1. Our Community Unit
“Defining who we are, how we fit into the world around us, and how we can become active community members.”

2. Overarching Goals: Microcosm – Macrocosm Authentic Education
National Geography Standards

3. Microcosm - Macrocosm
Students develop from concrete to abstract learners. It is easier for students to comprehend an abstract concept, such as a foreign culture or geographic feature, if they can scaffold or compare the newly introduced topic to something they have experienced firsthand. In other words, by comparing the tangible to the abstract, students are better able to comprehend geography.

4. Authentic/Real World Education
“Working on authentic tasks is a useful, engaging activity in itself; it becomes an ‘episode of learning’ for the student (Wolf, 1989). From the teacher's perspective, teaching to such tasks guarantees that we are concentrating on worthwhile skills and strategies (Wiggins, 1989). Students are learning and practicing how to apply important knowledge and skills for authentic purposes.”
Presenting to the Town Council & Planning Commission
Real/ Meaningful Learning
Real World Data

5. National Geography Standards:
The World in Spatial Terms - 1 & 3
Places and Regions – 4,5, & 6
Human Systems – 9,10,11,12, & 13
Environment & Society – 14
The Uses of Geography - 18

6. One lesson leads to another, then another…
The Evolving Project
One lesson leads to another, then another…

7. Past Projects Belding Mill Renovation – Thompson, CT
Walking Historical Field Trips – Thompson, CT Mills
Population Explosion/Sprawl – Middle School Students Presented to the Coventry Town Council

8. Population Growth & Sprawl Project
An article in the Projo prompted the following project that really formed the foundation of what I am currently implementing. The students used Coventry’s Comprehensive Plan to analyze the effects of the population explosion. (Coventry was the fastest growing town at the time.)
Article: “Sprawl brawl - Suburban R.I. is ground zero in the battle over managing growth” 11/28/01

9. Newspaper Coverage Article

10. Population Projection Project
Population Projection Project *This is the PowerPoint presented to the Town Council in 2001
Ali Sherer, Corey Brassard, Kristen Oscarson, Marc Volpicelli, Bashar Shehada, Alan Hall
5/11/2019

11. Ideas for Today and Tomorrow
We need to control the population growth for a better tomorrow. 1
5/11/2019

12. 2 Our Future The projected population in the year 2050 is 75,050.
There will be 1,158 people per square mile. This is approximately three times the current population.
This will lead to a tax increase, pollution problems, urbanization and much more. If we don’t do something soon we will look like New York City!
If our population reaches its expected amount we will become an urban area. 2
5/11/2019

13. Crime Rate
No one even feels safe walking down the street at night knowing that the crime rate has gone up.
On the Coventry/West Warwick line there will be graffiti and gangs roaming the streets.
We will have more robberies, gangs, drug smuggling etc. No one will be safe.
With all the crime and violence, the town will need to hire more police officers, which will raise taxes. 3
5/11/2019

14. Watching Out For One Another
The amount of people that do drugs in Coventry is very low and the kids that grow up and leave this town are usually well-rounded individuals.
The teachers in Coventry really get to know the students well and no matter what each student needs the teacher is always there for them.
With a larger populations everyone won’t know everyone and the education system will definitely not be as good as it is now.
When your kid starts, “hanging out with the wrong crowd,” who will be there to tell you? There will be many more students in classes and teachers won’t have the time to get to know each and every one. 4
5/11/2019

15. Environment
There will need to be many more homes and other things like grocery stores, dumps, fast food restaurants and Wal-Mart's taking up land space.
To make room for these things trees will have to be cut down. When you cut down trees, it ruins the habitat for many species of animals.
Coventry has parks, trees and animals. We almost have the perfect little community. 5
5/11/2019

16. Traffic Congestion
With the expected population Coventry will have to add new roads and widen the current ones.
Coventry will have to buy the needed land to add and widen the roads and then actually build them. This will costs hundreds of thousands of taxpayers dollars.
If the population triples so will the number of cars. Route 3 is currently four lanes wide. With the expected population it will have to be twelve lanes wide. That will take up a lot of space.
Coventry will have three times the amount of current car accidents, making the roads more dangerous and many lives will be lost.
The pollution caused by the cars will also triple in Coventry and this will create smog like in Mexico City. 6
5/11/2019

17. Taxes
I am assuming all of you are aware that if taxes get raised it is very unlikely you will be elected again. No one wants high taxes and the town pays social workers, teachers, firefighters, and police officers to do their jobs.
If the population rises they will need more people to do these jobs costing the taxpayers more money. 7
5/11/2019

