Do Hot Neighborhoods Affect Everyone Equally?
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Provided by: Science Journal for Kids|Published on: January 9, 2023
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Synopsis
- In this adapted scientific paper, students learn about how increased temperatures in cities disproportionately impact people of color and poor people, looking at examples in Baltimore.
- Students read a scientific paper, watch related videos, and answer questions as they learn about the urban heat island effect and how it impacts people differently based on race and income level.

Subjects: Science, Economics, English Language Arts, Health
Authors: Science Journal for Kids
Region: North America, USA - Northeast, United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The paper is excellent practice for reading academic papers in the future.
- The worksheet includes a glossary of key terms and there are links to additional resources provided.
- The supplemental videos help provide additional context and information to the paper.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers must fill in a form with their name, email, and school information to access the teacher's key, which includes answers to the discussion questions.
- Students should be familiar with reading and interpreting maps and bar graphs.
Differentiation
- It may be helpful for some students to use the audio version of the article (the first video on the webpage).
- To help younger students process the article, have them answer the comprehension questions orally in groups before putting their responses in writing.
- Just as some parts of the article are highlighted, have students practice annotating and highlighting parts of the article they consider most important.
- As a follow-up activity, have students create questions for the scientists, swap with another student, and answer each other's questions by researching online.
- Watch this video to learn more about how the urban heat island effect impacts communities of color.
- Physics classes can use this paper to connect to lessons about heat transfer, thermodynamics, and properties of materials.
- Biology classes can connect this resource to lessons about heat stroke, homeostasis, trees, evapotranspiration, the water cycle, green spaces, and ecosystems services.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
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Science Journal for Kids
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Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →




