Climate Action Countdown: Tuesday 2 July – Temperature’s Rising

Your school grounds and homes are likely to become very hot at times over the summer term. But do you know how hot they are really getting?

Find the hot spots in your school or home!

This Climate Action Countdown activity will help you spot the temperature differences between natural and man-made surfaces and show why natural, cooling spaces are so important in adapting to climate change.

Measuring how hot it is at the surface and 1m above the ground is an activity all your pupils can take part in.

Using thermometers is great way to measure surface and air temperatures. You can discover how hot your grounds are getting throughout the day and the year.

You will need:

A digital thermometer

1 m long stick with a standard thermometer attached

Recording sheets and pencils

Map of the school grounds

Camera or iPad to take photos

Which areas of your school or home grounds have different environmental conditions, e.g. full sun, shade, breezy, sheltered, etc.

What are the different surfaces in these area (both man-made and natural, flat and at an angle) and record the following data on the recording sheet and grounds map:

• Location
• Time and date
• Surface type and material
• Colour and finish (e.g. shiny or matte)
• Weather conditions (e.g. full sun, shade, breezy, sheltered, etc.)
• Surface angle (e.g. flat or at an angle) and whether the angle is pointing towards the sun. Leave a space to record surface and air temperature.

The table will look something like this:

Guess the temperature of each surface and give your reasons why. Then use the digital thermometer to measure the temperature of the surface, and the thermometer on a stick to measure the air temperature 1 m from the surface, recording the results.

1. What are the reasons for the differences in recorded temperature?
2. Some materials absorb more heat from the sun than others.

Based on what you have found out, how could we change or adapt the school or home grounds to reduce the impacts of climate change?

Top tips:

1. Explore a different types of surfaces to observe temperature variations.
2. Take measurements at different times of the day .
3. Encourage comparison between natural and man-made surfaces to think about the way these absorb heat.

Armed with data on hot spots, students can brainstorm cooling solutions, such as building temporary shaded areas, planting trees for long-term shade, or installing green roofs. These ideas not only lessen heat but also boost environmental sustainability and provide valuable learning opportunities.

Why are we seeing hotter temperatures?

Because of climate change. If we want to do something to help keep cool we need to know which spaces and places are getting the hottest and why.

How hot your grounds get depends on a number of factors: Where you are in the country; if you are in a city, in the countryside or by the sea; the materials that make up your grounds and buildings; the colour of those materials and the direction features face; whether the sun is shining, there is a cooling breeze across your site or if there are areas of shade to cool spaces down. And remember, the heat OUTSIDE your building affects the heat INSIDE too.

Want to do more? Spotlight on Learning Through Landscapes

Learning Through Landscapes have put together some brilliant guidance on how else you can plan for heatwaves, and the types of changes you can make to your grounds in response to climate change.

If you are wanting to dig deeper into climate change using your school grounds as both a learning resource and a place to help keep everyone cool, join Learning Through Landscapes new project Climate School 180.