Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities By Design
Overview
How can we design communities that are safe for people?
In this unit, students delve into urban design through a practical lens. The unit launches with students assessing pedestrian safety through a neighborhood walk, evaluating safety features and identifying potential enhancements, concluding with a calculated walk safety score for their routes. Students then utilize the engineering design cycle to draft solutions for pedestrian safety challenges they discover in their community through virtual walks using Google Earth and Street View. Student urban design teams prepare to showcase their proposals for safer community spaces by incorporating peer feedback into their designs and developing map models that clearly communicate how their solutions will increase pedestrian safety. This unit culminates in an Urban Planning Exhibition, where students present their safety recommendations, aiming to inspire real-world change in their communities.
Educator Welcome
Dear Educator,
We understand the joy every teacher experiences when they discover what lights up a student, and how that breakthrough can make way for a powerful shift in student learning. We’re thrilled to partner with you in bringing project-based learning (PBL) to your classroom, and we think you’ll love these lessons, which were created in collaboration with educators, learning scientists, and experts in the field.
Whether this is your first voyage into PBL or you’re a seasoned pro, we’re sure you’ll agree that this approach sparks interest, ignites possibility, fuels a love for learning in students, and brings wonder to the classroom.
We believe Open Educational Resources (OER) promote equitable access to standards-aligned, high-quality instructional materials for all educators to adapt and use. Contact us at info@educurious.org to learn more about how Educurious can support district or school adoption of this curriculum and the development of PBL teaching practices. Explore Educurious.org to discover other PBL courses and order printed materials. |
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Acknowledgements
Unit Credits & Acknowledgments:
Educurious would like to express sincere gratitude to our partners, especially The Boeing Company, which funded the production of two open-access, interdisciplinary elementary PBL units, including this one. Thanks to program officer Dawn Angus for her guidance over the years and for her support of this unique project. We are also grateful for the input of Kimberley Astle and Jerry Price, who respectively lead science and social studies instruction for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Washington; our conversation and your work helped us think through the possibilities and opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in elementary school classrooms.
We would also like to thank our team of co-design teachers for their ideas and input on the topics, standards, and final products that would inspire fourth- and fifth-grade teachers to bring social studies, language arts, and science together for their students to effect change in their communities on issues of equity, safety, and sustainability.
Co-design Teachers:
Graham Hill Elementary School, Seattle WA
Jacquelynn Medina
Steffond Brown
Roosevelt Elementary School, Tacoma, WA
Rachael Sukola
Tammy Bentley
The Educurious Team:
Unit Development Team:
Writer: Hanna Jaramillo
Reviewer: Sara Nachtigal
Editor: Diana Dexter
Production Team:
Erik Robinson
Project Manager:
Sara Nachtigal
Educurious Leadership:
Jane Chadsey, CEO
Unit Poster Image Credits:
Poster created by Educurious with Canva
License & Attribution
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Unit at a Glance and Teacher Edition Download
Download full PDF Teacher's Edition Here
Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people? | ||
[Engagement with an authentic, local problem provides a need to know.] Module 1: What’s on the Block? DQ: How can we determine if our community is safe for people? Lesson 1.1: Pedestrian Protectors (45 min) Lesson 1.2: Observations Around the Block (60+ min) Lesson 1.3: Data Jigsaw (60 min) | [Relevant knowledge is explored and applied to the problem.] Module 2: Analyzing Our Community DQ: What features can we add to make an area safer for pedestrians? Lesson 2.1: Crowdsourcing Data (60 min) Lesson 2.2: Pedestrian-Oriented Design (120 min) Lesson 2.3: Friendly Feedback (60 min) | [Understanding deepens as students apply learning to new contexts.] Module 3: Designing Safer Communities DQ: What actions can we take to make our community safer? Lesson 3.1: Model Designs (60+ min) Lesson 3.2: Call to Action (120 min) Lesson 3.3: Urban Planning Exhibition (45+ min) |
[The PBL product is a complex performance task through which students illustrate their ability to apply the skills, concepts, and knowledge they learned in the unit.] After gathering data and analyzing walkability, student Urban Planning Teams will design and model a safety feature recommendation to improve pedestrian safety in the community. Then, teams will showcase their urban plan recommendations in a class exhibition for the school and its community. |
Module 1: What’s on the Block?
Module Overview
Module 1: What’s on the Block?
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Unit Driving Question
How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question
How can we determine if our community is safe for people?
