American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this 10-lesson...
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Effects of Urban Growth
Learners explore population growth in the United States and the impact it has had on society. First, they brainstorm the reasons for population growth and the results of these increases. Then, they design surveys, record results, and...
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Kid City, USA
What a model community would look like? Get your kids talking with an activity that allows them to create their own town. After printing out a "fold out village," groups of young scholars use a variety of resources to help them build an...
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A Changing Society: Industrialization and Urbanization
Students participate in activities that teach them about the Gilded Age of industrialization and urbanization. In this social changing lesson plan, students answer questions, watch videos, have discussions, read texts, and more to teach...
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Create a City: An Urban Planning Exercise
Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona. In this history lesson, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the importance of...
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Lesson: Mathias Poledna: Crystal Palace
Film analysis takes critical thinking, connections, and context. Upper graders look at the film installation, Crystal Palace in terms of the film makers choices, presentation, and perspective of truth. After an analytical discussion of...
American Battlefield Trust
Fredericksburg 360
Urban combat long preceded today's video games. Pupils today experience the battle of Fredericksburg—a major Civil War engagement in an American city—using a 360-degree interactive app. Users explore the battlefield online, using a...
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Urban Changes
Students explore how landscapes undergo constant changes with urban development. They plan and build their own "city" by including features that have minimal resource demands to sustain the city itself.
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The Zabbaleen, Cairo's Garbage Workers
Here is a fascinating human geography study of the Zabbaleen. They are a sub-class of people who work as garbage collectors in Cairo, Egypt. I can't say enough good things about this resource in my limited space here. It is fabulous! If...
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Reach For The Sky
Learners consider alternative designs for a tall building and choose one of their designs to build. As a final step, they design and construct a model of a skyscraper.
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A Shopping Center Field Study
Students analyze how developers plan for a shopping center. They take a field trip to a nearby shopping center. Also students participate in a shopping center scavenger hunt. Students identify factors important to the location of...
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Create the Ideal City
Students examine the significance of city planning. They analyze maps, develop a crossword puzzle using vocabulary terms, and create a diagram of an ideal city and describe the features that make it healthy for the economy, the...
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Community Building
Students explore the issues of urban and suburban sprawl. They work in small groups to create their own planned communities.
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Reaching for the Sky
Students consider features of skyscraper using descriptive words, reflect on notion of skyscraper as orientation point in a city, and explore New York Times Building in Manhattan by reading and discussing article, "Pride and Nostalgia...
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Social Studies: Exploring Boston's Big Dig
Students, in a high school class for autistic children, take a virtual tour of Boston's "Big Dig" and the artifacts discovered there. During weekly lab sessions, they discover the processes involved in artifact preservation. Using...
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Cycles of Life in an Urban Habitat: Changes in Biodiversity
Second graders compare and contrast animate and inanimate objects. In this environmental science lesson, 2nd graders create simple food webs. They observe their environment and create a collage about it.
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The Industrial Revolustion
Students create artistic posters to show the differences between key vocabulary words. They show the differences between a rural, agrarian, urban, and industrial lifestyles. They evaluate the benefits and problems, the human and...
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Progressive City Planners
Students plan cities. In this environmental racism lesson, students design imaginary cities taking into consideration the amenities and environmental hazards that exist. Students discuss city planning challenges.
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What is Art?
Students become familiar with the art and architecture and history of the Chicago World's Fair. In this public arts project lesson plan, students compare and contrast fine art and public art through a study of the exhibits at the...
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Glasgow - a case study 4
Students look at the inner-city and housing in Glasgow today and consider how the city has been redeveloped over time. They answer a GCSE question using Glasgow as the case-study. Students draw a timeline from the 1950s to the present...
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Geography of Canada
All about Canada! Learners explore the geography and providences of Canada by watching videos, studying maps and conducting internet research. By the end of this lesson, your class should be able to locate major areas and compare and...
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Exporing Our Community
Students explore attributes of the community in which they live. They compare rural, urban and suburban communities and attempt to classify their own community. Each group illustrates their assigned area by drawing buildings, trees,...
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Populists and Progressives
Students study the Gilded Age in American History. They present a speech demonstrating knowledge of the platforms of the Progressives and Populists.
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World War I
Eighth graders examine the condition of the world from 1880 until the start of World War I. After watching a PowerPoint presentation, they discuss the causes and effects of the war and complete a study guide with a partner. To end the...