International Public Science Day 2001 at OMSI

Building a Community from the Ground Up
Part V: Modern Town

Students gain knowledge of local history, their natural environment, native cultures, and community planning.

The class has previously worked collaboratively to design and construct a three-dimensional model of a pre-history environment (Part I), settlement of early indigenous communities (Part II), settlement of early European pioneers (Part III), and the transition to an early town (Part IV). The group will consider social, historical, and environmental issues as they transition their model from an early town to a modern town. In this lesson students will learn about the recent development in towns of their local region and will add features to their model that represent these modern towns.
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This project-based curriculum represents an extended unit. It works well as a two month unit, with the class spending time each week, for one month, learning about history, watersheds, bridges, native cultures, etc. The actual model can be built over approximately three weeks if the students work one hour per day.

Alternatively, the project could be a year long experience, or condensed into a "living laboratory" intense 1 - 2 week experience.

· 4 inch by 5 inch rectangular pieces of construction paper in a variety of colors for houses (white, brick red, pastels) (at least one for each student)
· 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch pieces of construction paper for roofs (black, gray, green) (at least one for each student)
· 3 inch by 4 inch pieces of green construction paper for grass yards (adapt to other colors for desert or other environments) (Some students may add theirs to parking areas, roads, farms, etc.
· 4 inch by 4 inch to 4 inch by 5 inch pieces of construction paper in a variety of sizes and colors for business structures
· optional: gray rectangular pieces of construction paper for parking lots
· 1 inch strips of black construction paper for roads
· 1 strips of black or brown construction paper for railroad tracks
· assorted strips of construction paper for bridge; or,
OPTIONAL:
· colored clay or other materials for optional multimedia models, especially for older student groups
· toothpicks and marshmallows to build bridges

· It may be useful to have pictures of the early towns available.
· Do some preliminary research on early history of local towns. Find resources for the class. Prepare to lead the initial discussion or assign reading to the students so they will be prepared to inform the initial discussions. Choose informational material to read and discuss.
· Optional: Invite a panel of adults to come to your class. Interview them about the town during their youth

Describe or lead a discussion on recent history.
Optional: Possibly invite parents for a panel discussion re: what the town was like in the 1950's, '60's, or '70's.

Ask and discuss the following:

How many years have passed since the early town? What is available now that wasn't available in the early town?

What businesses or services are available in a modern town town?

What infrastructure (communication lines, power, roads, etc) are needed?

What will happen to the old buildings?

Let the class brainstorm. Brainstorming is a shared process that validates multiple ideas. There is no right or wrong answer here.

Student teams will work together to plan and add cultural features of the earliest peoples to populate their project model.

Working as a class, or in student teams, plan the modern town for the model. Take the following into consideration:

1. Where will most of the businesses be located?

2. Which businesses should be near homes?

3. What is happening in the outlying areas?

4. How do towns decide where things go?

1. Houses: each student makes their own modern home using the basic house design, but allowing for different sizes, colors, and again adding a roof to the cabin design. Encourage details, yards, etc.

2. Each student or team signs up to build one of the additional buildings or needed infrastructure (i.e. railroads, roads, bridges, docks).

3. Placement of the structures into the model may take place at the end of a second session and may require a town meeting and perhaps planning staff input from a nearby town.

4. Working with the plans of the class discuss, add the houses, businesses and infrastructure.

5. Look at the new town together and see if it is complete/adequate.

Using a photocopy of the grid with numbers "1" through "5" and letters "A" through "D", each student creates a new map of the model as it is now, with natural features, roads, bridges, the town, etc.

Rather than try to map each building use symbols to indicate houses, etc. Develop new symbols for the map legend if needed (e.g., docks, office, police department, library).
(For younger students, the teacher can create and photocopy a grid template for the students to use.)

6. Summarize

How has the environment changed since the early town

Review placement of main building and natural resources and how they've changed.

The following are suggestions to extend the project into various curricular areas. These can be done as a class, by student teams, or by individual students

Environmental Biology
As changes in the natural environment become complex, you may invite city planners or engineers to help make location decisions. For example, can you move a swamp? Students can email questions to experts.
Discuss problems of pollution, fish habitat, wildlife preservation, etc.
Discuss the problems of providing safe water, sewers, and adequate transportation.
What resources might you want to preserve or set aside at this point? (i.e., before proceeding the city.

Social Studies
Study the history of the time- 1950's to present. Haw have inventions impacted our lives?

Civics
The group needs to establish a mechanism for planning together and making decisions. Politics of the local community can be mirrored, or students may form their own structure. Each student may be given a role, e.g., mayor, council, planning commission, park board. Alternatively, the group may decide to keep it simple with town meetings.

Economics
Students will become aware of the need for various vocations as their small town develops into a large town and then a city.

Geography
View or study towns elsewhere. The Internet is a great tool for this. Students can view towns all over the world.

Math
Mapping and the use of symbols becomes increasingly more complex.

Reading
Look in the newspapers for articles about community planning, community growth, or community development. Find instances of disagreement and/or compromise.

Writing
Write summaries, lists, and letters.

Communication
Increasingly important as students present their view and seek agreement in the planning process, just as oral presentation and team work is a significant part of urban and community planning.

Based on an activity created by Betsey Kenworthy, Hockinson Intermediate School, Brush Prairie, Washington.

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