The lesson plan  will show the importance of preserving parks in city and   importance for planting trees. 

Through the lessons, the students   will discover the meaning of urban heat island effect.

(The lesson must be held on a day with less than 50% cloud cover in the warmer times of the year. The lesson can be repeated several times over a period of time.)

The lesson takes place partly in the school park and partly in the classroom. Measurements are performed in the school park on an area of ​​30 * 30 m.

In the teaching topic "Protection and preservation of the environment", students have  taken various measurements,  doing research and make a conclusions.

The research question we asked was “Why is it important to plant trees and what is the role of trees in reducing surface temperature on warm and hot days?”. Students measured surface temperature on a sunny grassy and asphalted surface and on a shaded grassy surface under deciduous and evergreen trees. At the school atmospheric station they measured the current air temperature. With the clinometer (tool for measuring the height of trees), they measured the height of the tree, and later with  an application on a mobile phone. According to the key for determining plant species, they determined the types of trees. The students compared the recorded data and drew conclusions. Based on the measurements, the students drew conclusion: the current air temperature is lower than the surface temperature of the sunny grassy surface. The surface temperature of the sunny asphalt surface is higher by 10ºC than the surface temperature of the grassy shaded place below the deciduous or evergreen tree in all hot and warm days with clouds <50%.

Real life question:

1.Climate change

• urban heat island effect
• what is the importance of planting trees in cities
• why it is important to preserve and maintain parks in the city
• why it is important to plant trees after construction work in the city
• why trees are important on warm and hot days of the year
• what we can do to reduce the impact of urban heat island effect

2.Improving the environment in the city

• how trees enrich the environment and the space in which we live
• preservation of park architecture in the city and further development of tourism (Karlovac – city of parks)

Students will connect the importance of trees in the city to reduce the impact of urban heat island effect. In order to perform certain measurements, mathematical knowledge is required, as well as the presentation of results in tables or graphs.  After measuring and processing the results, students will present their work in a power point presentation.