Urban heat island

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/urban-heat-island

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Predominantly found in urban and metropolitan areas
2. What is the primary drivers?Urban land surface modification (impervious surfaces, building geometry) and anthropogenic heat release
3. Why do cities feel warmer than the countryside?Because streets and buildings use materials like asphalt and concrete that soak up more sun and keep heat, and tall buildings trap heat and reduce cooling.
4. How does the extra heat in cities affect people and nature?It can make the air worse, causing more smog and breathing problems, and it warms rivers, hurting fish and plants.

Albedo: The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed.
Urban Canyon: A street flanked by tall buildings on both sides, creating a confined space.
Evapotranspiration: The process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere.