Transcript Our Community Unit

Our Community Unit
“Defining who we are, how we fit into
the world around us, and how we can
become active community members.”
Overarching Goals:
• Microcosm – Macrocosm
• Authentic Education
• National Geography Standards
Microcosm - Macrocosm
Students develop from concrete to abstract learners. It is easier for
students to comprehend an abstract concept, such as a foreign culture
or geographic feature, if they can scaffold or compare the newly
introduced topic to something they have experienced firsthand. In other
words, by comparing the tangible to the abstract, students are better
able to comprehend geography.
Authentic/Real World Education
“Working on authentic tasks is a useful, engaging activity in itself; it becomes
an ‘episode of learning’ for the student (Wolf, 1989). From the teacher's
perspective, teaching to such tasks guarantees that we are concentrating on
worthwhile skills and strategies (Wiggins, 1989). Students are learning and
practicing how to apply important knowledge and skills for authentic purposes.”
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/auth.html
Real
World
Data
Presenting to
the Town
Council &
Planning
Commission
Real/
Meaningful
Learning
National Geography Standards:
•
•
•
•
•
The World in Spatial Terms - 1 & 3
Places and Regions – 4,5, & 6
Human Systems – 9,10,11,12, & 13
Environment & Society – 14
The Uses of Geography - 18
The Evolving Project
One lesson leads to another, then
another…
Past Projects
• Belding Mill Renovation – Thompson, CT
• Walking Historical Field Trips – Thompson,
CT Mills
• Population Explosion/Sprawl – Middle
School Students Presented to the Coventry
Town Council
Population Growth & Sprawl
Project
An article in the Projo prompted the following project that
really formed the foundation of what I am currently
implementing. The students used Coventry’s
Comprehensive Plan to analyze the effects of the
population explosion. (Coventry was the fastest growing
town at the time.)
Article: “Sprawl brawl - Suburban R.I.
is ground zero in the battle over
managing growth” 11/28/01
Newspaper Coverage Article
Population Projection Project
*This is the PowerPoint presented to the Town Council in 2001
Ali Sherer, Corey Brassard,
Kristen Oscarson, Marc
Volpicelli, Bashar Shehada, Alan
Hall
7/22/2015
Ideas for Today and
Tomorrow
We need to control the
population growth for a better
tomorrow.
1
7/22/2015
Our Future
•
•
Population
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
1990
•
Population
2020
2050
•
The projected population in the
year 2050 is 75,050.
There will be 1,158 people per
square mile. This is
approximately three times the
current population.
This will lead to a tax increase,
pollution problems, urbanization
and much more. If we don’t do
something soon we will look like
New York City!
If our population reaches its
expected amount we will become
an urban area.
2
7/22/2015
Crime Rate
•
•
•
•
No one even feels safe walking
down the street at night
knowing that the crime rate has
gone up.
On the Coventry/West Warwick
line there will be graffiti and
gangs roaming the streets.
We will have more robberies,
gangs, drug smuggling etc. No
one will be safe.
With all the crime and violence,
the town will need to hire more
police officers, which will raise
taxes.
3
7/22/2015
Watching Out For One Another
•
•
•
•
The amount of people that do drugs in
Coventry is very low and the kids that
grow up and leave this town are usually
well-rounded individuals.
The teachers in Coventry really get to
know the students well and no matter
what each student needs the teacher is
always there for them.
With a larger populations everyone won’t
know everyone and the education system
will definitely not be as good as it is now.
When your kid starts, “hanging out with
the wrong crowd,” who will be there to
tell you? There will be many more
students in classes and teachers won’t
have the time to get to know each and
every one.
4
7/22/2015
Environment
•
•
•
There will need to be many more
homes and other things like
grocery stores, dumps, fast
food restaurants and WalMart's taking up land space.
To make room for these things
trees will have to be cut down.
When you cut down trees, it
ruins the habitat for many
species of animals.
Coventry has parks, trees and
animals. We almost have the
perfect little community.
5
7/22/2015
Traffic Congestion
•
•
•
•
•
With the expected population Coventry will
have to add new roads and widen the current
ones.