Module Overview
In Module 1 of this unit, students learn about pedestrian safety and how to assess their own surroundings. First, students review pedestrian safety practices and learn about the role of an urban planner in creating safe pedestrian environments. Next, students use their power of observation during a walk around the school neighborhood and identify features of the neighborhood that make the area safer for pedestrians. They use the data they gathered on the walk to make evidence-based claims to argue whether or not the neighborhood around the school is safe for pedestrians. Finally, students review and share their findings from the walk with each other and calculate a walk safety score for the route they took on the walk. Finally, they discuss possible improvements or redesigns of the route that they could make to improve pedestrian safety.
| Lesson 1.1: Pedestrian Protectors (45 minutes) | |
Key Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students watch a video that highlights pedestrian safety practices to begin to understand the importance of pedestrian safety and how our community is designed to protect pedestrians. Students then learn about the role of an urban planner, someone who plays a vital part in creating safe pedestrian environments. Next, students are oriented to the project challenge ahead, and they consider how they can contribute to enhancing pedestrian safety in their community. |
| Lesson 1.2: Observations Around the Block (60+ minutes) | |
Key Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1 Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students hone their powers of observation during a walk around the school neighborhood and identify features of the neighborhood that make the area safer for pedestrians. Then, students use their data to make evidence-based claims to argue whether or not the neighborhood around the school is safe for pedestrians. |
| Lesson 1.3: Data Jigsaw (60 minutes) | |
Key Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students review and share their observation walk findings from Lesson 1.2 in small groups. They discuss all the different categories of safety features from the walk to create an evidence-based claim for the route’s walk safety composite score. Then, students will co-construct class graphs with all of their scores to discuss similarities and differences in their analysis of the different data sets. Finally, each group considers what improvements or redesigns of the community could raise the composite walk safety score. |
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Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 1.1: Pedestrian Protectors
Teacher Guide
Lesson 1.1: Pedestrian Protectors
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 1.1: Pedestrian ProtectorsUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: How can we determine if our community is safe for people? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, your goal is to understand the importance of pedestrian safety and begin to think about how our community is designed to protect pedestrians. You will also discover the important role of an urban planner, who helps create safe places for people to walk. By the end of the lesson, you will be ready to take on our urban planning project challenge and make our community safer for pedestrians. Lesson Steps
Explore More
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 45 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ SEP | Asking Questions and Defining Problems: Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system. | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
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| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students watch a video that highlights pedestrian safety practices to begin to understand the importance of pedestrian safety and how our community is designed to protect pedestrians. Students then learn about the role of an urban planner, someone who plays a vital part in creating safe pedestrian environments. Next, students are oriented to the project challenge ahead, and they consider how they can contribute to enhancing pedestrian safety in their community. |
| Teacher Preparation |
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Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Explore how we travel | (5 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students establish a connection to the unit by exploring their current modes of transportation.
You might say: The unit we’ll begin today is all about keeping our community safe when cars, trucks, bikes, and people are in the same spaces. You have all come to school today—but probably not in the same way. In order for us to think about how to keep everyone safe, we’ll need to know how everyone prefers to travel. Let’s begin with a quick poll to find that out!
[Slide 2] Class poll: Ask students to do the action listed on the slide to share how they came to school that day.
Record the data on the board or chart paper to show how many students came to school by bus, car, bike, or on foot.
[Slides 3–4] Elicit student ideas: Ask students to consider the following questions using a Think-Pair-Share strategy.
Show the slide with the questions written out and have students silently think about their answers.
Why doesn’t everyone come to school the same way?
What are some of the barriers that might prevent someone from walking or biking to school?
Then, have students partner and share their thoughts with each other.
Finally, have a brief whole-class share-out of potential reasons for, or barriers to, walking or biking to school.
Possible student responses could include living too far away from school, busy streets, it’s not safe (ask students to elaborate if they can), can’t cross the street (too many cars), no sidewalks, takes too long, etc.
| Teacher Tip: Engaging All StudentsThink-Pair-Share is one way to encourage equitable participation in your classroom. Many students are more comfortable sharing with a partner than with the whole class. In addition, having students share their ideas with a partner before sharing with the class can lead to richer whole-class discussions.To ensure partners are actively listening to each other, one strategy is to tell students beforehand that you will be calling on students to summarize for the class what their partner shared with them. If students know they might be called upon to summarize their partner’s ideas, they will have a stronger incentive to actively listen. |
| Step 2: Understand safety | (15 min) |
Purpose: Students use prior knowledge, information from a video, and class discussion to consider ways pedestrians engage in safe behaviors and ways streets are designed to keep pedestrians safe; this prepares them to think about how they can change environments or behaviors to improve safety in their community.
