As More Roads Become Rivers, Communities Search for Solutions
Articles/Websites
Grades7, 8, 9, 10Civics
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Provided by Connecticut Sea Grant
What it is
- In this 4-page article, students will read about the flooding impacts in Connecticut's coastal communities and the measures taken to mitigate these effects.
- Students will understand the complexities and interconnectedness of solving this climate change issue.
- Students will read about flooding and its implications in Milford, Old Saybrook, and Guilford.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The photographs bring a sense of reality to the topic, especially for students living inland who may be unable to picture the damage caused by flooding.
- The article features many personal stories and quotes from people dealing with flooding.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand how climate change contributes to sea level rise.
- Flooding may be a heavy topic for students who live in coastal areas. Teachers should ensure that students feel safe to process big emotions that may come up.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can learn more about the salt marshes and the importance that the article references by completing this 5-lesson unit on the impacts of climate change on Connecticut salt marshes.
- This article can introduce the broader topic of "short-term self-interest" getting in the way of effective adaptation and mitigation.
- Students in geography classes can analyze the map linked in the reading by clicking on the viewer for Sea Level Rise Effects on Roads and Marshes.
- Students can form a mock city planning committee and evaluate the consequences of implementing adaptations to combat flooding in one area.
From the scientist review
This article describes the current road flooding coastal Connecticut towns are dealing with more often. The article discusses climate change and its relation to the increased flooding. The article quotes various people, from residents to Department of Transportation workers in Connecticut to hear their perspectives on the issue and adaptation plans. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on seagrant.uconn.edu
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