Sustainable and Resilient Communities

• In this multi-lesson module, students will explore green careers, sustainable and resilient communities, climate change, and rebuilding communities after climate emergencies, exploring case studies from Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Sonoma County, Phoenix, Bainbridge Island, and other locations nationwide.
• Students will research seven green careers, complete a WebQuest to look at different types of sustainable communities, and participate in a simulation that demonstrates the climate future we may face.
• This module culminates in a group project where students work to redesign a community affected by wildfires and present their ideas to the class.

Positives

• The Public and Operations Agreement activity thoroughly prepares students for cohesive group work and would be useful in other group projects.
• The module includes adaptations for in-person, remote, and asynchronous learning situations.

Additional Prerequisites

• To read the Dwell feature on the Grow Community in the WebQuest in Lesson 3, students must create a free trial account on Dwell.
• The "10 Agrihoods" link in the Resilient Communities Principles and Case Studies WebQuest is broken.
• The Climate Change 101 link in the Climate Change WebQuest doesn't work.
• The Keirsey Temperament and the Sample Multiple Intelligences Assessment links in the personality type resources don't work.
• In Lesson 8, the "Rebuild or Rethink" article requires a subscription.
• The Big Ideas of Sustainability link in Lesson 15 doesn't work.
• When discussing the climate change lesson with students, especially when doing the simulation activity, be mindful of students' emotions and reactions to climate projections.
• Teachers may need to spend time with students on concepts that may be abstract to them, such as mortgages, insurance, building codes, tax credits, and others.
• Teachers may want to begin each lesson by introducing the key vocabulary and terms and reviewing previous terms.

Differentiation

• During the job exploration portion in Lesson 1, students can make math connections by graphing and comparing the data for the jobs, such as salary, growth, or availability.
• Many of the activities require students to read several lengthy articles. For younger students or students with low reading stamina, teachers may want to have students read only relevant paragraphs of the articles.
• Students can make art connections by drawing designs or illustrations of the buildings, green spaces, or communities they plan in their projects.

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