Abstract:  Persistent structural racial inequalities have prompted activism and protest for as many generations as inequality has blighted the United States. Deaths from police violence are part of a larger lethal pattern affecting certain sectors of our population. The coronavirus has revealed just how dangerous it is for communities to be structured in ways that compromise the health and well-being of certain residents. Inequitable living and working conditions help explain the high hospitalization rate and deaths among African-Americans during this pandemic. Just as COVID-19 is striking hardest people of color in our country, these same sectors of our population usually have the most difficult time reaching - or feeling welcome or safe in - the green spaces that would help them maintain their health. “The Many Benefits of Parks,” examines how we can prioritize the things that work to keep our whole population healthy, and how we can improve the situations that clearly leave some sectors of our population at higher risk for health complications. Providing equitable access to nature is one more way to help fulfill the United States’ democratic ideal by strengthening community and individual well-being.

Teaching suggestions:

12th Grade (Gov) – How is equitable access to public amenities protected in our Constitution?  What specific government measures are appropriate to support human health and community well-being?

•  Suggested resource on government regulation of public and environmental health: EEI unit 12.7.6 Making and Implementing Environmental Laws & 12.2.2/5 This Land is Our Land

12th Grade (Econ) – How can environmental protection measures (such as anti-pollution regulations or preserving green space) influence a state or region’s economy? How can a healthy or an unhealthy environment impact a community’s economy?

•  Suggested resource on government regulations that have economic implications: EEI unit 12.2.2/7 Sustaining Economies and the Earth’s Resources

10th and 11th Grade History – How are different U.S. demographic sectors experiencing this pandemic? How are developing countries meeting the challenges presented by COVID-19? How do wealth and poverty factor into COVID-19 infection and fatality statistics?

•  Suggested resources on industrialization and population growth & debates surrounding appropriate environmental policy to address national and global concerns: EEI unit 10.3.3 Growth of Population, Cities, and Demands & 11.8.6 Postwar Industries and the Emerging Environmental Movement & 11.11.5 Many Voices, Many Visions: Analyzing Contemporary Environmental Issues

5th/8th Grade History – How did European settlers change the landscape of the United States? How did these landscapes alter people’s relationship to nature?

•  Suggested resources on agricultural and industrial developments from the late eighteenth through the late nineteenth centuries: EEI unit 5.8.4 Nature and Newcomers & 8.4.1 Land, Politics, and Expansion in the Early Republic & 8.12.5 Industrialization, Urbanization, and the Conservation Movement

3rd/4th Grade History – How does where we live influence our lives, our health, our opportunities?

• Suggested resources on the importance of geography on people’s lives: EEI unit 3.1.1-2 The Geography of Where We Live & 4.1.3/5 Reflections of Where We Live