Tokyo's Heat Island Effect
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades8, 9, 10, 11, 12, APEarth and Space Sciences
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 Google Earth
What it is
- This interactive Google Maps resource lets students explore 3D maps, images, text, and data about the heat island effect in Tokyo, Japan.
- Students will explore some of the reasons for the increasing urban temperatures and discover some of the solutions the city is implementing in an effort to reduce the heat.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This resource explains how wind flow, heat exhaust, green spaces, heat-reflecting coatings, and proximity to a large body of water can affect the temperature of a city.
- Students will learn why Tokyo's temperature has increased so much more than the rest of Japan.
Prerequisites
- Using a slower Internet connection or wireless Internet may cause the images to load slowly.
- Students should be familiar with line graphs and reading maps.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Cross-curricular connections can be made with social studies classes when discussing the effects of urban planning, the number of parks and trees in urban areas, and the differing conditions in various urban communities.
- Biology courses can explore the connections between urban heat-island effects and the intensity of heat waves or heat-related illnesses as temperatures increase.
- Other resources related to this topic include this video on what would happen if we cut down all of a city's trees, this video on the benefits of urban trees, this article on dangerous humid heat extremes, and this interactive tree equity score map.
From the scientist review
The heat island effect is another mechanism that contributes to average global temperatures. The chart displayed in the resource is accurate and appropriate to explain the changes in mean temperature over time due to the urban heat island effect. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on earth.google.com
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
