1. List 5 things that you associate with a city…
They have to be things that can’t be found anywhere else…

2. How do we distinguish it from a town or a village?
How do you define a city?
How do we distinguish it from a town or a village?
E.g.Shanghai, China, uses a vast area of 6,000 square kilometres to define itself. 19 million people live within those boundaries, but the area covers large patches of farmland as well as some villages.
The city of London, Great Britain, on the other hand, has more than 7 million inhabitants. But the city boundaries used to define London do not include an extended "metropolitan region". If considered as a metropolitan region, London would have a population of 14 million.

3. Urbanisation Definition…
Why do people move to cities?
What does urbanisation mean to you?
Why do you think it is considered to be such a significant development?

4. Where are the world’s largest cities?
There are 17 megacities in the world – these are cities with a population of over 10 million.

5. Where are the world’s largest cities?
The United Nations estimate that by 2015 the number of megacities will have increased to 21! .

6. Largest cities in the world…
Table 1
Largest cities in 1950 and 2015 (estimate) Population in millions
Column A:
Column B:
1950
2015
City
Population (millions)
Calcutta
Buenos Aires
Tokyo
Paris
Moscow
New York
Essen
London
Chicago
Shanghai
4.4
5.0
6.9
5.4
12.3
5.3
8.7
4.9
Jakarta
Bombay
Mexico City
Dhaka
Karachi
Beijing
Lagos
Sao Paulo
21.2
27.4
18.8
23.4
28.7
19.0
20.6
19.4
24.4
20.8
What was the mean size of the largest cities in 1950? What will it be in 2015?
Count the number of times each continent appears in the 1950 table and the 2015 table.
What do you notice?
What could account for the difference?
Make 2 tables, one for each column, with these headings: City, Country, Continent, Population. First, list the cities in order of size. Find out which country and continent they are in and fill in the table.

7. What are the positive and negative aspects of living in a city?
And Mexico City? What are some of the positive and negative aspects of living here?

8. Homework Essay question:
‘Do you think that increasing urbanisation has had a positive or negative impact on Mexico City?’
Remember to use your English guide on how to write a good introduction (hook, body, thesis statement)
Show your opinion but mention ideas for both sides of the argument
Your answer should be at least 250 words and typed.
Finish your essay with a conclusion

9. Make a list of the city services that you use during the week:
Transport
Culture
Utilities
Environment

10. How does a city work?
Make a list of 5 things a city and its citizens need to function healthily…

11. Spending Proposal for Mexico City
You need to imagine that you are in charge of the government’s spending in Mexico City.
You have $10 million pesos to spend.
As a group you need to come up with a spending proposal where you decide what you are going to allocate your money to.
You need to include:
a detailed list of what you will spend the money on, including: the services that you have seen and any others you think are important
why you have chosen each item
Write it up on a large piece of paper so you can present it to the class.

12. Water and Garbage! Read the article…
Costs in cities
Water
Waste
Roads and Highways
Sewage
Water and Garbage!
Read the article…
What are the costs of providing water and waste disposal in cities?
What are the costs of providing other services like public transport, electricity, parks and museums?

13. Write your opinion about the following: “What kind of pressure do you think the increasing size of cities puts on the governments that need to provide these services?”

14.
Go to the link above which compares the two cities: of Johannasberg in South Africa and Curitiba in Brazil.
Complete the table comparing the two cities…

15. Good comparison vocabulary
Similarities
Differences
is similar to
on the other hand
both
however
also
but
too
in contrast
as well
differs from
while
unlike

16. Actvity
Go away and take some photos of different places / scenes in Mexico City that show the different sides of city life.
Make sure that there is a point to the photos – “they tell a story”.
Bring them to next Thursday’s class mounted on a large piece of paper, ready to show to the rest of the group. Be prepared to answer any questions that your classmates may have.