My Dream City Map Adventure
Created byBarbara Rasse
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My Dream City Map Adventure

Grade 2Social Studies5 days
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4.0 (1 rating)
The "My Dream City Map Adventure" is a second-grade social studies project where students design their dream city, incorporating essential elements and geographical influences. Through interactive activities such as exploring city elements, investigating geography's impact on city layouts, and creating maps using various media, students enhance their understanding of city planning and map skills. The project culminates in a presentation where students showcase their city maps and explain their design choices, focusing on clear communication and logical reasoning.
City PlanningGeographyMap SkillsDesignSocial StudiesPresentationSecond Grade
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design a city that includes all essential elements for living, while considering geographical influences and effectively using maps to communicate its layout and functionality?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What elements are essential for a city and why?
  • How does the geography of a place influence city design?
  • In what ways can maps communicate information about a city's design and function?
  • How does a map help us understand and navigate our environment?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to identify essential elements of city planning and explain their importance.
  • Students will understand how geography influences city design and layout.
  • Students will create a city map using various media that effectively communicates the city's layout and functionality.
  • Students will enhance their skills in reading, interpreting, and creating maps using different methods.

Indiana Social Studies Standards

SS2.5.1
Primary
Use a map, globe, and mental mapping to identify familiar areas and simple patterns and create maps using various media.Reason: The project involves creating city maps, which aligns with teaching students how to use maps and create them, a direct application of this standard.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Mystery City Tour

Set up a virtual reality or augmented reality station where students can 'tour' through a mysterious cityscape filled with familiar and fantastical elements. After the tour, challenge students to design their dream city incorporating features they find most intriguing.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

City Elements Explorer

Students will explore the essential elements that make up a city. This activity helps students identify and understand the components necessary for a functioning city such as roads, residential areas, commercial zones, parks, and more.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Discuss as a class what features are present in cities they know, such as roads, houses, schools, parks, and shops.
2. Create a list of these elements on the board and talk about why each is important for a city's infrastructure.
3. Have students draw individual sketches of cities that highlight these features.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityIndividual sketches showing various city elements.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SS2.5.1 by helping students recognize familiar areas and simple patterns within cities.
Activity 2

Geography Influence Investigation

This activity involves students analyzing how geography affects city design. Students will use maps to examine different geographic factors like rivers, mountains, and plains, and discuss how these influence city layouts.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Choose a geographic feature (e.g., river, mountain, plain) as a class. Use maps to locate examples of cities with these geographic features.
2. Discuss how the chosen geographic feature might influence the design and structure of the city.
3. In groups, students brainstorm and illustrate how they would design a city considering the geographic feature chosen.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityGroup illustrations and explanations of cities designed around specific geographic features.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SS2.5.1 by allowing students to use maps to see how geography influences city layouts.
Activity 3

Map Maker Masterclass

Students will create their own city map using various media. This activity focuses on using artistic and digital tools to convey their city's layout and functionality.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce different types of maps and various tools/media that can be used to create them (e.g., paper, drawing software).
2. Plan the layout of the dream city on paper, incorporating elements from previous activities.
3. Create a detailed map using the medium of choice, ensuring all key elements are included and properly represented.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed map of a dream city using chosen media, illustrating its comprehensive design and layout.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with SS2.5.1 by enabling students to create maps using a variety of media and represent their understanding of city layouts and geographical influences.
Activity 4

Map Reading Adventure

This interactive activity aims to enhance students' skills in reading and interpreting maps through a fun scavenger hunt based on interpreting a provided city map.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Distribute a pre-made city map to students, highlighting different locations (schools, parks, hospitals).
2. Set up a scavenger hunt where students must use the map to find and mark specific locations within the classroom or school.
3. Discuss with students how reading the map helped them navigate and find locations.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activitySuccess in marking all scavenger hunt points on the map.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAddresses SS2.5.1 by improving students' ability to use maps to navigate and understand city layouts, focusing on practical map reading skills.
Activity 5

City Presentation Gala

Students will present the dream cities they designed and explain their choices, integrating all the skills and knowledge from the project-induced activities.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Prepare a presentation that includes their city map and explanations of its design choices influenced by geography and essential city elements.
2. Practice presenting to peers, focusing on clear communication of ideas and logical reasoning for city planning decisions.
3. Present their dream city to the class, showcasing maps and discussing the various components and influences on their design.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA presentation showcasing each student's dream city, including detailed explanations and visual aid.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsEncourages thorough understanding of SS2.5.1 by integrating map creation, geographic consideration, and presentation skills into a comprehensive finale.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Dream City Portfolio Assessment Rubric

Category 1

Understanding of City Elements

Evaluates students' ability to identify and explain essential city components and their importance.
Criterion 1

Identification of City Elements

Ability to identify essential elements of a city, such as roads, schools, parks, etc.

