LESSON PLAN FOR INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 6TH GRADE CITY OR COUNTRY LIFE?

Overview: Countries in East Asia have especially extreme population densities in their cities. Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Hong Kong reflect urban living conditions in Eastern Asia. Life in small villages in agricultural areas represents a dramatic contrast to city life in Eastern Asia. This lesson explores the advantages and challenges of life in urban and rural areas.

Time: 1 hour Materials Required:

Computer with Internet access "Love It or Leave It" worksheet: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/04/g35/citycountrystudent.p df

Objectives: Students will

Identify differences between urban and rural life; Define "urban" and "rural"; List advantages and challenges of life in urban and rural communities; and Record research information on an organizer.

Geographic Skills: Organizing Geographic Information Answering Geographic Questions Analyzing Geographic Information

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Procedure Opening: Write the terms urban and rural on the board. Ask students if they are familiar with the terms and to give examples of each. After that students provide examples of urban and rural, use those examples to generate a list of characteristics of each. Then, as a class, create a definition of each term. Tell students to consider their town or community. Have students list characteristics of their community and decide if their community would be considered urban or rural according to their understanding of the terms. Tell students to select either urban, rural, or "somewhere in between."

Development: Have students explore photographs from some of the online galleries listed in the Related Links section of this lesson. Tell students to compare and contrast urban and rural photographs. As they explore, have students answer the following questions:

Where do people in urban and rural communities get their food? Do you think urban or rural people have more choices in markets, entertainment, and housing? Why? Do you think urban or rural people have to work harder to get their food? Why? What are some advantages and disadvantages of having many or few neighbors? What types of recreation or forms of entertainment are available to urban and rural people? What types of jobs are available to urban and rural people? Where do you think they are likely to be paid more? Why? What types of services are available to urban and rural people? Do you think an urban or rural setting is more beautiful? Why? Do you think an urban or rural setting is healthier? Why?

Ask students to work in small groups to complete the worksheet which reflects on life in urban and rural areas. Tell students that they will list reasons why they would love living in both urban and rural areas (benefits), and reasons they would not want to live in either urban or rural areas. Students should include both facts gleaned from online resources (such as high-population density can lead to epidemics) and opinions. http://countrystudies.us/el-salvador/22.htm

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Closing: Reconvene the class and have each group share their responses to the "Love It or Leave It" organizer. Record their responses on the board or overhead so they can be viewed by the class when completing the assessment activity. Student Assessment: Have students write a short essay about the topic Urban or Rural Community: Where I Choose to Live. Students should support their choice with information in from the "Love It or Leave It" worksheet and the class discussion. Younger students who are not yet writing may choose to illustrate and label characteristics of their choice of urban or rural living.

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