Coventry will have to buy the needed land to
add and widen the roads and then actually
build them. This will costs hundreds of
thousands of taxpayers dollars.
If the population triples so will the number
of cars. Route 3 is currently four lanes wide.
With the expected population it will have to
be twelve lanes wide. That will take up a lot
of space.
Coventry will have three times the amount of
current car accidents, making the roads more
dangerous and many lives will be lost.
The pollution caused by the cars will also
triple in Coventry and this will create smog
like in Mexico City.
6
7/22/2015
Taxes
• I am assuming all of you are
aware that if taxes get
raised it is very unlikely you
will be elected again. No one
wants high taxes and the
town pays social workers,
teachers, firefighters, and
police officers to do their
jobs.
• If the population rises they
will need more people to do
these jobs costing the
taxpayers more money.
7
7/22/2015
Stopping the Growth
•
You can limit how many
building permits you send out
each year or make it so you
have to own at least 2 acres
to build a house. We need to
keep the population of
Coventry small so we don’t
end up looking like what we
most fear.
• Set more laws to limit the
growth.
7
7/22/2015
Thank You
•
Thank you for listening to
our presentation and what we
had to say about the
population growth problem in
Coventry.
• We hope you take our
suggestions to the problem
seriously and into
consideration.
7
7/22/2015
Measures Taken By Coventry After
The Student Presentations
•
•
•
•
Limit placed on building permits
Impact fees for new building legislated
Build-Out Analysis
More discussion by Town Council and in
the News.
• ***Student’s see authenticity of project***
Current Project (Evolved):
Our Community
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is a Community?
Why is Community Important?
Analyzing Community & Culture
Defining Our Community
Our Community & The Global Community
Improving Our Community
What is a Community?
GEMEINSCHAFT V. GESELLSCHAFT
A major contribution to the discussion of community was made in the 1920's by Ferdinand Tonnies, who
used the German words Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society) with special meanings
which have entered the language of social science.
Gemeinschaft, normally translated as 'community', refers to the closeness of holistic social
relationships said to be found in pre-industrial communities, and imputed to the community as
moral worth. For Tonnies, Gemeinschaft exists by the subjective will of the members: "the very
existence of Gemeinschaft rests in the consciousness of belonging together and the affirmation of
the condition of mutual dependence" (Tonnies 1925: 69).
Gesellschaft refers to the more instrumental, purposeful types of relationship typical of industrial
society. This objective society or association (Gesellschaft), where "reference is only to the
objective fact of a unity based on common traits and activities and other external phenomena"
(Tonnies 1925: 67) stands in contrast to community defined by shared feeling. Tonnies considers
entities based on objective common interest such as "ethnic community, community of speech,
community of work" (Tonnies 1925: 67) to be Gesellschaft (society), not Gemeinschaft (community),
because they lack the element of shared feeling which is essential to Gemeinschaft. Gemeinschaft
type relationships may be found in modern industrial society, but they do not typify the dominant
type of relationship of that society.
Why Care About Your Community?
• Movie: Pay It Forward
• Article: Standards of the Heart
(http://www.cdl.org/resources/reading_room/columbine.html)
• Article: A Cry in the Night: The Kitty
Genovese Story
(http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/kitty_genovese/3.html?
sect=2)
Analyzing Community/Culture
Case Study:
The
Nacirema
(http://www.knottyoakms.net/Eclipse/
Our%20Community%20Project/Nacire
ma%20Article.htm)
Defining Our Community: Sticky
Notes Brainstorm Activity
• Students define “Community” from Dictionaries
• In groups, the students brainstorm all that comes to mind in what
“Community” means to them and write their thoughts on sticky note
pads.
• The groups then divide each defining sticky note into the following
categories: Very Sure, Somewhat Sure, A little Sure, & Wild Guess.
• Each group puts their sticky notes into the four sections designated
on the board.
• Whole class consolidates lists and sub-categorizes them.