Exemplary
4 Points

Identifies all essential city elements accurately and explains their importance in great detail, showing deep understanding.

Proficient
3 Points

Identifies most essential city elements accurately and explains their importance with clarity.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some essential city elements but provides limited explanation of their importance.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to identify essential city elements and lacks understanding of their importance.

Criterion 2

Explanation of Importance

Ability to explain why each identified city element is important for city's functionality.

Exemplary
4 Points

Provides comprehensive explanations for the importance of each city element with insightful reasoning.

Proficient
3 Points

Explains the importance of most city elements with clear and logical reasoning.

Developing
2 Points

Offers basic explanations for the importance of city elements with limited reasoning.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides minimal or unclear explanations for the importance of city elements.

Category 2

Geography Influence on Design

Assesses students' understanding of how geographical features influence city design and layout.
Criterion 1

Geographic Feature Analysis

Ability to analyze the influence of specific geographic features on city design.

Exemplary
4 Points

Thoroughly analyzes how geographic features impact city layouts, with detailed examples.

Proficient
3 Points

Analyzes how geographic features impact city layouts with clear examples.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a basic analysis of geographic impacts on city layouts with few examples.

Beginning
1 Points

Finds it difficult to analyze geographic impacts on city layouts, providing little to no examples.

Category 3

Map Creation and Use

Evaluates the ability to create accurate and effective maps using different media and tools.
Criterion 1

Map Accuracy

Ability to create a detailed and accurate city map incorporating necessary elements.

Exemplary
4 Points

Creates a highly accurate and detailed map that includes all necessary elements and innovative design.

Proficient
3 Points

Creates an accurate map with most necessary elements included.

Developing
2 Points

Creates a map with some elements, but lacks detail and accuracy.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to create an accurate map and includes few necessary elements.

Criterion 2

Use of Tools and Media

Proficiency in using various tools and media to represent map layouts effectively.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates exceptional skill in using diverse tools and media to create a clear and effective map.

Proficient
3 Points

Uses various tools and media effectively to create a map.

Developing
2 Points

Uses tools and media inconsistently to create a map.

Beginning
1 Points

Has difficulty using tools and media effectively to create a map.

Category 4

Presentation and Communication Skills

Assesses clarity, organization, and effectiveness in oral and visual presentation of the city design.
Criterion 1

Clarity and Organization

Ability to present ideas clearly and in a well-organized manner.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents ideas in a highly organized, clear, and logical manner with insightful connections.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents ideas clearly and in a well-organized manner.

Developing
2 Points

Presents ideas with some organization but lacks clarity.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to present ideas clearly or organizationally.

Criterion 2

Engagement and Communication

Engages the audience and communicates ideas effectively during the presentation.

Exemplary
4 Points

Engages the audience exceptionally well and communicates ideas with great effectiveness.

Proficient
3 Points

Engages the audience and communicates ideas effectively.

Developing
2 Points

Shows some engagement and communicates ideas with basic effectiveness.

Beginning
1 Points

Demonstrates limited engagement and struggles to communicate ideas.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

What were some essential elements you included in your dream city, and why did you choose them?

Text
Required
Question 2

How did the geography of your chosen area influence the design of your city?

Text
Required
Question 3

On a scale of 1 to 5, how effectively do you think you used maps to communicate your city's design and function?

Scale
Required
Question 4

Which activity did you find most useful in helping you understand city planning and map creation?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
City Elements Explorer
Geography Influence Investigation
Map Maker Masterclass
Map Reading Adventure
City Presentation Gala
Question 5

How has your understanding of maps and city planning changed from the start of this project to its completion?

Text
Optional