This paper discusses the definition of the environment, trying to broaden the conception of the term by including social and political aspects. Along this path, it brings up two other concepts that are complementary to the notion of the environment, namely: environmental justice and environmental racism. This monograph makes a theoretical review of these two terms and presents the history of the creation of these concepts in a national and international scope and the implications that these notions have for the field of biology. The paper then discusses the relevance of including these concepts in science and biology education, especially for students from peripheral communities in metropolitan areas such as Rio de Janeiro. To illustrate this discussion, the study presented elaborates a pedagogical workshops targeting 9th grade students, ranging from 14 to 17 years old, from both public and private schools, from the South Zone localities and peripheral areas of Rio de Janeiro. The research concludes that the possibility of working with pedagogical workshops allows the teaching of complex concepts such as environmental justice and environmental racism. The workshop, which is built on the development of this monograph, puts students as subjects of their own learning process and makes them think about the reality found in the environment of their communities. It also encourages them to think of ways to cope with the environmental injustices face in their daily lives.