[Slide 5] Define pedestrian: Ask students what they think pedestrian means. Where have they heard this word before? Create a shared definition of pedestrian and add it to the Word Wall.
pedestrian: a person who is moving on foot or who is using a manual wheelchair or a power wheelchair
| Teacher Tip: Develop Academic Language With a Word WallA word wall is a visual academic vocabulary tool that students can reference throughout the unit. Word walls support reading comprehension and writing skills with science texts, as well as communication and collaboration in science discussions. As the class adds vocabulary words to the wall, you can give students opportunities to interact with the words by grouping them into categories, placing them in opposition to one another, or adding pictures or realia next to words. To learn more, read "Classroom Strategies: Word Walls," Instructional Practices in NGSS: Word Walls," and "Word Walls in Social Studies: One Solution to the 'Vocabulary Conundrum.'" |
[Slide 6] Show the "Pedestrian Safer Journey" video [4:54]: Direct students to think about the questions as they watch the video. Note that captions should be turned on to support learners. There is also a Spanish version of the video.
You might say: We are going to watch a video that helps people remember how to be safe pedestrians, or walkers. As you watch, I want you to think about what safety means for pedestrians and ways that people can keep themselves safe when walking in our community. You can write or draw notes if it helps you to remember. You’ll want to remember these ideas for your unit project.
Turn and Talk: Invite students to turn to their elbow partner and share at least one way they saw that pedestrians can help themselves stay safe when walking.
[Slide 6] Connecting to the local community: Ask students to reflect on the video and think about the following questions:
What are things that might be dangerous for pedestrians in our community? [problems]
What in our communities keeps pedestrians safe? [solutions]
Record ideas: Have students work in groups of four to record their ideas on a T-chart. See the example below.
Problems: Things that are dangerous for pedestrians | Solutions: Things that keep pedestrians safe |
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| Step 3: Accept the project challenge | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students will be introduced to the project challenge, assume the role of urban planners, and learn about their task of designing solutions that promote pedestrian safety in their community.
[Slide 7] Introduce the project role: Tell students that for this project, they will be taking on the role of urban planners looking to design solutions that promote pedestrian safety in our community. Students will not just be “acting” like urban planners but will authentically be learning about a specific site in their community and making recommendations to change that site to make pedestrians safer.
There is an optional video from PBS LearningMedia that has an urban planner discussing what their role is (see the notes section of the slide). Please note that while urban planners can specialize in many types of projects, the focus for this unit will only be on transportation planning.
Define urban planner: Share the definition of urban planner and add it to the Word Wall:
urban planner: a person whose job is to develop detailed plans and designs for the use of space within cities, towns, developments, etc.
[Slide 8] Introduce the project challenge: Pass out the Project Checklist and Rubric. Explain the challenge that students will be completing throughout the next few weeks and showcasing at the end of the unit. They will make real recommendations based on the data they collect, and they will share those recommendations with their community to advocate for changes that make the community safer. Go through each task, answering any questions or clarifying points as needed.
Part 1: Investigate and define a pedestrian safety problem within our community and model it with a 2D or 3D map.
Part 2: Design a safety feature solution to help make your location safer. Engage in feedback cycles to refine your design.
Exhibition: Each team will showcase its urban plan recommendations in a class exhibition for the school and its community at the end of the unit!
[Slide 9] Review expectations: Invite students to review the project challenge and actively read by circling unfamiliar words, underlining anything that doesn’t make sense yet, and recording questions they have on the side.
Elicit student responses to the following questions:
What questions do you have about the project?
What do you find interesting about what you’ll be doing?
What do you want to know more about?
| Step 4: Create a Know & Need to Know chart | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students will participate in a brainstorming session to share their existing knowledge and experiences about pedestrian safety, while also identifying areas where they need further understanding to design effective solutions for the project challenge.
[Slide 10] Create a Know & Need to Know chart: After describing the project challenge to students, remind them that they know some things, but they probably want to know more before they start.
Ask students to share out what they know about designing for pedestrian safety, what they know about features in their community for pedestrians, and what they may need to know more about to do well on the project and come up with good solutions.
Draw a Know & Need to Know chart (on a piece of poster paper or digitally on the slide) to record responses from the class discussion. This tool will be revisited periodically to track student understanding and record their questions as they progress through the unit.