• Class creates Web definition of “Community”
Our Community Web:
Defining Our Community Assignment
Defining Community Survey
Mr. Mitchell – Social Studies
Directions/Overview: Your group has been assigned a sub-category within the class’s definition of community. Now it is time
to actually collect real data through surveying in order to define the community that you live in.
Step 1: Break it Down! Brainstorm a list of questions that breaks the sub-category you were assigned into smaller parts.
Step 2: Delegate! Assign at least TWO questions to each member of your group.
Step 3: Create a data table following the example provided in class. This is used to collect and keep track of all of the
responses in your survey. This needs to be neat and organized! You must ask everyone the exact same question!
Step 4: Survey! Find at least 25 participants to answer your questions completely.
Step 5: Calculate! Calculate your responses into percentages using the format provided.
Step 6: Graph It! Graph your responses using the “Create a Graph” Internet site (http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/).
Select the pie graph format.
Step 7: What Does It All Mean! Write a conclusion that summarizes your results and findings. Be sure to discuss how it relates
or helps define your community. Also talk about the limits of your findings.
Defining Our Community:
Interdisciplinary Connections:
• Math: Surveying, tabulating results, and
graphing it. (Helpful website:
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/Graphing/)
• ELA: Summarizing and Analytical Writing
Survey Results: Student Work
The students summarized and analyzed their results
in a paragraph below their printed graphs.
Our Community & The Global Community
Step 1: Research! Find the page within the book, The Global Village, that relates to
the results from your sub-category your group was assigned. Review and read over
the data presented in the book. Also, analyze the data/information provided that is
specific to your sub-category.
Step 2: Compare & Contrast! Fill out the following graphic organizer with your
group. Each member needs to try to make connections between the results from
their questions and the data within the book. Use bullets for each question you
included in your survey. Help each other out. The following questions should guide
your responses:
1.
How are the results similar to the global community results/data?
2.
How are the results different to the global community results/data?
3.
What factors might explain the similarities or differences in the results/data?
Step 3: Summarize! As a group, briefly summarize the overall results of the graphic
organizer. Focus how our local community fits into the global community. Include
specific references to your data/results.
Step 4: Report the Results! The group will report out to the class on their findings.
Be prepared to answer questions from the teacher and your classmates. Be sure to
pay attention to other connections being made in other categories. Extra points will
be awarded to these specific connections.
Step 5: What should you have asked? List any questions you think you should have
asked in retrospect. In other words, what questions would have produced results
that would have made this assignment much easier to do?
Comparing their Community to the
World Community
Students take the graphing/summary
results from their Defining Our
Community project and compare/contrast
them to global statistics.
Source: If the World were a Village… by
David J. Smith
If the whole world were a village of just 100
people, 6 would belong to the Buddhist faith, and
32 would be Christians. There would be 38 schoolaged villagers (ages 5 to 24), but only 31 of them
would attend school. And the poorest 20 people
would each have less than $1 a day.
Topics Included:
Nationalities
Languages
Ages
Religions
Food
Air and Water
Schooling and Literacy
Money and Possessions
Electricity
Village in the past
Village in the future
Source:
Map & Graph: Food: McDonalds restaurants (Top 50 Countries)
View this stat: Per capita Per $ GDP Show map full screen
CountryDescription
Definition: Number of McDonalds restaurants.
Amount
1.United States12,804 McDonald's restaurants
2.Japan3,598 McDonald's restaurants
3.Canada1,154 McDonald's restaurants
4.United Kingdom1,115 McDonald's restaurants
5.Germany1,091 McDonald's restaurants
6.France857 McDonald's restaurants
7.Australia701 McDonald's restaurants
8.Taiwan338 McDonald's restaurants
9.China326 McDonald's restaurants
10.Italy290 McDonald's restaurants
Our Community & The Global Community Graphic Organizer
Our Local Community
Our Global Community
Factors That Caused This
Correlation…INFER
99% Speak
9% Speak
Diverse world.
English as their English as their Many other
first language
first language
civilizations the
used other
languages
developed…
Assessing the Students:
Improving Our Community
Researching the town’s
Comprehensive Plan to make our
Community better!
