On Earth there is a huge diversity of arthropods, many of which are highly adaptive and able to exploit virtually every terrestrial habitat. Because of their prevalence even in urban environments, they make an excellent model system for any life science class. Since plants also exploit virtually every terrestrial habitat, studying the relationship…

This first of a two-part series presents basic definitions and teaching ideas on landmarks, which were developed by a funded project at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. (SJL)

Describes techniques that help teach urban and suburban children the virtues of trees and forests. Includes a listing of book titles that may help teach children about trees. (MCO)

This article provides information on the evolution of the building material, concrete, and suggests hands-on activities that allow students to experience concrete's qualities, test the heat absorbency of various ground surface materials, discover how an area's geology changes, and search for city fossils. A reproducible activity sheet is included.…

This guide presents seven units of study for secondary level social studies classes learning about New York City. The curriculum is designed to encourage students' active participation in, rather than passive observation of, their urban environment. Therefore, the various activities presented require students to investigate their own community's…

Describes a unit for upper-elementary social studies classes on the socioeconomic, environmental, and personal consequences of choosing among various modes of urban travel. In 11 episodes, students learn about the dimensions of urban travel and record their preferences on a cumulative decision-making chart. (AM)

Describes field trips to urban locations for geological instruction. The program was developed by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Authors claim these field trips have been an effective and enjoyable way of conveying a wide variety of geological information to participants at all levels and backgrounds and have created favorable publicity.…

Included in this module are five activities dealing with modes of transportation in the urban environment. The activities include: (1) a discussion of transportation considerations in urban areas; (2) discussion of bikeways and their desirability in the urban environment; (3) the bikeway and the environment; (4) designing a bikeway; and (5)…

Finnish educators are concerned with the affective and aesthetic aspects of environmental education, with sensitivity to the urban, as well as the natural, environment. This article, one of several in this issue on art education in other countries, describes how human environment concepts are used in Finnish art teaching. (SJL)

Describes an educational strategy that uses current multimedia resources to combine sounds and images important to students. States that the arts can provide students with the opportunity to create and share new perspectives about their worlds with their peers and others. Provides a scoring rubric and steps for a middle school project. (CMK)

Discusses the benefits of bringing scientists into the classroom to collaborate with children on environmental research projects. Describes one collaborative project that focused on the effects of traffic on air pollution. (DDR)

This bulletin was designed to revitalize the teaching of civic responsibility and the moral and ethical principles that lead to good citizenship. It is a compendium of activity sheets that teachers either may duplicate and give to students, or use as guides for class activities. The bulletin is organized under six themes: (1) Understanding…

The materials in this educational packet are designed for use with students in grades 4 through 7. They consist of an overview, teaching guides and student data sheets for three activities, and a poster. The overview discusses the city as an ecosystem, changing urban habitats, urban wildlife habitats, values of wildlife, habitat management, and…

The learning center described here, using a city theme, structures movement activities to reinforce basic cognitive skills, including mapping, memorizing, matching, manipulating shapes, categorizing, listening, sequencing, and following directions. (Author/SJL)

Highlights ideas from urban geography that may be used to teach students about the interaction of people and space. Students will learn to better relate geography to their own lives if they understand how the concept of accessibility relates to competition for commercial land, and if they consider questions related to the use of urban space. (LS)