18. Stopping the Growth
You can limit how many building permits you send out each year or make it so you have to own at least 2 acres to build a house. We need to keep the population of Coventry small so we don’t end up looking like what we most fear.
Set more laws to limit the growth. 7
5/11/2019

19. Thank You
Thank you for listening to our presentation and what we had to say about the population growth problem in Coventry.
We hope you take our suggestions to the problem seriously and into consideration. 7
5/11/2019

20. Measures Taken By Coventry After The Student Presentations
Limit placed on building permits
Impact fees for new building legislated
Build-Out Analysis
More discussion by Town Council and in the News.
***Student’s see authenticity of project***

21. Current Project (Evolved): Our Community
What is a Community?
Why is Community Important?
Analyzing Community & Culture
Defining Our Community
Our Community & The Global Community
Improving Our Community

22. GEMEINSCHAFT V. GESELLSCHAFT
What is a Community?
GEMEINSCHAFT V. GESELLSCHAFT
A major contribution to the discussion of community was made in the 1920's by Ferdinand Tonnies, who used the German words Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society) with special meanings which have entered the language of social science.
Gemeinschaft, normally translated as 'community', refers to the closeness of holistic social relationships said to be found in pre-industrial communities, and imputed to the community as moral worth. For Tonnies, Gemeinschaft exists by the subjective will of the members: "the very existence of Gemeinschaft rests in the consciousness of belonging together and the affirmation of the condition of mutual dependence" (Tonnies 1925: 69).
Gesellschaft refers to the more instrumental, purposeful types of relationship typical of industrial society. This objective society or association (Gesellschaft), where "reference is only to the objective fact of a unity based on common traits and activities and other external phenomena" (Tonnies 1925: 67) stands in contrast to community defined by shared feeling. Tonnies considers entities based on objective common interest such as "ethnic community, community of speech, community of work" (Tonnies 1925: 67) to be Gesellschaft (society), not Gemeinschaft (community), because they lack the element of shared feeling which is essential to Gemeinschaft. Gemeinschaft type relationships may be found in modern industrial society, but they do not typify the dominant type of relationship of that society.

23. Why Care About Your Community?
Movie: Pay It Forward
Article: Standards of the Heart (
Article: A Cry in the Night: The Kitty Genovese Story (

24. Analyzing Community/Culture
Case Study: The Nacirema (

25. Defining Our Community: Sticky Notes Brainstorm Activity
Students define “Community” from Dictionaries
In groups, the students brainstorm all that comes to mind in what “Community” means to them and write their thoughts on sticky note pads.
The groups then divide each defining sticky note into the following categories: Very Sure, Somewhat Sure, A little Sure, & Wild Guess.
Each group puts their sticky notes into the four sections designated on the board.
Whole class consolidates lists and sub-categorizes them.
Class creates Web definition of “Community”

26. Our Community Web:

27. Defining Our Community Assignment
Defining Community Survey
Mr. Mitchell – Social Studies
Directions/Overview: Your group has been assigned a sub-category within the class’s definition of community. Now it is time to actually collect real data through surveying in order to define the community that you live in.
Step 1: Break it Down! Brainstorm a list of questions that breaks the sub-category you were assigned into smaller parts.
Step 2: Delegate! Assign at least TWO questions to each member of your group.
Step 3: Create a data table following the example provided in class. This is used to collect and keep track of all of the responses in your survey. This needs to be neat and organized! You must ask everyone the exact same question!
Step 4: Survey! Find at least 25 participants to answer your questions completely.
Step 5: Calculate! Calculate your responses into percentages using the format provided.
Step 6: Graph It! Graph your responses using the “Create a Graph” Internet site ( Select the pie graph format.
Step 7: What Does It All Mean! Write a conclusion that summarizes your results and findings. Be sure to discuss how it relates or helps define your community. Also talk about the limits of your findings.

28. Defining Our Community: Interdisciplinary Connections:
Math: Surveying, tabulating results, and graphing it. (Helpful website:
ELA: Summarizing and Analytical Writing

29. Survey Results: Student Work
The students summarized and analyzed their results in a paragraph below their printed graphs.

30. Our Community & The Global Community
Step 1: Research! Find the page within the book, The Global Village, that relates to the results from your sub-category your group was assigned. Review and read over the data presented in the book. Also, analyze the data/information provided that is specific to your sub-category.
Step 2: Compare & Contrast! Fill out the following graphic organizer with your group. Each member needs to try to make connections between the results from their questions and the data within the book. Use bullets for each question you included in your survey. Help each other out. The following questions should guide your responses:
1.      How are the results similar to the global community results/data?
2.      How are the results different to the global community results/data?
3.      What factors might explain the similarities or differences in the results/data?
Step 3: Summarize! As a group, briefly summarize the overall results of the graphic organizer. Focus how our local community fits into the global community. Include specific references to your data/results.
Step 4: Report the Results! The group will report out to the class on their findings. Be prepared to answer questions from the teacher and your classmates. Be sure to pay attention to other connections being made in other categories. Extra points will be awarded to these specific connections.
Step 5: What should you have asked? List any questions you think you should have asked in retrospect. In other words, what questions would have produced results that would have made this assignment much easier to do?

