In this TED video, Angel Hsu explains how cities are responsible for the vast majority of the world's carbon emissions and how city residents are experiencing some of the worst effects of climate change.
She also talks about the climate solutions cities can enact, creating innovative responses to climate change and addressing climate equity, to inspire change all around the globe.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video highlights that cities can be both part of the problem and part of the solution for combating global climate change.
The video explains how climate equity is an important aspect of climate change action that must be prioritized.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers may want to print the transcript for students to read as they watch the video.
Teachers may want to review the additional resources linked in the "Learn More" section, or in the transcript footnotes for more information about this topic.
Differentiation
Subtitles and video transcripts are provided in more than 13 languages.
This resource could be paired with this activity to design and build a more equitable city or this lesson about inequalities of tree cover in urban areas.
Social studies classes could use this video as a hook for lessons about climate migration, adaptation and mitigation strategies for communities, and environmental justice.
Science and engineering classes could tie this video into lessons about the water cycle, heat and energy, and urban design.
Scientist Notes
Cities across the globe are at risk of adverse effects from climate change. This video from Angel Hsu describes how cities both cause and solve climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
ETS1: Engineering Design
HS-ETS1-1 Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
