Areas Vulnerable to Coastal Flooding & Sea Level Rise

• This interactive world map displays areas likely to be flooded at various amount of rising water due to sea level rise, tide, and storm surges. 
• Ten different layers are available, ranging from 0.5 meters to 30 meters of sea level rise. 

Positives

• The map is simple enough for students to navigate on their own.
• The different layers allow students to visualize the relationship between sea level rise and the increase in flood risk areas.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• There are some limitations to the dataset outlined under "Cautions" in the "Further Information" section on the left side of the page.
• Though it is a global representation, the map can easily be zoomed in to specific areas.
• Students should be familiar with sea level rise and its relation to climate change.

Differentiation

• If students live in a coast region, they could use this map to determine the flooding risk in their city based on the various scenarios.
• Students could use this map to study the flood risk in a specific area and then research and propose ideas for mitigation.
• In a geography course students could use this map to discuss how flooding will impact settlement patterns and land use in coastal regions.
• Similar interactive maps that are more specific to certain high-risk flooding areas include this map focused on New Jersey, this map that looks at eight different cities around the globe, and this map that concentrates on high-risk coastal regions in the United States.
• These personal stories of flooding from North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Georgia could be used to further engage students with this topic.
• For more on solutions and mitigation efforts, check out the article Solutions Can Protect Coastal Communities, and the video Inside a City Redesigned for Superstorms and Sea Level Rise.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.