31. Comparing their Community to the World Community
Students take the graphing/summary results from their Defining Our Community project and compare/contrast them to global statistics.

32. Source: If the World were a Village… by David J. Smith
If the whole world were a village of just 100 people, 6 would belong to the Buddhist faith, and 32 would be Christians. There would be 38 school-aged villagers (ages 5 to 24), but only 31 of them would attend school. And the poorest 20 people would each have less than $1 a day.
Topics Included:
Nationalities
Languages
Ages
Religions
Food
Air and Water
Schooling and Literacy
Money and Possessions
Electricity
Village in the past
Village in the future 

33. Source: Map & Graph: Food: McDonalds restaurants (Top 50 Countries)
View this stat: Per capita  Per $ GDP  Show map full screen CountryDescription   Definition: Number of McDonalds restaurants. Amount
1.United States12,804 McDonald's restaurants
2.Japan3,598 McDonald's restaurants
3.Canada1,154 McDonald's restaurants
4.United Kingdom1,115 McDonald's restaurants
5.Germany1,091 McDonald's restaurants
6.France857 McDonald's restaurants
7.Australia701 McDonald's restaurants
8.Taiwan338 McDonald's restaurants
9.China326 McDonald's restaurants
10.Italy290 McDonald's restaurants

34. Our Community & The Global Community Graphic Organizer
Our Local Community
Our Global Community
Factors That Caused This Correlation…INFER
99% Speak English as their first language
9% Speak English as their first language
Diverse world. Many other civilizations the used other languages developed…

35. Assessing the Students:

36. Improving Our Community
Researching the town’s Comprehensive Plan to make our Community better!

37. The Community We Live In: Planning for Our Future

38. Improving Our Community: Interdisciplinary Connections
Math – Growth & Decay Exponential Growth Formula – Interpreting Data Tables and Graphs
ELA – Summarizing Text, Translating Expository Text to “Kid Friendly” Language.
Science – Environmental Science: Pollution, Soil Erosion, etc.

39. Improving Your Community Assignment
Overview: Each student will work with a small group of their peers in researching a part of the Coventry Community Comprehensive Plan. Each group will review the goals listed for their category (i.e. Land Use) and then propose a plan for the town on how to achieve those goals. Each group will create a presentation that demonstrates their proposals.
Step 1: Choose and Research! Review the Goals and Objectives for your category provided. Choose the ones that you plan to focus on and rewrite them in “kid” friendly language. Also, review in detail, the materials, maps, etc. given to your group. You need to understand their meaning before moving on to the next step! Also, add a goal or objective to the list that your group feels is needed under the category you were assigned.
            You will produce:
1.      The goals and objectives summarized in your own words.
2.      List of goals or objectives of your own.
Step 2: Summarize and Report to Class! Each group will report out to the class about what their goals and objectives are, in addition to, describing the current state of Coventry within those goals and objectives. Be prepared to answer questions and receive suggestions.
1.      Your goals and objectives on a transparency sheet.
2.      A one page summary of the information you were provided.
3.      Reference points on a map of Coventry provided. (Include this in your presentation to class.)
Step 3: Create a Plan! Propose a plan on how to realize these goals and objectives. Write up a summary (one-page) explaining your plan. Also, include maps, tables, figures, etc. to show how your plan is to work.
1.      A one-page report about your plan.
2.      A presentation to the class with visual aids. (Use the overhead, computer, posterboard, etc.)
Step 4: Present Your Plan! Each group will present their proposal to the class. You must use visual aids and be able to defend your plan from critical questions.
Translation of Goals
Summary of Current State
Present Proposed Plan

40. Improving Your Community - Group Research Categories:
Land Use (Zoning – Residential, Commercial, etc.)
Circulation (Transportation, Roads)
Economic Development (Employment, Industry, Tax Revenue, etc.)
Open Space & Recreation (Parks, Preserves, Playgrounds, etc.)
Natural & Cultural Resources (Lakes, Beach, Historical Site, etc.)
Community Services & Facilities (Schools, Police Stations, Fire Stations, Senior Centers, etc.)

