Lesson Overview:

This lesson uses the book Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It) Going to Move to launch an exploration of the unique aspects of cities. Students research the architecture, landmarks, climate, history and culture of their hometown, and then research similar information about another city. As a culminating project, they create a welcome kit for a student who is moving to their town.

Length of Lesson:

Four 45-minute class periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• create a compelling visual representation of their hometown.
• identify the unique features of their hometown, including the architecture, natural features, and culture.
• use a map scale and locate a city one thousand miles away from where they live.
• write a report about their city.

Supplies:

• Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It) Going to Move by Judith Viorst
• Your Best Friend, Kate; Kate on the Coast; and Kate Heads West by Pat Brisson
• Atlases or desktop maps of the United States for each student (Please make sure that the maps are political maps and include the names of many cities.)
• Blank paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Posterboard
• Examples of travel brochures
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Rulers
• Pencils
• Journals (one per student)

Instructional Plan:

Read aloud the book, Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. In the story, Alexander is devastated at the prospect of moving 1,000 miles away from the hometown he loves. Have students assume the role of Alexander, imagining that they must move 1,000 miles away from home. (Note: Some book editions refer to the distance in kilometers rather than miles. If so, simply use kilometers for the measurement activities. All other instructions remain the same.)

Use Alexander's dilemma to prompt a discussion of what makes the students' hometown unique. (Note: You may wish to post or distribute an actual map of the city to aid the discussion.) Ask students: What do you like about your hometown or local city? What attractions, cultural events, fairs, museums, parks, statues/artworks, special buildings, natural features, famous landmarks, such as an easily identifiable building or natural feature, are special to them? Record and discuss student responses. For each response, have students share any facts they can recall about each place. (Is the special building the tallest/oldest in the city? When did the local fair/celebration start and why? What recreation opportunities are available in the local parks?)

Have the students research their hometown further, either individually or in small groups. Distribute the Vocabulary handout. Topics for research might include: architecture, natural environment, climate, and cultural traditions. Students should find fun or interesting features that make the city unique. Have students keep a record of their findings, which will be used for the final project.

Give each student an atlas or desktop map of the United States, along with a ruler. Make sure a political map is used. These maps give state boundaries and note important cities. If desired, printable maps can be found in the National Geographic Xpeditions: Atlas Section. Have students orient themselves to the cardinal directions - north, south, east, and west - using the compass rose on the map. Students should then identify the intermediate directions - northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest.

Next, look for the map scale. Use the ruler to measure the indicated scale. For example, a map scale of one-inch might equal 200 miles. Let the students measure a few distances between different cities on the map. Have them find cities that are one-inch or 200 miles apart. This will then give them time to practice and adjust to measuring and accurately noting distance.

Have students mark the point on the ruler where the inches (or centimeters) would equal 1,000 miles. For example, for the one-inch equals 200 miles scale, a mark would be made at five inches. Have students locate their hometown and place one end of the ruler directly beside it. Have the students put the edge of the ruler on their local city and measure to the next major city. Approximately, how far away is it? Is it 1,000 miles? Tell students that their assignment is to find a city 1,000 miles from their hometown. The city can be in any direction. Have them rotate the ruler in various directions until they find a city that is close to the mark made indicating a thousand miles. Have them try to find cities in various directions - northeast, northwest, southwest, etc. Go around the room to make sure that each student can find several cities 1,000 miles from their hometown. List the finds on the board.

Have each student select a city to investigate. Tell them that they should attempt to find out the same information about the new city as they did for their hometown (architecture, natural environment, climate, cultural traditions, etc.). Have the students keep a record of their findings. For cities in the United States, visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Chamber Member Directory Search Page. The searchable map will take you to a Chamber of Commerce site for any state. From there, simply follow the tourism or relocation links to find more information. Have students share their findings with the class.

Engage the students in a brief discussion comparing their hometown to the cities that they studied. What is different about the other cities? How is their hometown unique in comparison to all the other cities? What would it be like to live in one of those cities?

Distribute a collection of tourism brochures or packages, preferably from towns other than your own. (Note: Often, you may obtain these brochures free of charge by writing to or calling a city's tourist bureau.) Have the students examine the design of the brochures. What images catch the eye? Are all of the images the same size? Where are they placed on the page? What colors are used? What is the tone of the writing? How does it make the city appealing? What are some of the featured points about the city? What would a brochure about their hometown look like?

As a culminating activity, give the students the following assignment: You have just learned that a new family is moving into the house next door to you. They are from the city that you studied during this unit. They have a child your age, who is reluctant to move 1,000 miles from home. Your job is to prepare a welcome kit that will prepare the child for life in your town. The kit should include a brochure that you create about your hometown, as well as a welcome letter to the new child. Your materials should convince your new neighbor that your hometown is a great place to live. It should also notify the child about the differences between his/her hometown and yours (ex: If moving from Orlando to Minneapolis, the child should buy a heavy coat and a sled).

Have students paste their final drafts into the Moving To A New Home interactive print press. When all the text has been added, print a copy of the newspaper and allow time for students to add images or draw illustrations.

Assessment:

Use the Assessment Sheet to evaluate students’ work.

Extensions:

Have the students expand upon their investigation of the city 1,000 miles away by having them create a scrapbook of that city. The scrapbook could include images or drawings from the city, a menu from a local restaurant, a timeline of the city's history, and/or a series of postcards that the students could write from their "virtual visit" to the city.

Prior to embarking on this assignment, conduct a book talk about one of the "Kate" books by Pat Brisson, such as Kate Heads West or Kate on the Coast. Each book is formatted as a post card or letter with pictures from the title character Kate, sent to inform and persuade her friend about the terrific place she is visiting. Encourage students to use this format for capturing their new city. For example, if Miami is selected, students might highlight architectural features such as high-rise buildings, natural features such as palm trees, big beaches, and the ocean, and a cultural aspect like Carnival Miami, the annual festival celebrating the city's Hispanic community.

Sources:

Print:

• Blank Kelner, Lenore. A Guide for Using Creative Drama in the Classroom. Silver Spring, MD: InterAct, Inc., 1990.
• Brisson, Pat. Kate Heads West. New York: Bradbury Press, 1990.
• Brisson, Pat. Kate on the Coast. New York: Bradbury Press, 1992.
• Brisson, Pat. Your Best Friend, Kate. New York: Aladdin Books, 1989, 1992.
• Currie, Andrew, editor. Collins Concise Atlas of the World. London: William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., 1984.
• Dickinson, Mary B., editor. National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our World. Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society, 1990.
• Gordon, Patricia and Snow, Reed C. Kids Learn America. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing Company, 1992.
• Spolin, Viola. Theater Games for the Classroom. Evenston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1986.
• Swartz, Larry. Drama Themes. Markham, ON, CA: Pembroke Publishers, 1995.
• Viorst, Judith. Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Here Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. New York: Scholastic, 1995.

Authors:

• Mary Beth Bauernschub, Teacher
  Kingsford Elementary School
  Mitchellville, MD