Climate Change Resilience: Preparing for Power Loss
Provided by: American Museum of Natural History|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Engineering
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
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
- This short video from the American Museum of Natural History highlights a no-energy solution to indoor lighting in Rockaway, New York, where businesses and homes were impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
- Students will learn about "day-lighting," a creative solution that uses reflected sunlight during the day to light buildings, which creates less strain on the power grid and provides more security during power outages.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video is short and sweet, giving a good example of how engineering can help us adapt as the world faces more frequent and intense storms, more heat waves, and the potential loss of electricity associated with those events.
Prerequisites
- Students should know something about electricity, power grids, and blackouts.
- Students should be familiar with Superstorm Sandy.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Science, and physics classes can use this video when discussing the properties of light, reflection, and refraction.
- This video can help spur student ideas for helping us mitigate and adapt to climate change without using complicated new technologies.
- Students can also check out this other video by the AMNH.
The video presents an initiative that helps to build climate resilience to respond to shocks arising from natural disasters by day-lighting people's businesses. The structural design of the equipment could be replicated anywhere around the world. Although this is a short video, it is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
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.
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