Ask students to think with a partner about the following questions:
What do you already know about keeping pedestrians in our community safe?
What will your team need to know in order to design a safety feature to help make your location safer?
Invite partners to share their thinking as you compile and record responses on the class chart.
Post the chart in a visible location where students will be able to see it and revisit it throughout the unit.
What do we already know about planning for pedestrian safety? | What do we need to know to design solutions to share at the Urban Planning Exhibition? |
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| Teacher Tip: Tracking and Resolving Questions With a Know & Need to Know Chart A Know & Need to Know chart is a way for students to track how their thinking changes over time at a whole-class level rather than via individual or small-group explanatory models. For project-based learning (PBL) units, the chart also helps students make connections between the content they are learning and their project work. To learn more about Know & Need to Know charts in PBL, read about different tactics and pedagogical considerations on the Opening Paths website and how to use students’ questions for planning and assessment on the PBLWorks website. |
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 1.2: Observations Around the Block
Teacher Guide
Lesson 1.2: Observations Around the Block
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 1.2: Observations Around the BlockUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: How can we determine if our community is safe for people? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you will utilize your powers of observation during a walk around the school neighborhood where you will identify features that make the area safer for pedestrians. Then, you will use your data to make an evidence-based claim to argue whether or not the neighborhood around the school is safe for pedestrians. Lesson Steps
Explore More
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 60+ minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ SEP | Planning and Carrying Out Investigations: Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
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| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students hone their powers of observation during a walk around the school neighborhood and identify features of the neighborhood that make the area safer for pedestrians. Then, students use their data to make evidence-based claims to argue whether or not the neighborhood around the school is safe for pedestrians. |
| Teacher Preparation |
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Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Prepare for the observation walk | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students share ideas about the features in a neighborhood that make walking safer for pedestrians, and they are assigned a feature category to make observations on during their neighborhood walk.
[Slide 2] Ask students to think about the things they have seen before that make it more or less safe to walk in an area.
You might say: In the last lesson, we took on the role of urban planners trying to make our community safer for pedestrians, but what makes a community safe or unsafe?
[Slide 3] Pose the question “What features make walking safer?” to students and invite them to share their ideas. Record these ideas on the slide or in a document like the Observation Walk: Safety Look-fors handout.
The handout has suggested look-fors already filled in that you can use, but it is recommended that you edit these to represent your students’ suggestions before providing them the handout.
Alternatively, students can recreate the observation chart on the handout in their science notebook or on binder paper.
Assign students to groups of four, each with a person who will focus their observations on a different feature category when on the walk.
Person 1 will record observations of the sidewalk features they see on the route (handout page 1). Examples include:
It is even and easy to walk with no cracks or broken parts.
It is open and not blocked by overgrown plants/trees, poles, signs, cars, etc.
It is wide enough for two people to walk together.
The sidewalk and the street have some space between them.
Person 2 will record observations of the street crossing features they see on the route (handout page 2). Examples include:
Crosswalks were easy to find and use.
Lighted signals were available to help pedestrians cross the street.
A pedestrian can get off the street quickly when crossing.
There is access for all people to get on and off the sidewalk.
Person 3 will record observations of the traffic features they see on the route (handout page 3). Examples include:
Drivers stop at stop signs and at crosswalks.
Drivers follow the speed limit and keep a good distance from other cars.
Drivers stop for pedestrians and other vehicles.
Drivers pay attention to the road and aren’t distracted by their phones or passengers.
Person 4 will record observations of the urban design features they see on the route (handout page 4). Examples include:
There are plenty of streetlights in the community to allow pedestrians to see at night.
There are benches or places to rest in the community.
There are plenty of trees or structures to provide shade in the community.
Animals and people keep safe distances unless invited to come over.
[Slide 4] Review the purpose of the observation walk investigation and the type of data that will be collected during the walk. Ensure every student understands what their role is in their group
| Step 2: Take the observation walk | (15+ min) |
Purpose: In this step, students are asked to identify and record observational data of the features that make streets safer for pedestrians within their specifically assigned category.