The Community We Live In: Planning for
Our Future
Improving Our Community:
Interdisciplinary Connections
• Math – Growth & Decay Exponential
Growth Formula – Interpreting Data Tables
and Graphs
• ELA – Summarizing Text, Translating
Expository Text to “Kid Friendly”
Language.
• Science – Environmental Science:
Pollution, Soil Erosion, etc.
Improving Your Community Assignment
Overview: Each student will work with a small group of their peers in researching a part of the Coventry Community
Comprehensive Plan. Each group will review the goals listed for their category (i.e. Land Use) and then propose a plan for the
town on how to achieve those goals. Each group will create a presentation that demonstrates their proposals.
Step 1: Choose and Research! Review the Goals and Objectives for your category provided. Choose the ones that you plan
to focus on and rewrite them in “kid” friendly language. Also, review in detail, the materials, maps, etc. given to your group.
You need to understand their meaning before moving on to the next step! Also, add a goal or objective to the list that your
group feels is needed under the category you were assigned.
1.
2.
You will produce:
The goals and objectives summarized in your own words.
List of goals or objectives of your own.
Step 2: Summarize and Report to Class! Each group will report out to the class about what their goals and objectives are, in
addition to, describing the current state of Coventry within those goals and objectives. Be prepared to answer questions and
receive suggestions.
1.
2.
3.
You will produce:
Your goals and objectives on a transparency sheet.
A one page summary of the information you were provided.
Reference points on a map of Coventry provided. (Include this in your presentation to class.)
Step 3: Create a Plan! Propose a plan on how to realize these goals and objectives. Write up a summary (one-page)
explaining your plan. Also, include maps, tables, figures, etc. to show how your plan is to work.
1.
2.
You will produce:
A one-page report about your plan.
A presentation to the class with visual aids. (Use the overhead, computer, posterboard, etc.)
Step 4: Present Your Plan! Each group will present their proposal to the class. You must use visual aids and be able to defend
your plan from critical questions.
Improving Your Community - Group Research
Categories:
• Land Use (Zoning – Residential, Commercial, etc.)
• Circulation (Transportation, Roads)
• Economic Development (Employment, Industry, Tax
Revenue, etc.)
• Open Space & Recreation (Parks, Preserves,
Playgrounds, etc.)
• Natural & Cultural Resources (Lakes, Beach, Historical
Site, etc.)
• Community Services & Facilities (Schools, Police
Stations, Fire Stations, Senior Centers, etc.)
Materials from the Comprehensive Plan for each student group:
Land Use:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Land Use Maps
Agricultural Land Maps
Existing Land Use Maps
Recreation, Conservation, Open Space Maps
Zoning Districts Maps
Land Use and Zoning (description)
Circulation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Existing Transportation System Maps
Rhode Island Map
Street and Highway Characteristics Tables
Traffic Accident Table
Zoning Districts Maps
Economic Development:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Existing Land Use Maps
Population Growth/Density Tables
Employment Characteristics Tables
Median Family Income Growth Tables
Tax-base Sources Tables
Land Use and Zoning (descriptions)
Zoning Districts Maps
Coventry Municipal Revenue Tables
Natural & Cultural Resources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Natural & Cultural Resources Maps
Existing Land Use Maps
Land Use and Zoning (descriptions)
Zoning Districts Maps
Open Space & Recreation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Existing Land Use Maps
Recreation, Conservation, and Open Space Maps
Open Space and Recreation Needs Assessment
Land Use and Zoning (description)
Zoning Districts Maps
Community Services & Facilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Community Services & Facilities Maps
School Enrollment and Capacity Tables
Land Use and Zoning (description)
Zoning Districts Maps
Translation of Vision, Goals, & Objectives to
“Kid Language”
Students work in assigned groups.
Groups review the provided materials.
The students divide the Vision, Goals, and
Objectives equitably.
Students use dictionaries and consulting with
teacher to translate their Vision, Goals, and
Objectives into language that the class would be
comfortable with.
All translations are approved by the teacher.
