This paper shares curricular tools to engage in inquiry around issues related to environmental justice for upper elementary and middle grades students. Focusing on developing background knowledge and critical reading practices, the unit offers approaches to fiction and non-fiction online sources that promote an inquiry stance based in empathy and exploration. In addition to developing critical stances and questions to explore sacrifice zones and eco-activism, this paper shares many resources (texts and scaffolded tools) for praxical application in classrooms.