1. Students understand how the racial and unjust practice of redlining (begun in the 1930s) has disproportionately affected marginalized communities, particularly with regard to extreme heat waves today.

2. Students learn to analyze temperature data from the National Weather Service.

3. Students learn to compare the data from redlining maps and temperature data from the National Weather Service and determine relationships between the data on these maps.

4. Students learn how to use the knowledge from this assignment to come up with ideas to alleviate the problem of extreme heat waves disproportionately affecting marginalized communities due to the practices of redlining.

5. Students learn about the concepts of redlining, environmental justice, and climate justice.

This assignment is being taught in a Meteorology 101 class for introductory college level courses, but could be used at many levels, beginning in high school and up to graduate level college work. The class size could vary from a very small class (5-10 students) to a very large class (100 students). The assignment is being used in a class size of approximately 30 students at Bellevue College. I use a total of 45 minutes of class time introducing maps, data, and instructions for the assignment. When presenting this assignment, I teach it over the entire quarter, dividing it into three sections, with each section's assignment due a couple of weeks later than the previous one. It could be adapted to teach in one or two classes, but I feel the students remember more material when I space it over the entire quarter. There are no prerequisites, skills, or concepts that the students need to master before encountering this assignment.

1. The first file I use is a CBS news article explaining redlining and its legacy. The students are asked to read the article and submit questions about it. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/redlining-what-is-history-mike-bloomberg-comments/

2. I introduce the concept of freeway placement as an environmental and social justice issue with a class activity where I divide the class into small groups. I have each group brainstorm "the ways building a freeway through a neighborhood affects quality of life for the residents there."   This activity takes less than 15 minutes and introduces the very important ideas of social and environmental justice issues related to freeway placement.

3. Next, I give a brief lesson on the urban heat island effect and its relationship to environmental injustices. The video Science of Heat Islands describes the science of heat islands, and how urban areas with more concrete, sidewalks, and buildings tend to be warmer than rural areas with more trees, plants, and other vegetation.

4.  Then with the video, How a Hot City Can Keep its Cool, It introduces the environmental and climate justice impacts of these heat islands, specifically on low-income communities, who are often communities of color.  

5.  Building on this information, I assign a news article from "High Country News" about how the hottest region in the western U.S. is a community of marginalized people. This provides additional information on how poorer communities are disproportionately affected by heat waves.  The link is: https://www.hcn.org/articles/south-climate-change-the-wests-hottest-county-is-also-its-most-latino

6. Next, students examine a set of temperature data (in the attached file) for the Spokane Airport (GEG) and the Spokane National Weather Service (WFO) for the heat wave of July 2021 and the average temperature for both locations during the same time period. Students analyze and compare the data. They answer questions about how warm each station is during the heatwave, including which station is warmer and if it is warmer during the day, at night, or both.  July temperatures Spokane Airport vs. the National Weather Service in Spokane (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 12kB Jun3 23)

7. This next file provides information about the Spokane Airport (GEG) and Spokane National Weather Service (WFO) and includes a Google Map to show the exact location of the two stations.  The students again look at and analyze the data of the location and elevation of the two stations, which includes determining how close each is to I-90 (the major freeway that passes through the Spokane area).      Spokane Airport vs. Spokane National Weather Service (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 12kB Mar4 23) 

8. The next step involves connecting the above information with redlining practices. This "Redlining Assignments" document (attached) lists all of the questions I ask on the three assignments. The first assignment asks questions about redlining practices and how freeways were intentionally built in areas that were redlined.  The second assignment asks questions comparing the actual sites of GEG and WFO, in which the students use the file of the data about the stations and the Google Map showing the location of each station.  They answer questions comparing the elevations of the stations (less than 10 feet) and the proximity of each station to a freeway.  This assignment also asks questions comparing the data of the two stations.  Which station is warmer?  Which station is warmer during the heat wave, and is the warming more pronounced during the day or night?  The third assignment puts everything together, asking questions comparing extreme heat and proximity to freeways.  This assignment also brings up questions about redlining practices and how poorer and marginalized communities in these redlined areas tend to be located by freeways, which lead to even hotter conditions during heat waves.   Redlining Assignment Questions (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 14kB May27 23)

