Impacts of Urbanization and Sustainable Solutions
Provided by: LabXchange|Published on: May 7, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: LabXchange
Region: Global
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
- In this interactive resource and associated worksheet, students act as city planners to tackle runoff and urban sprawl challenges with climate-resilient solutions.
- Students analyze and apply written information and simplified GIS data to choose between possible strategies and observe their implementation.
Teaching Materials
Classroom Implementation:
- Use or modify the accompanying Google Docs student worksheet to scaffold note-taking, support the evaluation of trade-offs, and guide students through each decision point in the interactive.
Preparation:
- Note that students' progress will not be saved if they close out of the window. Have a plan in place for students who cannot finish within one class period.
Differentiation:
- Because this interactive is text-heavy and has no audio support, support students by breaking it into smaller sections and having them periodically pause to explain in their own words, reducing the reading load and reinforcing comprehension.
- Alternatively, explore key concepts (urbanization, flooding, pollution, stormwater, resilience, biodiversity, GIS, zoning) as a class before launching the interactive resource.
Extensions:
- Have students use GIS (or simplified interactive maps) to display and evaluate local land use and zoning, flooding or runoff risk, and existing green infrastructure.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Civics:
- Explore your local government’s climate resilience or sustainability strategies, then investigate and discuss how such plans are developed, approved, and implemented in your community.
- Math:
- Use this interactive as a launching activity to explore questions about cost-benefits and trade-offs, solving calculations to compare factors such as area, volume, distance, and costs.
This interactive resource puts students in the role of a city planner working to reduce both urban runoff and sprawl. Climate change is a central concern for both planning challenges, particularly in the urban runoff challenge which combines mitigation and adaptation strategies. Students are also introduced to GIS in a simplified form. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
LabXchange
Harvard University’s LabXchange is a free online platform for science education, created with support from the Amgen Foundation. It makes learning science online flexible and fun, with interactives, lab simulations, and more.
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 →