***Add their OWN Goals & Objectives***
Improving Your Community (1st
Presentation): Defining the Current State
of Categories
• Read translated Vision, Goals, &
Objectives
• Groups referred to their summaries of their
materials displayed on the overhead
machine
• Whole class discussion and questioning of
each group’s materials and current state.
Why We Need to Think About the
Future and Plan for it!
John Flaherty’s Smart Growth Presentation
– Avoiding Sprawl
Wood Estates residents take on condos
Bill Brackett presents on the Wood Estates
Zoning Dispute
Former Student Ali Sherer presents on the
factors of exponential population growth
Math Connection: Exponential
Population Growth
Math Activity: Predicting Population
Growth in your Town
Helpful Website:
http://online.redwoods.edu/instruct/darnold/INTALG/gr
owthdecay/growthdecay.pdf
Connecting Math to Social Studies:
• Students used their population growth
calculations to predict what their
community would look like in the future.
• Former student, Ali Sherer, presented her
PowerPoint to the students and answered
questions.
• Whole class filled out the following graphic
organizer with their research materials and
calculations in front of them…
Connecting Math & Social Studies: Predicting
Consequences of Population Growth
The Student’s Version of the
Comprehensive Plan
Students add their own goals and objectives
They review the maps, tables, data, etc. they are
provided with and come up with their own plans.
Each group must back up their plans or changes
with real data. It must also be feasible with the
teacher’s endorsement. (Ex: Having the town build
a Six Flag’s Amusement Park with town tax
revenues would be rather difficult to pass.)
Student groups create a plan to attain these goals
and objectives. (Ex: Where is a new school, park,
etc. going to be located?)
Final Presentation to the Town
Council & Planning Commission
• Students present their
PowerPoints and
Posterboards.
• The presentations are
grouped by category.
• Question and Answer
session immediately
following.
Cooperative
Community
Circulation
By:
Keleigh Thompson, Tom Daras, Brittany
Wallace, and Max Morin.
Population in the Next 30 Years
and What It Could Do to Our
Community.
•
45000
40000
35000
In the next twenty-five years, the
population will have grown much
larger. If that happens we will
need more road space or even
more roads.
30000
25000
then
now
20000
15000
10000
Also, if there are more people in our
community the roads are not going to be wide
enough and we are going to need larger
roads.
Can you imagine Tiogue Ave with...
5000
0
2010
2020
2030
About 5 lanes per each road!!!
$
What Can Happen If…
We add more lanes to Tiogue road ,we are going to…
Lose business space, which will…
Cause residents to leave Coventry…
$
$
And money
Cause residents to move their houses and
spend money that many people these days just don't have.
Cause people to lose money and causes the houses
they move to to become of a lesser quality.
!!!!!This is not looking good!!!!
Would you like to live in a place
that looks like this….
Or a place that looks like this.
What?
YOU DON’T WANT TO
LIVE IN A PLACE LOOKING
LIKE THIS?
WELL THAT’S WHAT Coventry
IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IF
WE KEEP HEADING IN THE
DIRECTION WE ARE GOING.
Notice how many
accidents are around
the intersection at
Sandy Bottom Rd.
and Route 3,
Now notice the ones
at Tiogue Ave. and
Reservoir.
Comparing the two:
which one has more
accidents? Why do
you think this is?
We believe the
accidents are caused
by H.S. kids. They
are new with driving
and are dangerous
directly and
indirectly.
AND ANOTHER ISSUE…
All the places with the black spots
show the places that 5 or more
accidents have occurred since 1988…
Some ways we can fix this are…
• Add roads at certain spots for the high
school kids to drive on.
• Warn Coventry High School students that
driving along Sandy Bottom Road is a risk
to them. Encourage them to use the
alternative routes that we have provided.
• Add more street lights and/or signs, such
as; yield, stop, slow.
One way the High School
students could travel to and from
the High School
is…
• If high school students
would also use the route
we are proposing
through Wood Estates
to Route 117, rather
than only using
Reservoir Ave. to Tiogue
to Sandy Bottom Rd.,
accidents would
decrease due to less
traffic.