[Slide 5] As you walk your predetermined route, check in with student groups about their observations and support them in recording their observations as needed.
| Teacher Tip: Students’ Engagement in Authentic Practices Promotes Their Science Identity Development Undertaking authentic professional practices in the science classroom (such as conducting an investigation and recording observational data in this lesson) is a crucial way in which students can develop a broadened sense of what it means to be a scientist. Explicitly highlighting how students’ classroom activities are the same as professional practices can foster their identification with the subjects, leading to students’ ability to “see themselves” as scientists and even increasing their desire to pursue STEM disciplines in college or career pathways. Further, encouraging students to bring in their ideas about how they use science in their everyday lives provides the final link to holistically expand their sense of these subjects as taking place in many different contexts, not just in the classroom. Read more at the STEM Teaching Tools website about why students should learn to plan and carry out investigations, watch a video from the National Science Foundation: STEM for All Showcase on the positive identity outcomes of leveraging an assets-based approach to science with English Language Learners, or read a chapter from A Framework for K-12 Science Education about why the NGSS science and engineering practices are grounded in the practices of scientists and engineers. |
| Step 3: Make an argument | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students review and summarize their observations to construct a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning argument to answer the question “Is this walking route safe for pedestrians?”
Return to the classroom and prompt students to review their data from the walk.
You might say: We just collected a bunch of data on the features that make walking safer in our neighborhood. When urban planners collect data, they analyze and interpret that data to share with the community. However, people in the community may not know what some of these features are or have the time to review all of the data from the planner. How else do you think they could share this information?
Invite a few students to respond, and facilitate a short discussion to help students think about interpreting their observations and creating a score or rank for how safe the route is.
[Slide 6] Show this slide as a suggested ranking system and invite students to provide feedback.
Encourage students to think about their observations and data collected during the walk to score the route for walk safety.
[Slide 7] Share the definition of argument with students then add it to the Word Wall. Briefly review the three parts of a scientific argument. You will go into more detail on the following slide.
Claim: an opinion or point of view that answers the question
Evidence: relevant data that supports the claim
Reasoning: the connection; how the evidence supports the claim
[Slide 8] Prompt students to fill out the last part of the Observation Walk: Safety Look-fors handout to create a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) argument to support their walk safety score. Use the slide to walk them through the three parts of a scientific argument to support their writing.
Walk students through an example CER with how to use their observations to make an argument. Use the example on [Slide 9] if needed.
Students will need their arguments for the next lesson, but they can be collected at the end of the lesson and used as an assessment of the Science and Engineering Practice Engaging in Argument from Evidence.
| Teacher Tip: Engaging Students in Claim-Evidence-ReasoningThis may be your students’ first experience with Claim-Evidence-Reasoning, or they may be well-versed in this skill. Either way, it is vital to give students many opportunities to practice their skills in scientific argumentation. This exercise is given to students at this point in an effort to help them make sense of a variety of data and give them an opportunity to practice scientific argumentation together before creating their own arguments.Claim-Evidence-Reasoning is one structure for engaging students in scientific argumentation practices. Read a STEM Teaching Tool about how to facilitate students’ classroom argumentative talk, read an article from Edutopia about how Claim-Evidence-Reasoning supports scientific inquiry, or watch example classroom videos from the Lawrence Hall of Science’s Argumentation Toolkit for teachers. |
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 1.3: Data Jigsaw
Teacher Guide
Lesson 1.3: Data Jigsaw
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 1.3: Data JigsawUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: How can we determine if our community is safe for people? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you will review and share your observation walk findings from Lesson 1.2 with your small group. You will discuss all the different categories of safety features from the walk to create a composite score for the safety of the route, supported with evidence from all of your observations. You will then contribute to a class graph showing everyone’s scores and discuss similarities and differences in your analyses. Finally, your small group will consider what improvements or redesigns of the community could raise the walk safety score. Lesson Steps
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 60 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ SEP | Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Compare and contrast data collected by different groups in order to discuss similarities and differences in their findings.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
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| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students review and share their observation walk findings from Lesson 1.2 in small groups. They discuss all the different categories of safety features from the walk to create an evidence-based claim for the route’s walk safety composite score. Then, students will co-construct class graphs with all of their scores to discuss similarities and differences in their analysis of the different data sets. Finally, each group considers what improvements or redesigns of the community could raise the composite walk safety score. |
| Teacher Preparation |
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Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Build consensus | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students review and share their observation walk findings from Lesson 1.2. They discuss all the different categories of safety features from the walk to create an evidence-based claim for the route’s walk safety composite score.
You might say: Last lesson, we gathered data and used that data to make a claim about how safe our walking route was for pedestrians based on the category we focused on: sidewalks, street crossings, traffic, or urban design. Do you think any one of these categories is the most important?
[Slide 2] Pass out the Discussion Diamond Handout to the groups of four that were assigned last lesson. Groups should have one person who focused on and recorded data for each safety category during the walk.
