EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)

This interactive mapping tool provides a dataset and approach for combining environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators. EJScreen indicators are publicly-available data and this tool provides a method for viewing this information and combining environmental and demographic indicators into environmental justice indices.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

Consider creating specific topics for students to investigate using this tool. Student teams may research different aspects for EJ for an area, then share information with the class. Consider using this tool as a class to visualize content that was previously reviewed in a curriculum on environmental justice. This tool could also be used to support independent investigation as a homework assignment. Consider watching the video overview of this tool- [link https://youtu.be/pU_W_xJh3WE]. Consider reviewing these curriculum tools which include use of the EJScreen. Note: These tools were not reviewed by CLEAN. [link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YY1c-0UYJbkW09HaFvS_uTN7ZpRI3DON/view] and [link https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pIfp6l0aEBfjHPwOweY33kZdNe-3R1dz1vBqVYe8b0k/edit]
This environmental justice visual-mapping tool from the US EPA combines national, publicly-available demographic data with a single environmental indicator such as air and water pollution sources and climate change data for the United States. Users can select from a variety of filters, adjust thresholds, and submit their own data for visual representation. This tool provides transparency and details about the raw and interpreted data. This is an incredibly comprehensive mapping tool from the EPA. It brings together data on multiple hazards and challenges to the environment and health along with demographic information to identify areas of possible environmental justice concern. The data is updated yearly. This is a very scientifically robust tool. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
This resource includes extensive video tutorial material but lacks a pedagogical structure and teaching guide. This tool is best used in a demonstration of how scientists can use large datasets to model risk assessment, and it can potentially be used in the classroom as a group activity to explore the information available for a particular area as part of an environmental justice curriculum. Teachers should create specific questions for students to explore using this tool to focus student work. There are almost infinite lessons that could be built using this tool. So many factors can be viewed, overlapped, and analyzed. Spend time learning how to use EJscreen before presenting to classes. This is a comprehensive guide- [link https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/help/ejscreen_help.pdf]. If teaching an upper level high school or college class, consider having students conduct a research project based on this tool.
This mapping tool is fairly user-friendly, although users that are new to mapping tools may benefit from reviewing the tutorial videos under the "Learn to use EJScreen" tabs. While there is not guidance on how to use this map as a teaching tool, there is a comprehensive overview of how to use the tool itself which will likely serve to spark multiple ideas from educators. Teacher prep time is needed to be able to effectively use this tool.