Chicago Uses Green Infrastructure to Reduce Extreme Heat
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APEarth and Space Sciences, Civics
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Provided by Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute
What it is
- This webpage describes why Chicago adopted a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan after experiencing an extreme heat event in the 1990s.
- Students will explore the numerous links to analyze and draw conclusions in relation to conducting vulnerability assessments and how the results relate to the future of Chicago weather.
- Students can read through the full Chicago Action Plan and the supporting research and report PDFs available via the webpage links.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This webpage allows students to understand the connection between urban development and the consequences it has on the environment and weather.
- As students navigate the resource, they are exposed to the plan and research that went into finding different ways to counteract the harmful effects big cities have on weather.
Prerequisites
- Teachers should be aware that some of the links on the webpage have become inactive or have moved.
- Students should understand the urban heat island effect and the impact of less green spaces in urban areas on the environment.
- This report consists of challenging vocabulary and statistical analysis. Teachers should use it with advanced high school classes and/or Advanced Placement college course students.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The Chicago Climate Action Plan: Adaptation Strategy Report is linked on the website and has downloadable PDF versions available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin.
- Students can create a comprehensive plan to counteract the heat island effect to send to local legislators using the Environmental Protection Agency's Guide to Reducing Heat Islands PDFs.
- Students can read the report Identifying the Change in Heat and Land-Use to further understand how to read graphs and tables and evaluate reports based on data.
- There are multiple components to the full Chicago Action Plan, and teachers may use collaborative classroom procedures such as jigsaw groups to allow deep diving into the different components of the plan and justification reports.
From the scientist review
This resource is a case study of how Chicago responded to a historic heat wave by investing in green infrastructure. The text is clear and well-sourced, with numerous links to local government, EPA, and CDC publications. Throughout, focus is placed on climate change, equity, and environmental justice as reasons for expanding green infrastructure. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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