Book Club Connections: Environmental Civics

April 22 is Earth Day! Inspired by the recently-published The 21: The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government Over Climate Change, by Elizabeth Rusch (also on NYPL’s Best Book for Teens 2023 list), the School Support and Outreach team created this resource guide for to supplement education on civics, the U.S. legal system, and environmental activism.

1. Is global warming an issue that speaks deeply to you or something that you think about? 
2. Like the kids in this book, what issues are hitting close to home for you/your family/friends?
3. Would you have been interested in being involved with the case? Why or why not?
4. What do you know about how the U.S. government works? How have you learned what you know?
5. How can your teachers or librarians help foster your voice when you may be the quiet one or the one who feels intimidated to speak up?
6. What ways does your school provide space for students to learn and be actively civically engaged?
7. This story is ongoing, as Juliana v. United States is continuing to prepare for trial. Will you continue to follow the case after reading this book?
8. What are 1 or 2 things that you learned from the book? Were you surprised by anything?
9. Did you feel connections with any particular plaintiffs?
10. Bring a memorable quote that you find interesting/spoke to you and would like to discuss.

These organizations and programs are focused on civics and youth engagement:

Civics at The New York Public Library – Events and opportunities for children, teens, and adults at the New York Public Library to get involved with their community.

Civic Engagement at Brooklyn Public Library – Events and opportunities for teens and adults at Brooklyn Public Library to engage in their local communities. 

Generation Citizen – Generation Citizen is transforming how civics is taught by partnering with school districts to deliver real-world civic education. Their goal is to empower youth in democracy through project-based civics.

NYC Youth Speaks – NYC Youth Speaks is a partnership between NYC Speaks and New York City’s Department of Education. It is designed to bring together NYC public school students and young people across the city to inform the policies and priorities of the mayor’s administration.

W!SE (Working In Support of Education) – In addition to financial literacy and readiness for college and careers, W!SE has these initiatives:

1. Quality of Life Innovations – a unique social entrepreneurship initiative that fosters a spirit of civic engagement and social innovation among high school students.
2. Engineered Green Economics – (EGE [“edge”]) Initiative prepares high school students to meet complex environmental and social challenges through sustainability education.

More Perfect – We're taught the Supreme Court was designed to be above the fray of politics. But at a time when partisanship seeps into every pore of American life, are the nine justices living up to that promise?

TED Climate – We get it. You care about the climate crisis—but sometimes thinking about it is just too overwhelming. Well, we’re here to help with that.

How to Save a Planet – Climate change. We know. It can feel too overwhelming. But what if there was a show about climate change that left you feeling... energized? One so filled with possibility that you actually wanted to listen?

Supersede – Highlighting the diverse stories of climate heroes to bring us closer to realizing our individual power.

Debate Team
Choose an issue for your students to debate. Using the Opposing Viewpoints database with your library card, have them research both sides of the issue. Conduct the debate in your classroom. Make sure students practice proper debate procedures and follow any time restrictions. Select a winner at the debate’s conclusion and have students discuss the efficacy of the strategies both teams used.

Mock Trial
Your debate has made it to trial! Set your classroom up in the style of a courtroom, select students to perform the roles of judge, lawyer, plaintiff, defendant, and jury (if applicable). Make sure your students understand courtroom etiquette and procedures! This is a great way to have students interact with issues and engage in civics discussions.

Podcasting
Do your students have something they want to tell the world about? Have students write a script for their podcast, and then use Soundtrap to record and edit the podcast episode, as well as add in sound effects and music. Many NYPL Teen Centers across the city also have specialized recording technology available to use.

Create Comics
Art is a great way to check students’ comprehension of texts. Using Pixton, have students create a comic book representation of the journey that the youth in Juliana v. United States have gone through.

Zine-Making
Zines have been used for decades to share viewpoints on political and social issues. They’re homemade and only require paper and ink to create. Have your students check out NYPL’s Zine Library online to get a taste of what zines look like. Then, encourage them to make their own. You can have them choose an issue that they are passionate about, or have them use the climate issues presented in The 21.

Partner with your Local Library
Not sure how to use Pixton to create comics? Need some professional podcasting equipment? Want to have a librarian talk to your students about how to use databases? Your local library is here to help you do all of these things and more! Contact schoolvisits@nypl.org to learn how we can support you.

Check out The New York Public Library's Earth Day programming to share with your school community.