Teacher Page

Through the Imaginary City project, students will consider cities and their designs. They will find commonalities as well as unique elements. They will consider the overall plans for cities, whether purposeful or incidental, and evaluate the situations leading to a particular type of design. Students will share their knowledge as they brainstorm a list of components to include in their city design. They will then begin the task of designing their own unique city. Groups will reflect on their progress and their design and will present their model to the class.

The Project:

• Students will begin with a pre-assessment of city planning knowledge by creating a watercolor-resist painting of a city, awakening them to the concept of “city” .
• Students will then group heterogeneously and choose from the following roles: architect, community organizer, historian, cartographer, and project planner, through which they will engage in the completion of a Design Task.
• Home groups will then separate out into zigzag groups by role to learn about cities through a Webquest, throughout which they will keep a log book of notes and sketches.
• Students will regroup in home groups and share information.
• Together they will design a city and draft a blueprint.
• Students will use 3D modeling apps to design buildings for the model of the city.
• The buildings for the model city will be 3d printed and fashioned with paper as needed. Frequent check-ins will be required.

Essential Question:

What's in a city? Can we work with others to design a city?

Objectives

Students will be able to:

Evaluate existing city plans to use in design

Design a city to include various components

Create a city plan

Create a representational 2 D model

Create a representational 3D model

The design project is divided into 3 phrases as follows:

1) Explore (students will):

i) Create watercolor resist city

ii) View videos about cities and city planning

iii) Compare notes with their group

ii) Brainstorm list of city components

2) Create

i) Maintain log of steps and check-ins

ii) Design a city to include predetermined components

iii) Map locations on a grid

iv) Render the design using 3D modeling apps

v) Print a test model

vi) Revise as necessary

vii) Print final model

viii) Construct model city

3) Share

i) Reflect on process

ii) Reflect on group work

iii) Develop presentation (travel video)

iv) Present to class and upload to sharing site

Standards

Many standards will be addressed through this project, including the Arts, Technology, Engineering standards, Math and Social Studies standards, as well as 21st Century Skills and ISTE standards. The Arts standards are:

The PreK-12 Learning Standards for the Visual Arts:

3.Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression. Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstraction, invention, and expression in a variety of media, materials, and techniques.

4.Drafting, Revising, and Exhibiting. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the processes of creating and exhibiting their own artwork: drafts, critique, self-assessment, refinement, and exhibit preparation.

Connections Strand:

Purposes of the Arts. Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings.

Interdisciplinary Connections: Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering.

Credits

It benefits everyone when we share our work. All links within the WebQuest are linked from their home site so it is clear that they are not my property. I want to thank the Smithsonian Channel Aerial America show for the aerial photographs of cities. Here is the link to their resourceful site: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/aerial-america/tennessee/701/136455

I'd like to thank National Geographic Xpeditions for content on city planning. Here is a link to their website: http://education.nationalgeographic.org/archive/xpeditions/lessons/12/g68/newtown.html

Here is a wonderful resource for engaging students in the topic of city planning: https://www.planning.org/kidsandcommunity/

Here is an entire curriculum for city planning at the third grade level: https://planning-org-uploaded-media.s3.amazonaws.com/legacy_resources/kidsandcommunity/metropolis/pdf/metropolisfull.pdf