Given a particular theme or topic, prepare a visual display describing the biggest differences in community life.
Suggested Activities
In this challenge, students investigate the biggest changes in their community from early times to the present. If you have not already completed an activity such as Interpreting the Past (Critical Challenge), you will need to assemble sources of information for students to use in their research. Wherever possible, include information depicting various cultural groups in the community's history. Explain that students will work with a partner to prepare a visual display showing how their community has changed in some way or another (e.g., housing, transportation, land use, occupations, ethnic mix) and indicating how community life was altered as a result. This visual might be a poster, a computer presentation or slide show, or a "past and present" mobile. Assign each pair of students a particular topic to research (e.g., transportation, housing, schooling). Suggest that students look for the following information:
How it was in the past
How it is now
What effects these changes have had on the community.
You may want to adapt the chart and strategies for Collecting Information (Support Material) or Recording Our Research (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity.
Once students have gathered the information, invite them to identify the biggest differences in the community resulting from the changes described. You may want to adapt the chart and strategies for Comparing Differences (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity. Encourage students to find or draw pictures to include in their visual display.