Learning activities
A citizen science project
Students will engage in the Cool Places Cool Spaces citizen science project being developed by City of Ryde Council in partnership with Field of Mars EEC and The School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales.
This is an exciting opportunity for students to play a key role in how the City of Ryde is planning for resilient town centres and communities. To be involved in how local government and communities can mitigate and adapt to local climate change impacts.
Fieldwork preparation
Optional pre-fieldwork activities can be accessed in the Google site link below.
Human-environment interactions Study 3: Climate change - urban heat -Cool Places Cool Spaces citizen science program - Google site - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Fieldwork
On arrival students will engage in experiential activities to elicit an emotional response to the study site. Initial observations and predictions about urban heat will provide an inquiry for the day's fieldwork.
Students will be introduced to the fieldwork instruments used to monitor urban heat and the factors that contribute to the urban heat island effect. Instruments include thermometers, infrared thermometers, thermal heat cameras, anemometers, hygrometers, light metres and moisture metres. Ways of recording qualitative and quantitative data from observations will also be demonstrated.
Task 1 - Student driven inquiry
Students will use instruments and observations to measure the abiotic and biotic conditions of recognised 'hot spots' and 'cool spots'. Results will provide conclusions on the factors that contribute to and mitigate for urban heat.
Task 2 - Building the data base for urban heat
Students will measure abiotic and biotic factors in a number of locations to add to the urban heat spatial database. The locations will provide a ‘before and after’ comparison of urban renewal. Results will indicate the level of success achieved by council in meeting urban heat mitigation strategic targets.
