This unit uses the Amazon and Congo Basin as parallel case studies to weave environmental science, human geography, and civics into a single, cumulative arc for my seventh grade Social Studies students. Students begin by building ecological literacy (forest structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem services) before examining the human geography of each region: indigenous land management, colonial history, migration, and whose voices are centered in conservation. The unit then turns to the pressures driving deforestation in each region and the science and community-led work of forest restoration, before asking students to trace their own daily choices to global supply chains. It closes with a student-driven civic action project, in which students design an evidence-based proposal (an advocacy campaign, policy pitch, or restoration recommendation).
Each lesson opens with a callback to the previous class, reinforcing continuity across my every-other-day schedule. The unit deliberately resists simple narratives, asking students to weigh competing perspectives (farmers, indigenous leaders, corporations, scientists, etc.) and ground their conclusions in evidence. The goal: students who leave understanding that forest health and human choice are inseparable, and who see themselves as capable of meaningful civic contribution.
(Developed for World Regional Studies II, grade 7)
