50 Cities at 50°C
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by UN Environment Programme
What it is
- This interactive feature on extreme heat explains why heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged, and how cities are especially vulnerable due to the urban heat island effect.
- It distinguishes air temperature from heat stress, noting that humidity affects how the body cools itself, and frames extreme heat as an inequality issue that most affects older people, children, outdoor workers, and low-income communities.
- It highlights city responses across the world, showcasing solutions such as heat action plans, urban forests, reflective materials, and nature-based cooling.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- This interactive works well as an individual or paired exploration; students can navigate the city examples at their own speed.
- Use the map feature by increasing temperature to discuss whether the cities that have taken the strongest actions against extreme heat are the ones expected to suffer the most because of it, and why that may be.
Extensions:
- Ask students to research their own community's heat risks, including determining populations that are particularly vulnerable, and propose a local heat action plan drawing on the strategies presented.
- Have students compare the strategies used by two or more featured cities and evaluate which approaches address heat as both a climate and an equity issue.
Misconceptions:
- Students may not realize the nuance between temperature and humidity and heat stress and vulnerability.
- Stress the difference and pose questions that help students imagine scenarios where heat stays constant but vulnerability changes (e.g., a couple in a house with central air conditioning, a person living on the streets, a family in an old house with a fan).
- Use this interactive map to explore which counties in the United States are most vulnerable to extreme heat and what variables define the vulnerability index.
From the scientist review
Students may need an additional explanation about why humidity is an important variable with extreme heat and heat stress. This can be explained by the heat index.
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