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GRADE LEVEL: Middle School |
Subject Areas
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THE
ACTIVITIES
GROWING BY CITIES AND
TOWNS
Description: Through research, analysis and discussion, students will come to understand the industrial, societal and economic factors that impacted urban growth. They will gain a basic knowledge of how value is placed on different geographic areas.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- Goals and Objectives
- Procedure and Teaching Suggestions
- Student Activity
- Extension
- Additional Internet Resources
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Students will understand the following information in U.S. History: the impact of the Industrial Revolution during the early and late 19th century and how it changes American lives; how the rise of big business, heavy industry and mechanized farming transformed American society; the issues associated with urban growth in the late 19th century.
Students will understand the following in Geography: the physical and human characteristics of place; how technology shapes the human and physical characteristics of places (e.g., satellite dishes, computers and road construction); that culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions; the ways in which culture influences the perceptions of places and regions (e.g., religion and other belief systems; language and tradition; perceptions of "beautiful" or "valuable").
PROCEDURE AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
The ebb and flow of people into and out of urban centers can reveal some interesting cultural and economic trends. Discuss with students the population levels over the last 50 years in a U.S. city. Have students research other cities to compare and contrast. Cities to assign include the following, some of which have shown more marked change than the others. In any case, though, you may also add other American cities to the list.
- New York
- Washington, DC
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Raleigh-Durham
STUDENT ACTIVITY
As
the first step, ask students to research the frequency with which the
U.S. population is counted, and based on what they learn, have them propose
the design of a graph with multiple lines that will report on the population
of the listed cities from 1950 until 2000. Students in all the groups
must agree on a layout and units because all groups will plot their findings
on one graph. They may suggest placing the decade years on the horizontal
axis and the population figures in hundred thousands or tens of millions
on the vertical axis. (If the 2000 census figures are not available when
you undertake this project, students can either cut the line off at 1990
or, if there exist population projections made during the 1990s, they
can use them for the year 2000.)
Suggest to students sources they can use for research — printed and online (the U.S. Census site, etc.)
Once all the groups have placed on the graph the five or six coordinates for their city and have drawn the line connecting the dots (or, if using software, the line has been drawn for them), open a discussion on what the graphs indicate.
 The group that's most impacted by air quality are African Americans. For example, African American children in this region are three to four times more likely to suffer from asthma that are white children, even when you control for income. It's not a poverty thing. Asthma is the number one reason why most children in Atlanta are sent to the hospital in the emergency room—not gunshot wounds, not drive-by shootings, but asthma. —Dr.
Robert Bullard |
Move on to a discussion of possible reasons for trends in each city and across cities. Discussion questions may include:
- Why do cities emerge? Why do vibrant cities attract people?
- Why are the healthiest cities constantly changing?
- How did the Industrial Revolution affect cities in both Europe and the United States?
- What do city planners consider as they attempt to account for the needs of the people who will live in a city? Discuss some of the possible results if city planners ignore these needs.
- To what extent do you agree or disagree with the claim that big cities spawn the popular culture of a nation. Why or why not?
- Cityscapes have changed dramatically over the years to accommodate industrial growth, transportation needs and popular style. What is the future of the "big city?" Do you think modern technology and telecommunications advances will change the way city dwellers live, work and interact?
Evaluation
Consider having each group check another group's findings and its plotting
of the line representing a given city's changes in population. The goal
of reviewing each other's work should be cooperation and assistance, nor
competition.
EXTENSION
How Did Your City
Evolve?
There are two kinds of cities: "natural" or "organic"
cities and planned cities. Have students research when and how their city,
or the nearest one, emerged and grew. After determining whether this city
was natural/organic or planned, ask each student to create a promotional
brochure inviting businesses to relocate there. The brochures should stress
the benefits of the city's origins (e.g., "Our city developed naturally
along the banks of the ..." or "Our city was the result of careful
and thorough planning, which will ...")
Help The Economy
Grow
Modern cities often see urban wealth flow away from them and into suburbs.
How can cities revitalize their economies? Help students generate a list
of challenges faced by U.S. cities in general or their own city in particular.
Then have groups of four to six students form planning commissions for
some of the cities discussed. Ask each commission to propose solutions
to selected problems facing the city in question and to present their
solutions to the rest of the class. Then call for a vote on the suggestions
the groups offered.
ADDITIONAL INTERNET RESOURCES
Web Links
Cities:
USA Citylink
Facts and figures for major cities are available at this site.
Bridging
the Urban Landscape
Extensive exploration of the city of Pittsburgh.
Census
Bureau Map Stats
Statistics of United States cities that support research of city life
and needs.
National
Safety Council
Information on transportation and other safety issues in an urban area.
International
Space Station
A comprehensive site on the International Space Station that provides
an overview and links for all aspects of this futuristic community.
Credit:
Summer Productions, Inc.
DiscoverySchool.com
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