How America's Hottest City Is Trying to Cool Down

Positives

• The video shows the correlation between climate change and poverty levels using the visuals of a heat map and an income level map.
• The video description provides links for further reading.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have a basic understanding of climate change.
• The video may begin with an ad.

Differentiation

• Students could compare the conditions in their community with that of Phoenix and decide if the community could benefit from planting trees. If the community would benefit from more trees, students could raise money and plant trees in the community.
• Students could work in groups to research the surface temperature maps and the poverty rates of different cities.
• Other resources on this topic include this SubjectToClimate lesson plan on urban tree density and environmental justice, this article on the ways that heat impacts infrastructure and people, and this video on how urban heat affects communities of color.