Education Standards
Urban Heat Geographers Presentation
Urban Heat Geographers
Overview
Students will collect their own data on urban heat in order to understand how different city design choices change temperatures.
In partnership with the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the legislature-funded ClimeTime program, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment has created the Climate Literacy Fellows program.
Urban Heat Geographers
Lesson Title: Urban Heat Geographers
Grade Level: MS
Disciplinary Area: Earth and Human Activity
Duration: 75 minutes
Big Question:
How does our physical environment affect the heat we feel? Why does city design matter to the global temperature increase? How do we collect data about temperature?
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn about heat, light, and the albedo effect.
- Students will gain an understanding of the Urban Heat Island Effect and how it impacts their local community.
- Students will learn how to use heat mapping technology to measure the temperature of surfaces at their school.
- Students will learn how city design can impact temperatures.
Key Terms:
Albedo, Heat and Light, Urban Heat Island Effect
Standards:
Next Generation Science Standards
- MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperature over the past century.
Materials:
| Material: | Link for Purchasing: |
| Printed Temperature Gradient Handouts | Included in Lesson PDF |
| If Weather is Inclement: Laminated Heat Activity Sheets | Included in Lesson PDF |
| If Weather is Inclement: Expo Thin Markers | Markers |
| Printed Exit Tickets | Included in Lesson PDF |
| Thermal Cameras | FLIR One Camera |
Authors: Madden Tavernise, Gonzaga Class of 2025
Revised by Kali Natarajan, Climate Literacy Outreach Specialist, 2024