Teaching Tips

• This lesson works best when educators encourage input and opinions of all students.
• Most of the resources provided for follow-up date from 2012 and prior although the issues addressed are very timely. Educator may want to seek more current information on adaptation strategies undertaken in the key locations targeted in this activity.

About the Content

• This activity asks students to consider the human and social sides to climate change.
• Activity explores national attitudes about climate change, illustrates the difference between climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation strategies, and provides structured opportunities to identify effective 21st-century climate change adaptation efforts in the US and elsewhere.
• Comments from expert scientist:
  Scientific strengths:
  - Explanation of why flooding occurs
  
  Shortcomings/Suggestions:
  - No explanation of why heat waves occur (or what scientists think) https://scijinks.gov/heat/
  - No definition for heat island effect https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/learn-about-heat-islands
  - All three of the links on the preparation handout are wrong.
  - The new first link should be https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/home/are-you-climate-ready_.html
  - the new second link should be http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/geog/hvri/faq
  - the new third link should be http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/geog/hvri/sovi%C2%AE-0

About the Pedagogy

• This activity begins with students doing some introspective assignments. They take the 'Global Warming's Six Americas' quiz to assess their beliefs about climate change, and they consider the social vulnerability of their own community to climate-related risks. From there, students engage in a gallery walk to share what they have learned from case studies in the Netherlands, from the insurance industry, and from city planning for heat waves.
• Assessment materials are included.
• Activity uses gallery walk as a vehicle for students to respond to, share, and discuss questions that relate to several brief case studies that address adaptation strategies to extreme heat, to flooding, and finally, the US insurance industry responses to climate adaptation.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

• This activity is well thought out and carefully described. All of the materials are included and each step of the process is thoroughly documented. Supplemental resources are also provided.
• This activity contains several parts, each of which is well described and could stand alone or be combined with other activities. Educators can use all of the steps here or excerpt the parts that are most relevant to their situation.
• Links to all resources are functional and all related resources and materials provided with the activity.
• An instructor guide and a student guide are included. These contain online versions of the reading, plus a study guide that reviews concepts and vocabulary.

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN