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GRADE LEVEL: Middle School / High School |
Subject Areas
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THE
ACTIVITIES
BUILD
IT SMART, BUILD IT RIGHT
Description: Students will learn about land use planning, built environments, and how to integrate them with natural resources conservation.
GO DIRECTLY TO:
- Goals and Objectives
- Procedure and Teaching Suggestions
- Student Activity
- Extension
- Additional Internet Resources
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As a result of this community design activity, students will understand the concepts of land use planning and cooperative living habitats. They will also understand the process of creating a built environment, the characteristics of built environments and the needs of human development and natural resource preservation and conservation. Students will have the opportunity to:
- Read and write about built environments which create cooperative living habitats
- View audiovisual presentations that focus on built environments which create cooperative living habitats
- Meet with community resource people to discuss characteristics of built environments which create cooperative living habitats
- Meet with community resource people to discuss land use planning strategies
- Tour the local community and/or communities in the region to study characteristics of built environments and land use planning methods
- Create visual displays and tabletop dioramas (models) of built environments
- Present projects to the class
PROCEDURE AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
Students will be introduced to land use design and planning concepts that create and maintain balance and sustainability between natural systems and cycles and human development/built environments. Encourage students to think about the types of environments in which human development and natural resources can mutually coexist and thrive. These theoretical designs must be proven. Students will research and design their Build It Smart community and present it to the class.
- Accessing the Internet to collect and read relevant news articles from CNN, FOX News, ABC News (etc.).
- Accessing videos on sustainable development, urban development and smart growth, including the Paving The American Dream: Southern Cities, Shores & Sprawl documentary. Discuss with students examples of built environments (cities, manufacturing facilities, highway systems, etc.) and their impact upon the surrounding natural environments
- Meeting with community resource people at selected sites to observe and learn about development/built environments and the impact on natural resources in the local community/area
Presenting
their knowledge of built environments by creating visual displays (bulletin
boards, tabletop dioramas, slide/tape presentations, PowerPoint presentations)
and presenting oral reports -- the basis for whole-class discussion
and debate
STUDENT ACTIVITY
Research
the ways that your local community has developed its residential, commercial,
mixed-use and public land. Identify land areas that are under conservation
or preservation. Access city and county land use planning documents, survey
maps and aerial photographs of your community. List the procedures for
developing each of the three types of land.
Does your community practice good land use policy according to what you have researched and your understanding of issues presented in Paving The American Dream? How does your community integrate built environments with natural resources?
Choose either a residential, commercial, mixed-use or public development project (park, bike path, golf course, etc.) to design, using the best criteria for smart growth with natural resources sustainability.
Meet with experts in smart growth, land use and development and natural resources conservation and preservation. Obtain ideas and expertise on the A-Z needs and criteria of your chosen design project.
 The dark side of suburbia is sprawl, long commutes, auto emissions, the gobbling up of open space and social isolation. Polls continually show that the majority of Americans believe sprawl and its derivatives have a negative effect on their lives and the environment. —UNCW
Chancellor James Leutze |
Prepare your design project for presentation, including describing why you placed buildings, walkways, etc. where you did, how natural resources are conserved within your built environment and how people living in and with natural resources need to adjust lifestyles/workstyles.
Review projects as a class discussion.
EXTENSION
Write reflective essays, poetry, or short stories, that reflect student's understanding, perception, and value system as related to built environments and smart growth. Present a series of meetings with elected and appointed community leaders to discuss the positive and negative impact of built environments upon natural resources in various regions of your community, state or the U.S.
Create and present a smart growth community awareness campaign to local/regional residents (letters to the editor of local/area newspapers, posters, a rally, a community 'cleanup' day, involving public school students/church groups/social clubs & organizations. Produce a student-made film on smart growth.
Adopt a community site involving students in an effort to create and maintain a integrated built and natural environment model for all to see and learn from, re: the maintenance of a smart growth environment that benefits people and natural resources.
ADDITIONAL INTERNET RESOURCES
MAJOR FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT PROVIDED BY
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© 2002 UNCW
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