Urban Planning, City Design: Unit Overview

Use your collection and the children’s creative enthusiasm to go to town, quite literally, with this unit. Start with some literary analysis that compares how cities are portrayed in picture books. Extend that with a little note-taking, an information literacy skill, and by creating city skylines. Explore urban renewal through the brilliant work of Jeannie Baker, map the library, take a virtual trip to NYC’s High Line Park, and even consider the possibility of an underwater city using current events sources. There is wealth of material to draw on and to keep the kids engaged in this non-stop, city planning unit.