This animated video and article summarize the UN Environment Programme's guidance on creating more resilient buildings to reduce the impacts of extreme weather.
Students will learn about a variety of engineered and nature-based solutions to help buildings withstand severe heat, floods, and wind caused by climate change.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The video concisely presents information using animated graphics. It effectively summarizes the key points of a longer, more dense publication on climate-resilient building and design.
The video and article present a solutions-based and action-oriented approach to discussing climate hazards, which may be encouraging to students who feel overwhelmed by the issue of climate change.
Links to related videos and resources are included at the bottom of the webpage.
Some of the solutions include increasing coastal habitats like mangroves and flood plains, as well as designing structures in a way to withstand more extreme conditions.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should understand that climate change is causing more extreme weather events and hazardous coastal conditions.
Differentiation
Consider having students brainstorm ways to build more climate-resilient communities before watching the video. Students could even complete a design challenge using diorama construction materials with simulated flood or wind conditions.
Students who are not familiar with physics or engineering design could benefit from experimenting with some of the solutions presented in the video by engaging in hands-on simulations or demonstrations.
The resource underscores the role of integrating Indigenous knowledge and scientific data for constructing climate-resilient buildings. It contains an elementary guide on how buildings should be constructed to adapt to various climate risks across different geographies. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
4-ESS3-2 Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
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-ETS1-3 Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
