Project GO
Urban Heat Islands
Lesson Plan One: What are Urban Heat Islands?
Overview: In this lesson, students begin their investigation of urban heat islands and their impact on public health. Urban heat is considered an environmental health issue. Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health.
Estimated Time: 40 minutes plus 10 minute follow up next day.
Materials:
Worksheet 1: Urban Heat Islands
Worksheet 2: Vocabulary
Computers and internet access for students
Learning Objectives: After completing the lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain the urban heat island effect and how it is created and measured
- Describe the effects of urban heat islands
- Identify some ways in which the effects of urban heat can be reduced
Vocabulary:
Absorb, City, Dense, Development, Energy, Global Warming, Green Roof, Industrial, Insulate, Reduce, Resource, Rural Area, Scatter, Skyscraper, Urban Area, Urban Heat Island (See Handout 2)
GIS Tools and Functions: N/A
Additional Resources:
Identify a series of resources available on the internet that deal with urban heat islands and that are accessible to students in your class. Here are some examples:
- Video: YouTube—Urban Heat Islands on the Weather Channel (4:52) https://youtu.be/t-sXHl3l-rM
- Video: YouTube—NASA/Urban Heat Islands (2:23) https://youtu.be/lnBO4vX82Fs
- Video: YouTube—The Urban Heat Island Explained (1:08) https://youtu.be/-rm4zUJ48rE
- Video: You Tube—Chicago Fights Extreme Urban Heat with Greener Ideas (10:30) https://youtu.be/ukGN4PyeNoU
- Article: Urban Heat Islands: http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urban-heat-island/
- Article: Heat Island Effect/EPA: www2.epa.gov/heat-islands
- Article: Heat Islands Impacts: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/heat-island-impacts
- Article: Measuring Heat Islands: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/measuring-heat-islands
- Article: Reduce Heat Island Risks: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/reduce-heat-island-risks
- Article: Heat Island Cooling Strategies: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/heat-island-cooling- strategies
- Article: What Communities are doing: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/what-communities-are- doing-reduce-heat-islands
- Article: What you can do: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/what-you-can-do-reduce-heat-islands
- Article: Climate Change and Heat Islands: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/climate-change-and-heat-islands
- Article: Cooling Summertime Temperatures: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014- 06/documents/hiribrochure.pdf
- Article: What is the urban heat island effect? http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green- science/urban-heat-island.htm/printable
- Article: Heat Island Compendium: https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/heat-island-compendium
- Article: Hottest Place on Earth: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/HottestSpot/
- Article: Ecosystem, Vegetation affect intensity of urban heat island effect: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/terra/news/heat-islands.html
- Article: Satellites Pinpoint Drivers of Urban Heat Islands in the Northeast: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/heat-island-sprawl.html
- Article: Heat Island Group: https://heatisland.lbl.gov/
- Article: Creating the park cool island in an inner-city neighborhood: heat mitigation strategy for Phoenix, AZ: https://www.academia.edu/2332921/Creating_the_park_cool_island_in_an_inner-city_neighborhood_heat_mitigation_strategy_for_Phoenix_AZ