41. Materials from the Comprehensive Plan for each student group:
Land Use:
1.        Vision, Goals, and Objectives
2.        Land Use Maps
3.        Agricultural Land Maps
4.        Existing Land Use Maps
5.        Recreation, Conservation, Open Space Maps
6.        Zoning Districts Maps
7.        Land Use and Zoning (description)
Circulation:
2.        Existing Transportation System Maps
3.        Rhode Island Map
4.        Street and Highway Characteristics Tables
5.        Traffic Accident Table
Economic Development:
2.        Existing Land Use Maps
3.        Population Growth/Density Tables
4.        Employment Characteristics Tables
5.        Median Family Income Growth Tables
6.        Tax-base Sources Tables
7.        Land Use and Zoning (descriptions)
8.        Zoning Districts Maps
9.        Coventry Municipal Revenue Tables
Natural & Cultural Resources:
1.        Vision, Goals, and Objectives
2.        Natural & Cultural Resources Maps
3.        Existing Land Use Maps
4.        Land Use and Zoning (descriptions)
5.        Zoning Districts Maps
Open Space & Recreation:
2.        Existing Land Use Maps
3.        Recreation, Conservation, and Open Space Maps
4.        Open Space and Recreation Needs Assessment
5.        Land Use and Zoning (description)
6.        Zoning Districts Maps
Community Services & Facilities:
2.        Community Services & Facilities Maps
3.        School Enrollment and Capacity Tables
4.        Land Use and Zoning (description)

42. Translation of Vision, Goals, & Objectives to “Kid Language”
Students work in assigned groups.
Groups review the provided materials.
The students divide the Vision, Goals, and Objectives equitably.
Students use dictionaries and consulting with teacher to translate their Vision, Goals, and Objectives into language that the class would be comfortable with.
All translations are approved by the teacher.
***Add their OWN Goals & Objectives***

43. Improving Your Community (1st Presentation): Defining the Current State of Categories
Read translated Vision, Goals, & Objectives
Groups referred to their summaries of their materials displayed on the overhead machine
Whole class discussion and questioning of each group’s materials and current state.

44. Why We Need to Think About the Future and Plan for it!
John Flaherty’s Smart Growth Presentation – Avoiding Sprawl
Wood Estates residents take on condos
Bill Brackett presents on the Wood Estates Zoning Dispute
Former Student Ali Sherer presents on the factors of exponential population growth

45. Math Connection: Exponential Population Growth

46. Math Activity: Predicting Population Growth in your Town
Helpful Website:

47. Connecting Math to Social Studies:
Students used their population growth calculations to predict what their community would look like in the future.
Former student, Ali Sherer, presented her PowerPoint to the students and answered questions.
Whole class filled out the following graphic organizer with their research materials and calculations in front of them…

48. Connecting Math & Social Studies: Predicting Consequences of Population Growth

49. The Student’s Version of the Comprehensive Plan
Students add their own goals and objectives
They review the maps, tables, data, etc. they are provided with and come up with their own plans.
Each group must back up their plans or changes with real data. It must also be feasible with the teacher’s endorsement. (Ex: Having the town build a Six Flag’s Amusement Park with town tax revenues would be rather difficult to pass.)
Student groups create a plan to attain these goals and objectives. (Ex: Where is a new school, park, etc. going to be located?)

50. Final Presentation to the Town Council & Planning Commission
Students present their PowerPoints and Posterboards.
The presentations are grouped by category.
Question and Answer session immediately following.

51. Cooperative Community Circulation
By:
Keleigh Thompson, Tom Daras, Brittany Wallace, and Max Morin.

52. Population in the Next 30 Years and What It Could Do to Our Community.
In the next twenty-five years, the population will have grown much larger. If that happens we will need more road space or even more roads.
Also, if there are more people in our community the roads are not going to be wide enough and we are going to need larger roads.
Can you imagine Tiogue Ave with...
About 5 lanes per each road!!!

53. $
What Can Happen If…
We add more lanes to Tiogue road ,we are going to… $
Lose business space, which will…
Cause residents to leave Coventry… $
And money
Cause residents to move their houses and
spend money that many people these days just don't have.
Cause people to lose money and causes the houses
they move to to become of a lesser quality.

54. !!!!!This is not looking good!!!!

55. Would you like to live in a place that looks like this….

56. Or a place that looks like this.

57. What? YOU DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN A PLACE LOOKING LIKE THIS?
WELL THAT’S WHAT Coventry IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IF WE KEEP HEADING IN THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING.