An Alternative Route For The High
SCHOOLERS Could Be…
•
•
IF THE H.S. KIDS GO FOM ABOUT HERE TO ABOUT HERE AND THROUGH THESE
ROADS THEY CAN AVOID 8-9 MAJOR ACCIDENT SPOTS.
ALL WE NEED IS TO SOME HOW SPEAK TO THEM THROUGH SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS
ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRESENT ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
This Is What We Think
Should Happen…
WE COULD PRESENT
TO THE HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF THEIR
CURRENT ROUTES TO AND
FROM SCHOOL, ASKING
THEM TO PLEASE USE THE
ROUTES WE HAVE
PRESENTED ON THE MAP
WE HAVE PROVIDED.
•
•
WE ALSO THINK THAT
WE SHOULD ADD STREET
SIGNS, IN ORDER TO STOP
ACCIDENTS AND TO WARN
DRIVERS TO TAKE
PRECAUTIONS
WHILE DRIVING ALONG THOSE
ROADS. SOME SIGNS WE COULD
ADD THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL
WOULD BE ,STOP, SLOW
,CAUTION,
AND YEIL.D
Thank You Very Much For Listening To Our
Presentation, We Hope You Will Give It
Some Thought And We Hope You Enjoyed
It.
More Student Presentations on
Each Comprehensive Plan
Category:
Visit the Eclipse Team of Knotty Oak Middle School’s
Website:
http://www.knottyoakms.net/Eclipse/Presentations%2
0to%20Town%20Council%20&%20Planning%20Boar
d.htm
Assessing the Students:
The Community’s Reaction
Middle School students present vision for
town's future By: Jennifer Swanson 02/04/2005
After learning that the middle school students had been
working on this project for only a few weeks, Sanetti
said, "It's too bad what took you three weeks, took them
three years."
More Community’s Reaction
Knotty Oak students share vision of Cov.
By Justin Sayles 02/02/2005
John Flaherty, a representative for Grow Smart RI, had made a presentation to
the class earlier in the year suggesting that towns such as Coventry could
benefit from rehabilitating defunct mills, Mitchell said. Drawing on some of his
ideas, the students made their own plans for the old industrial buildings.
"They see what we see," Sanetti said. "I felt like the future of Coventry is in
good hands."
Even More Community’s Reaction
Smart Growth e-Briefs News and Tools for People
Shaping Our Communities February 2005
Under the direction of social studies teacher Ted Mitchell, students at the Knotty Oak
Middle School wrapped up a 6-week town planning project by presenting their findings
to members of the Coventry Town Council and Planning Board. Town Council Vice
President Richard Senetti said the group was not only impressed with the students'
creative vision, but also their intuition. He said the Town Council had been discussing at
least three of the issues raised by the students within the last 36 hours.
Using the town's Comprehensive Plan, the seventh graders mapped out solutions for
issues such as growth, traffic, economic development, vacant mill space, recreation
and future school needs. "They actually developed a lot of creative ideas that were
discussed as part of a presentation by Grow Smart staffer John Flaherty earlier in the
year", according to Mitchell.
Post Presentation Activities:
• Peer Evaluation – Students assess each other’s
contribution to the group.
• Group Reflection Prompt: What were some of
the positive and negative aspects of working
with your group? If you could change anything
about the project, what would it be? Explain in
detail.
• Project Reflection Prompt: Given your
presentations and Town Council member,
Richard Sannetti’s remarks, would you now want
to live in Coventry the rest of your life? Why or
Why not?
Assessing the Students: Peer
Evaluation
Assessing the Students: Journal
Prompt Rubric
Where do we go from here?
• Microcosm to Macrocosm – Ex: When covering
China’s population issue refer back to what was
learned during this project. (Always connect the
concept to a tangible concept or idea – scaffold.)
• Controversial Current Event Topics – Ex: WalMart closing one store to open another “Super”
store leads to connections to smart growth,
interdependence, trade deficits, etc.
Thank You
Any Questions?: Email me
[email protected]