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Author

American Museum of Natural History

Grades

6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies, Health

Resource Type

  • Videos, 1 minute, 42 seconds, CC, Subtitles

Regional Focus

North America, United States, USA - Northeast, New York, New York City

Format

YouTube Video

Climate Change Resilience: Cooling an Urban Heat Island

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Synopsis
  • This video outlines an initiative called NYC CoolRoofs, which helps reduce the urban heat-island effect by painting roofs white in New York City.
  • This reflects more sunlight and reduces the internal temperatures of buildings, reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the buildings and protecting the residents from overheating.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • Students will learn about the concept of the urban heat-island effect and understand the connection between this initiative and reducing carbon emissions.

Additional Prerequisites

Differentiation

  • The teacher could ask students to design solutions to the urban heat-island effect and break them down by categories such as energy efficiency, natural solutions (such as trees), insulation, etc.
  • Students can learn more about urban heat islands and could create posters and videos to educate others.
  • Another recommended resource is Lights Out Day, an initiative where your school would not use lighting for the whole day to save electricity.
Scientist Notes
The video describes local initiatives for reducing the impact of urban heat in New York City. The assumption that coating the roofs with white paint can reduce the internal temperatures of a building is valid. Thus, this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards

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

  • Science
    • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
    • PS3: Energy
      • MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
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