Curated OER
Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students design a plan for a housing development in their city. In this house development lesson plan, students observe pictures of land use, research lawmaking, and develop a plan for an environmentally friendly housing development in...
Curated OER
What is Public Use?
Explore the Fifth Amendment by examining the meaning of "public use" as learners read a scenario and role play their assigned parts to determine "public use." They also read Supreme Court Cases regarding the amendment and present their...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Land Use
Students brainstorm lists of land uses, gather pictures of them, and create a collage. They research land uses in their communities by contacting local agencies. They make charts of the land use planning systems and their impact on...
Curated OER
Valentine Village
Students build a small city by using a half-gallon milk or juice carton to "build" a miniature home. They decorate their buildings with construction paper, yarn, beads, or whatever they have and become mailmen, delivering Valentine's to...
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...
Curated OER
Land Use Competition
Students represent a specific interest in the business community and present a plan to develop a 4 square mile area into a productive venture that benefit the community.
Curated OER
Development on the Edge of a City
Students explore and analyze examples of changing relationships between patterns of settlement and land use in the state of Minnesota. They view different avenues of transportation, cities, suburbs, city planners and suburbanization.
Curated OER
The Eagle Has Landed: Aztecs Find a Home
Students investigate the Aztec civilization and locate it on a map. They explain the legend of the city of Tenochtitan and investigate the symbolism of the Mexican flag.
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The Planning Commission
Students design a sound community. In this communities lesson, students take on the role of city planners and identify the needs of the community. Students develop a blue print to meet the needs of the community and include new...
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Growth of a City
Learners discuss the needs of any city. They view and analyze a 1923 aerial picture of Beverly Hills and discuss possible needs for the city. They draw in facilities to meet the needs they have listed and then compare these needs to a...
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Social Studies: Towne Planning in Tidewater
Students discover how European values dominated colonial life. They also examine the effects of slavery in the Americas. Students compare the planning of their home town with that of colonial Williamsburg. They locate key sites such...
Curated OER
The Eagle Has Landed: Aztecs Find a Home
Pupils examine the Aztec civilization in what is now Mexico. Using a map, they locate the empire and explain the legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan. They explore the symbols on various Mexican flags and what they meant to the Aztec...
Curated OER
Understanding Zoning: Its use on the High Line in West Chelsea
High schoolers are introduced to zoning. Evaluating information and reading a land-use map is enclosed in this lesson. List new development projects that they could propose for a given area.
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City Lesson Plan
Students examine the patterns and processes of urbanization and describe patterns of urban land use. They choose one of five cities using riddles and research why this city is desirable. The groups make quizzes for each other on the city...
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The Middle East: Land of Contrasts
Middle schoolers explore the ancient city of Petra. In this Middle East activity, students watch "The Royal Tour of Jordan," and then discuss the history of Petra. Middle schoolers conduct research on selected sites in the city and use...
Curated OER
Public Land
Students examine the needs of their community for public space and determine the solutions to math problems related to planning landscape designs. They read and discuss an article from the New York Times, create their own designs for a...
Curated OER
The Aztecs - Mighty Warriors of Mexico
Upper elementary learners identify the Aztecs as the builders of a great city and rich civilization in what is now Mexico. They locate the Aztec Empire and its capital on a map and place the Aztecs in the chronology of American history....
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
How Do We Know about Colonial Life?
Young history sleuths examine an inventory of the belongings of a Virginia colonist and use deductive reasoning to determine what the document reveals about colonial life. They then use a Venn diagram to compare the inventory with a...
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Utah's Own
Fourth graders examine the effects of humans on the environment. In this Social Studies lesson, 4th graders analyze human changes to the environment. Students explore the actions and effects at a community level.
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Growth of a City
Learners evaluate aerial photographs of Beverly Hills taken in 1923 and 1932, and examine the effects of rapid growth of a region. They discuss the needs of city planning, compare the two photographs, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
History of the Local Community
Students research their local communities and identify the founding fathers of their city and county. In this communities lesson plan, students research using the library and internet. Students also interview citizens who have lived in...
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Land of Milk and Honey Relocated or Not (Lesson 3)
Fourth graders practice their research skills. In this North Carolina history lesson, 4th graders examine primary resources and draw conclusions regarding the birth of the city of New Bern, North Carolina.
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Cutting Down Trees
Students research what kind of problems force a city or town to decide to remove trees. Students research what controversy has occurred in other cities or towns. Students interview those responsible for such decisions in your city or...