How New Orleans Sank Below Sea Level and What's Being Done
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Geography, Engineering
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 Grist
What it is
- This video from Grist describes how human-made seawalls, levees, and water pumps have caused New Orleans to sink below sea level over the past century.
- The video highlights the disproportionate effect this has had on low-income and minority neighborhoods.
- The video ends by discussing neighborhood and city-wide initiatives used to reduce the risk of flooding in New Orleans.
- The video makes references to Hurricane Katrina and the Mississippi River.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The video draws attention to a variety of injustices, especially those affecting black communities.
- The video can be used in a wide variety of subjects, as it connects science, history, geography, and social-justice issues.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the location of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.
- It may be helpful to introduce students to basic concepts such as groundwater, infiltration, and subsidence.
- There may be an ad before the video.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This resource can be used in a science class to discuss unique characteristics of river deltas or to demonstrate the need for nature-based solutions to flooding.
- This resource can be used in a geography or history class to discuss how settlement patterns were shaped by the natural geography of the area.
- This video can be used to introduce a conversation about environmental justice issues in New Orleans and beyond.
- Other resources about sinking cities and sea level rise include Sinking Cities: New York, Inside a City Redesigned for Superstorms and Sea Level Rise, and Why Does Jakarta Flood So Easily?
- The lesson plan Disappearing Islands and Sinking Cities: Exploring Sea Level Rise Through States of Matter also discusses the issue of sinking cities and rising sea levels, but from a science and engineering perspective.
From the scientist review
As the climate continues to warm, more and more people are at risk of flooding. This video resource uses New Orleans as an example of how one city is both mitigating and adapting to the risks of flooding. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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