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GRADE LEVEL: Middle School |
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THE
ACTIVITIES
PAYING
THE CONSEQUENCES
Description: Students will engage in independent interactive Web activities to understand and respond to sprawl and related issues.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- Goals and Objectives
- Procedure and Teaching Suggestions
- Student Activity
- Extension
- Additional Internet Resources
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The Web activities will direct student's inquiry into sprawl through specific topic headings. By guiding them to specific issues, the activity will help raise awareness by itemizing and discussing specific contributors to sprawl. In an effort to enhance comprehension and retention of the information read, the activity requires students to identify specific issues regarding sprawl, and to reflect on the information. This activity may inspire new awareness in students who may have not previously connected sprawl with so many daily factors of our society. Oral discussion also serves to reinforce and clarify the role of sprawl in the local context of each student's lifestyle.
PROCEDURE AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
Pair students together, or students may work individually.
Direct students to view the above Web sites then respond in writing to the guided questions below.
Encourage student participation in oral discussion of the information they find on the Web sites.
Engage students in a discussion of how they combined Web information with their own interpretation, using the guided questions.
STUDENT
ACTIVITY
Direct Internet search engine to the above sites and read the information. If time permits, review some of the related links from the pages.
Work individually or with a partner to answer the following three questions. Give the last question a day or two to answer as you process the factual Web information.
- What is sprawl?
- What are the consequences of sprawl?
- How does sprawl impact cities?
What is your personal reaction to the information you read? Is your city or town paying the consequences for lack of smart growth? In what way?
EXTENSION
 What I think we should all be doing together is planning the future so the we don’t shock each other with something happening where somebody says how could that happen? So if I was giving one piece of advice. It's plan, plan, plan — because whether it's a business plan or whether it's a city plan, everything works better with a plan. —Hugh
L. McColl |
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/factsheet.asp
Take a more in-depth look at specific consequences and respond to the following questions.
- How does sprawl increase traffic?
- Give examples of how sprawl pollutes our air and water?
- If an urban or suburban city or town experiences flood damage, how will sprawl worsen the situation?
- Make a list of how parks, farms and open spaces are impacted by sprawl conditions.
- Calculate estimates of tax money that are needed to offset sprawl problems in your community or a nearby town or city (contact county tax offices for information). Are sprawl conditions affecting your school?
- Write an editorial on your solutions to sprawl in your community or a nearby town or city.
ADDITIONAL INTERNET RESOURCES
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/articles/
A number of articles on sprawl are available to read through, as well
as additional links.
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