering tree canopy data, income levels, and historic redlining maps that contributed to segregation in the first half of the 20th century. One student pauses and asks, “Why are the hottest neighborhoods also the ones that were redlined?”

Suddenly, this is no longer just a data analysis activity about urban heat islands addressing NGSS standards about weather, climate, and heat transfer. It becomes a deeper conversation about systems, how power and privilege operate across generations, a community’s history, and justice.

In the December Issue of Classroom Science, the article The JEDI Awakens: Designing for Justice in Science Classrooms explored how integrating principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) into science instruction transforms traditional engineering design into Liberatory Design—designing with communities, not simply for them. 

But what does JEDI look like in daily lesson planning? How do we intentionally design science instruction that integrates justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion—while still centering rigorous, NGSS-aligned science? In this issue of Classroom Science and upcoming issues, we will take a deeper dive into each component of JEDI and offer practical strategies, interdisciplinary connections, and research-based resources to support your planning—because inspiration is powerful, but teachers also need tools to help them move from theoretical framework to practical implementation.

Whether you are designing a lab investigation, an engineering challenge, or a cross-curricular unit, these tools are meant to help you make small but meaningful shifts. JEDI work is not about overhauling your entire curriculum overnight. It is about intentional design decisions within the lessons you already teach. A slight shift in the questions you pose. An added perspective in a case study. A scaffold that ensures access. A reflection that honors lived experience. So how do we begin? In this first issue, we’ll start by focusing on Justice.

Designing for Justice: Reflecting on Power, Privilege, and Perspectives 
Justice in science instruction asks students to evaluate systems—not just solve problems within them. Students are asked to consider questions such as: Who benefits? Who bears the burden? Who has decision-making power? It pushes beyond “design a solution” to “define the problem from multiple perspectives.” Justice invites students to analyze how scientific issues intersect with power, policy, history, and access to resources.

“COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED FROM NATURE, IN THE SPACE OF THE CITY BUT ALSO IN SUBURBS. PHYSICAL PROXIMITY TO NATURE ISN’T ALWAYS THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF ACCESS OR INVOLVEMENT. IT’S ACTUALLY A SENSE OF WELCOMENESS AND INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY. THAT’S WHERE I THINK EDUCATION HAS TO BE THIS INTERVENTION POINT.”
~ Dr. Suzanne Pierre

Teaching Environmental Science with Social Justice at the Center

In a justice-centered science classroom, students do more than collect data. They ask why patterns exist. They consider how past decisions shape present conditions. They explore who has a voice in decision-making and whose perspectives may be missing. This is not a departure from rigorous science—it is systems thinking in action.

What does Justice embedded in science content look like at different grade levels? The following set of examples illustrates how justice can be centered around real-world phenomena in developmentally appropriate ways. These lesson examples came from the ChatGPT ChatBot STEM4Real Coach ~ By Leena Bakshi. Teachers can use this tool to co-develop similar lessons or build out more detailed lesson plans. 

• Grades K-2: Students engineer a design for a weather-resistant home (K-2-ETS1-1) by first investigating how different materials absorb water and protect objects from getting wet (2-PS1-2). They test fabric, paper, foil, and plastic to see which materials keep a small model house dry during a simulated rainstorm. Students observe, compare, and record which materials repel or absorb water, and discuss why certain materials work better for protection. Students examine photos of neighborhoods affected by heavy rain and learn that some communities have older roofs, fewer storm drains, or limited access to repairs. They begin to ask why some families experience more flooding than others and consider how properties of matter connect to safe housing and community protection.
• Grades 3-5: Students investigate how erosion affects land and communities during heavy rainfall (4-ESS3-2) and examine maps showing which neighborhoods have more pavement and fewer trees. They analyze how historically under-resourced communities often experience more flooding and heat. Students begin to see that while heavy rain is natural, the impact of flooding is shaped by city planning decisions, access to green space, and investment in infrastructure. Students then design erosion-control or green space proposals that consider both scientific principles and community equity (3-5-ETS1-1–2).
• Middle school: Students model seismic waves using slinkies (MS-PS4-1), explore how energy transfers through different materials (MS-PS2-2), and test building designs on shake tables (MS-ETS1-1–3). Once students understand the physics of force and energy transfer, the teacher introduces a new layer: building codes and infrastructure. Students begin to ask why some families are more vulnerable to earthquakes than others and who has access to the safest infrastructure. 
• High school: Students analyze how materials absorb and radiate thermal energy (HS-PS3-1), and model how albedo and heat capacity affect temperature change. Students examine historical housing maps and present-day temperature data to analyze why some neighborhoods experience higher heat exposure and increased energy costs. They explore how policy decisions, zoning laws, and infrastructure investment shape environmental risk. Students then design climate mitigation proposals that balance energy efficiency, economic feasibility, and equitable community protection (HS-ESS3-4, HS-ETS1-3).

The following strategies can be used to guide the design of justice-centered learning activities. These moves help students see that scientific problems exist within social systems—not outside of them. Start small and build bigger over time, as you grow from apprentice to JEDI Master. If you are already a JEDI Master, these resources can help you mentor colleagues. 

Designing for Justice Planning Moves:

• Add power-analysis questions to your phenomenon. Who is affected by this issue? Who has decision-making authority? Who may not have a voice?
• Investigate patterns alongside root causes. When students notice differences in data, prompt them to ask what historical or systemic factors might explain those patterns. Meet students where they are and contextualize the learning.
• Include diverse perspectives in design challenges. Have students define a problem from multiple viewpoints before proposing solutions. This can be done as a jigsaw with different student groups researching a unique perspective, and then all students coming together to represent the problem from their perspective. 
• Analyze local data when possible. Community-based data makes inequities visible and relevant.
• Connect science concepts to civic decision-making. Highlight how scientific evidence informs policies that impact communities differently. Reach out to your history/social studies teacher-colleagues for support.
• Empower youth in their place by focusing on resilience and community action. Taking action is a legitimate way for students to show what they know—an authentic assessment.  

Go Deeper Resources:

• Liberatory Design (Stanford) – Designing with communities rather than for them
• Learning for Justice – Classroom strategies for discussing systems and social issues constructively
• Social Justice Resource Guide (Cal Poly SLO School of Education)  – A repository of teaching resources, including student identity development, curriculum design, and book lists
• EPA EJScreen Environmental Justice Screening Tool – Access data about demographics, environmental factors, and epidemiology for any region in the United States (How to Use)

Visit the JEDI in Action: Extended Resource Guide for more information and great resources. Also consider keeping the JEDI Planning Reflection Tool at hand when planning instruction. 

The Courage to Design Differently
When planning your next unit, take time to reflect on your phenomenon and driving questions from a justice lens. Are students only analyzing what is happening—or are they also exploring why it is happening and who is impacted?

When students learn to see systems, they develop scientific literacy that extends beyond the classroom. They begin to understand that data reflects patterns shaped by policy, economics, geography, and history. They recognize that solutions must consider diverse perspectives. They practice civic reasoning and consider social justice alongside scientific reasoning.

Justice-centered science is not an add-on. It is not a detour from rigor. It deepens rigor by contextualizing learning and preparing students to navigate complex, real-world problems with both analytical skill and ethical awareness.
The way of the JEDI is one of intentional design – one lesson, one shift, one question, one deliberate choice at a time.

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