58. AND ANOTHER ISSUE…
Notice how many accidents are around the intersection at Sandy Bottom Rd. and Route 3,
Now notice the ones at Tiogue Ave. and Reservoir.
Comparing the two: which one has more accidents? Why do you think this is?
We believe the accidents are caused by H.S. kids. They are new with driving and are dangerous directly and indirectly.
All the places with the black spots show the places that 5 or more accidents have occurred since 1988…

59. Some ways we can fix this are…
Add roads at certain spots for the high school kids to drive on.
Warn Coventry High School students that driving along Sandy Bottom Road is a risk to them. Encourage them to use the alternative routes that we have provided.
Add more street lights and/or signs, such as; yield, stop, slow.

60. One way the High School students could travel to and from the High School is…
If high school students would also use the route we are proposing through Wood Estates to Route 117, rather than only using Reservoir Ave. to Tiogue to Sandy Bottom Rd., accidents would decrease due to less traffic.

61. An Alternative Route For The High SCHOOLERS Could Be…
IF THE H.S. KIDS GO FOM ABOUT HERE TO ABOUT HERE AND THROUGH THESE ROADS THEY CAN AVOID 8-9 MAJOR ACCIDENT SPOTS.
ALL WE NEED IS TO SOME HOW SPEAK TO THEM THROUGH SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRESENT ROUTES TO SCHOOL.

62. This Is What We Think Should Happen…
WE COULD PRESENT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CURRENT ROUTES TO AND FROM SCHOOL, ASKING THEM TO PLEASE USE THE ROUTES WE HAVE PRESENTED ON THE MAP WE HAVE PROVIDED.
WE ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD ADD STREET SIGNS, IN ORDER TO STOP ACCIDENTS AND TO WARN DRIVERS TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHILE DRIVING ALONG THOSE ROADS. SOME SIGNS WE COULD ADD THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL WOULD BE ,STOP, SLOW ,CAUTION, AND YEIL.D

63. Thank You Very Much For Listening To Our Presentation, We Hope You Will Give It Some Thought And We Hope You Enjoyed It.
Thanks from: Keleigh Thompson Tom Daras Brittany Wallace and Max Morin.

64. More Student Presentations on Each Comprehensive Plan Category:
Visit the Eclipse Team of Knotty Oak Middle School’s Website:

65. Assessing the Students:

66. The Community’s Reaction
Middle School students present vision for town's future By: Jennifer Swanson 02/04/2005
After learning that the middle school students had been working on this project for only a few weeks, Sanetti said, "It's too bad what took you three weeks, took them three years."

67. More Community’s Reaction
Knotty Oak students share vision of Cov. By Justin Sayles 02/02/2005
John Flaherty, a representative for Grow Smart RI, had made a presentation to the class earlier in the year suggesting that towns such as Coventry could benefit from rehabilitating defunct mills, Mitchell said. Drawing on some of his ideas, the students made their own plans for the old industrial buildings.
"They see what we see," Sanetti said. "I felt like the future of Coventry is in good hands."

68. Even More Community’s Reaction
Smart Growth e-Briefs News and Tools for People Shaping Our Communities February 2005
Under the direction of social studies teacher Ted Mitchell, students at the Knotty Oak Middle School wrapped up a 6-week town planning project by presenting their findings to members of the Coventry Town Council and Planning Board. Town Council Vice President Richard Senetti said the group was not only impressed with the students' creative vision, but also their intuition. He said the Town Council had been discussing at least three of the issues raised by the students within the last 36 hours.
Using the town's Comprehensive Plan, the seventh graders mapped out solutions for issues such as growth, traffic, economic development, vacant mill space, recreation and future school needs. "They actually developed a lot of creative ideas that were discussed as part of a presentation by Grow Smart staffer John Flaherty earlier in the year", according to Mitchell.

69. Post Presentation Activities:
Peer Evaluation – Students assess each other’s contribution to the group.
Group Reflection Prompt: What were some of the positive and negative aspects of working with your group? If you could change anything about the project, what would it be? Explain in detail.
Project Reflection Prompt: Given your presentations and Town Council member, Richard Sannetti’s remarks, would you now want to live in Coventry the rest of your life? Why or Why not?

70. Assessing the Students: Peer Evaluation

71. Assessing the Students: Journal Prompt Rubric

72. Where do we go from here?
Microcosm to Macrocosm – Ex: When covering China’s population issue refer back to what was learned during this project. (Always connect the concept to a tangible concept or idea – scaffold.)
Controversial Current Event Topics – Ex: Wal-Mart closing one store to open another “Super” store leads to connections to smart growth, interdependence, trade deficits, etc.

73. Any Questions?: Email me trmitchell31@yahoo.com
Thank You
Any Questions?: me