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Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities

Provided by: CLEAN |Published on: November 18, 2025

Games

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Synopsis

In this game created by NOAA and provided by CLEAN, students will work as community leaders to make decisions for implementing adaptation strategies for their coastal town models, then see how their decisions impact the health of their town.
Students will understand how these decisions can be difficult because of the unpredictability of climate impacts and how to make smart decisions that can help communities now and in the future.

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Subjects: Economics, Civics

Authors: NOAA, Tarlise Townsend, Astrid Kause, Peg Steffen, Dinh Thai Hung, Than Ngo Duc, Vinh Nguyen Li Ai, Susan Fox

Region: Global

Languages: English, Spanish

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The game has students discuss the complexities of coastal resilience and then revisit the game. This is a great way for students to apply what they have learned and retain the information.
This game sparks students' critical thinking skills while also satisfying their need for hands-on learning.

Prerequisites

Teachers will need enough materials for several stations, as only 3-5 players can be at one station.
Gameplay should take about 30-45 minutes.
Students should understand climate change and how it impacts flooding and sea level rise.
All materials for this game are also available in Spanish.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers can use this game as a culminating activity for a unit about the impact of climate change on coastal communities. This unit on the topic was designed for Maine students, but may be useful in other classrooms outside of Maine.
Teachers who are short on materials can set up one or two stations, split students into 4 or 5 groups, and have them rotate between this game and other coastal-related activities throughout the week. If students have their own devices, this oyster farming game, this coastal hazards game, and this coastal town-management game may be good options for the rotation. Many of the themes visited in the discussion questions are also present in these games.
Teachers can use this game to make connections to many of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

CLEAN

The CLEAN Network is a professionally diverse community of over 630 members committed to improving climate and energy literacy locally, regionally, nationally, and globally in order to enable responsible decisions and actions. The CLEAN Network has been a dynamic group since 2008 and is now led by the CLEAN Leadership Board established in 2016.

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.