Extreme Heat Vulnerability Mapping Tool
Provided by: National Integrated Heat Health Information System|Published on: February 1, 2024
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography, Health
Authors: National Integrated Heat Health Information System
Region: North America, United States
Languages: English
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 →
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 →
Synopsis
- This interactive tool displays which counties in America are most vulnerable to extreme heat, social factors contributing to a county's overall vulnerability index, and how vulnerabilities are projected to intensify in future decades.
- Students will use a map, datasets, and data visualizations to understand how location and demographics impact how susceptible to heat effects a county's inhabitants are.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- There are many options to manipulate the view to gain even more insight.
- There is a search bar on the map to pinpoint an exact address.
Additional Prerequisites
- To optimize the view, set your browser's zoom to 90% when viewing this tool.
- To alter the interactive charts, click on the counties under "Most Vulnerable" or "Most Vulnerable by Theme."
- Students should know how to read graphs and charts.
- Students should understand the health impacts of extreme heat.
Differentiation
- Teachers can use this interactive tool as a conceptual introduction to environmental racism.
- Language arts students can use this interactive tool to write a research paper on which United States regions are most vulnerable to climate change.
- This interactive tool can enhance a classroom discussion on why extreme heat impacts certain groups more than others.
- Civics students can consider how our country can support the most vulnerable groups before, during, and after extreme heat events.
- For students who are overwhelmed by a lot of information on one screen, teachers may wish to select a few areas on the map and data visualizations to screenshot, crop, and analyze in isolation.
The resource investigates social vulnerability and forecasts climate risk in the future. It measures influential indices of socioeconomic position and social vulnerability. The approach is free of scientific misunderstandings, and using this resource in the classroom is advised.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
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 →
