Extreme Heat Is Worse in Redlined Neighborhoods
Provided by: Grist|Published on: April 27, 2021
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Civics, History
Authors: Grist
Region: Willamette Valley / Portland Metro - Oregon
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 video from Grist explains why summer heat can be worse in some neighborhoods within a city due to racist city planning policies dating back decades.
- The video examines one of the most extreme examples of this phenomena, the historically black Lower Albina neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video highlights the intersection between racial and environmental justice.
- the video also highlights Albina Vision, an organization taking actionable steps to right some of the injustices described.
Prerequisites
- The video only briefly introduces the history of racist city planning like racial covenants and redlining. For this video to be most impactful, it may help to have a conversation with students about these terms prior to viewing.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This video could be integrated into a social studies, civics, or history course when learning about systemic racism, city planning, racial covenants, redlining, or the impacts of racism on our cities today.
- This video could also be used as an example for how people and organizations are working to right historical injustices and inspire students to research other organizations doing similar work in their community.
- Students could use the video as inspiration to propose how their city could redesign an urban area or neighborhood to right historical injustice and environmental racism.
- Cross-curricular connections could be made with science courses by further discussing the urban heat island effect, how green spaces can cool cities, or how urbanization is contributing to climate change.
- Other resources related to environmental racism include the lesson Redlining & Environmental Racism, the article Tree Cover Comparison Based on Income, the video How Urban Heat Impacts Communities of Color, and the collection Environmental Justice Teaching Resources.
Although the practice of redlining was federally prohibited in 1968, it has a lasting impact on many communities, primarily communities of color. This video resource highlights how redlining causes two different neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon to differ by up to 18°F. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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.
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