Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities
Provided by: NOAA|Published on: November 18, 2025
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Type: Games
Subjects: Economics, Civics
Authors: NOAA
Region: Global
Languages: English, Spanish
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
- In this game created by NOAA and provided by CLEAN, students will work as community leaders to make decisions for implementing adaptation strategies for their coastal town models, then see how their decisions impact the health of their town.
- Students will understand how these decisions can be difficult because of the unpredictability of climate impacts and how to make smart decisions that can help communities now and in the future.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The game has students discuss the complexities of coastal resilience and then revisit the game. This is a great way for students to apply what they have learned and retain the information.
- This game sparks students' critical thinking skills while also satisfying their need for hands-on learning.
Prerequisites
- Teachers will need enough materials for several stations, as only 3-5 players can be at one station.
- Gameplay should take about 30-45 minutes.
- Students should understand climate change and how it impacts flooding and sea level rise.
- All materials for this game are also available in Spanish.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use this game as a culminating activity for a unit about the impact of climate change on coastal communities. This unit on the topic was designed for Maine students, but may be useful in other classrooms outside of Maine.
- Teachers who are short on materials can set up one or two stations, split students into 4 or 5 groups, and have them rotate between this game and other coastal-related activities throughout the week. If students have their own devices, this oyster farming game, this coastal hazards game, and this coastal town-management game may be good options for the rotation. Many of the themes visited in the discussion questions are also present in these games.
- Teachers can use this game to make connections to many of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
This resource tasks students with designing resilient cities and "rolling the dice" to see how their decisions fared. The game is grounded in climate science, with a focus on how decisions make cities more or less able to withstand climate change impacts. The debrief features a clear discussion of uncertainty, distinguishing it from risk. This resource 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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