9. A culminating civic engagement assignment asks students to relate what they have learned in this activity to a friend or family member.    Redlining Civic Engagement (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 13kB May27 23)

10.  Finally, the students read the following articles and reflect on ideas of positive change and solutions to help fix the damages of systemic racism that redlining has caused.  Redlining articles for positive responses and solutions.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 14kB Jun3 23)

1. This assignment consists of three main categories which I use approximately 45 minutes of class time to explain and introduce the material. The assignments are due about 2 weeks apart from each other so the students are thinking about the material the entire quarter. This project could be completed within a couple of days, but it may be a lot of work for the students in such a short amount of time.
2. It really helps the students to study the redlining map and Google Map of the Spokane area in class. There are other features on the redlining map, which compare redlined areas and the Social Vulnerability Index of different areas, which is eye-opening to the students.

Learning Goal 1...Through questions on homework assignments and exams, I assess how students understand the practice of redlining from the 1930s and how this practice has disproportionately affected marginalized communities to extreme heat waves today. The students look at actual redlining maps from the 1930s and compare the placement of the interstate freeway system in the 1950s through 1970s through these redlined areas. After students analyze data from a heat wave at two different weather stations within a few miles of each other, they are able to conclude that the station next to the freeway is much warmer during an extreme heat wave.

Learning Goal 2... I assess a student's ability to analyze temperature data from the National Weather Service with homework questions.

Learning Goal 3... Through homework questions and in-class discussions, I assess a student's ability to determine relationships between the data from redlining maps and temperature data from the National Weather Service.

Learning Goal 4... The civic engagement part of this assignment asks students to speak with a friend and/or family member about this project. The students are assigned a list of questions to ask the person with whom they choose to speak, including questions about ideas on how to alleviate the problem of extreme heat waves affecting marginalized communities disproportionately due to redlining and possible actions that might be taken to alleviate this problem. The students are also required to submit a reflection statement, answering questions about how they feel about this project through making connections between redlining practices, begun in the 1930s, and the impact of extreme heat waves today, and with any additional ideas or comments they may have.

This work is supported in part by NSF-IUSE grant (DUE 2043535).

References:

1. Redlining Map from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. I use this map to show students what areas across Washington (and the U.S.) have been redlined. The link is: https://ncrc.org/holc-health/
To get to the redlined maps, go to the right and scroll down to "maps and data" in blue. Click on this and it will take you to the maps.

2. A video describing the science of heat islands. I use this video in aiding to describe how heat islands develop in urban areas.  The link to this video is:  Science of Heat Islands

3.  A video I use to link how heat islands in urban areas disproportionately affect poorer communities.  The link to this video is:  Video describing how low income communities suffer more from urban heat islands

4. A news article from "High Country News" about how the hottest region in the western U.S. is a community of marginalized people.  This is additional information on how poorer communities are disproportionately affected by heat waves.  The link is: https://www.hcn.org/articles/south-climate-change-the-wests-hottest-county-is-also-its-most-latino

5. Google Maps to show the location of Spokane Airport (GEG) and the Spokane National Weather Service (WFO) and how close each area is to I-90 (the major freeway that goes through Spokane). The link to google maps for the Spokane area is: https://www.google.com/maps/place/National+Weather+Service+Forecast+Office++Spokane/@47.6807458,-117.6963773,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x549e114e6d286cad:0xef56c8e249a8e0cd!8m2!3d47.6809144!4d-117.6263345

6. News article on an equitable response to extreme heat in four cities. I use this article at the end of the module to show how solutions are being offered in areas that experience extreme heat waves disproportionately. The link to this website is: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/pilot-project-builds-equitable-response-to-extreme-heat-in-four-cities

7. News article on an idea on how to reduce the effects of the urban heat island by putting a "lid on I-5" through downtown Seattle.  I also use this article at the end of the module for more ideas on solutions to the problem of heat waves disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.  The link to the article is: [https://crosscut.com/opinion/2021/07/beat-heat-put-lid-i-5?fbclid=IwAR0k-jUm_L1_uc_Yt8H6_M9Pb5hFImlo-gJI6yj4_bNT-kbNStM3U_a4O9k]