Direct students to use their Observation Walk: Safety Look-fors handout (from Lesson 1.2) to fill in their corner of the Discussion Diamond. Give students 3 minutes to fill in their corners.
[Slide 3] Assign or ask students to determine the order in which they will share their findings with the rest of the group, in a jigsaw-like fashion. Inform students that as they listen to each other, they should pay attention to similarities between their findings, even though they looked at different categories.
Students will share their corners for 2–3 minutes each while you circulate to listen in, press students for more information (if needed), and ensure everyone has equal airtime within their groups.
[Slide 4] After everyone has shared, groups should discuss what they heard from each other’s findings and record the things they agreed on in the center diamond of their discussion handout.
Finally, invite students to put all of their findings together into a single argument as to the walk safety of the route from Lesson 1.2, factoring in all of their individual arguments into an agreed-upon group argument with a composite score for all of the categories.
There are two words that should be added to the Word Wall from this lesson step that are encountered on Slide 4:
composite: made up of various parts or elements
consensus: general agreement
| Step 2: Compare data | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students co-construct a class graph of all scores to discuss similarities and differences in their analysis of the different data sets, calibrating with each other for when they eventually review different areas in the community.
[Slide 5] Give students access to markers and the prepared class graph paper. Invite students to come up to add to the graph of their assigned category. The bar they add will represent their walk safety score from their analysis of their own data. Additionally, have one student from each group also add a bar representing their composite score to the last graph.
Note: this is a great place for students to get a reminder lesson on graphing and/or the traits of a good graph. Confirming for students that because we are comparing, we are using a bar graph, as well as where and how to draw their bar, would support all students in feeling comfortable with adding in their data.
Example graphs: (You will need one for each category and one composite, so five graphs total.)
Once the graph has been constructed, invite the students to turn and talk about the questions on [Slide 5]:
What trends do you notice?
What is similar or different in each category? Why do you think that is?
Have student pairs share their noticings and wonderings with the class. You are not looking for specific answers here, you are giving students space to compare different people’s/group's findings and reason why there may be that variation in data, which is supportive of the Science and Engineering Practice Analyzing and Interpreting Data.
| Step 3: Share improvement ideas | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, each student group considers what improvements or redesigns of the community could raise the composite walk safety score, preparing for their own route in Module 2.
You might say: Remember, we are urban planners for this unit. What do you think urban planners would do if they found that there is a safety issue for pedestrians in their community? What types of solutions do you think they would pose to help pedestrians?
[Slide 6] Think-Pair-Share: Ask students to brainstorm ways they think an urban planner might go about solving any safety issues in their community.
Guide students to start by thinking about the areas that scored the lowest on the walk and consider how they could improve that category. Ask students What are two or three ideas you have to improve the walk safety score of our route?
Students should record their ideas in their notebook or on binder paper and be prepared to share with a partner.
Have students discuss their ideas with a partner or in their small groups, select one or two they think would be the most effective, and record how those ideas would make the area safer and what might be required by the school/neighborhood/etc. to make the improvement happen.
Circulate and press student groups with questions as they discuss supporting evidence and requirements. The idea of criteria and constraints may be new for some students, but they are using this activity to be mindful of these considerations, which will play a role in Module 2.
Invite students to share their top solutions with the class, along with the evidence that they feel best supports how their possible solution would improve the walk safety score of the area.
Students could also explain their top solution on an Exit Ticket as an assessment opportunity.
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Module 2: Analyzing Our Community
Module Overview
Module 2: Analyzing Our Community
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Unit Driving Question
How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question
What features can we add to make an area safer for pedestrians?
Module Overview
In Module 2 of this unit, students gather and analyze data on pedestrian safety in order to make recommendations of improvements that can be added to create a more walkable community. First, they use Google Earth to build a collective map of the school community and use Google Street View to “walk” different routes between the school and a specific community location, determining which routes are more walkable than others. Then, students learn about and apply the steps in the engineering design cycle by using the data they gathered from analyzing their route to define potential problems that impact pedestrians. After exploring how urban planners add improvements to streets to make them safer for pedestrians, students design a solution to their problem for pedestrians, considering their criteria as well as potential constraints. Finally, students refine their design plan recommendations through peer feedback with another Urban Planning Team and determine the next steps to improving their design plan.
| Lesson 2.1: Crowdsourcing Data (60 minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students explore their school community virtually by using Google Earth to build a collective map of community locations. Then, in pairs, students use Google Street View to “walk” the different routes between the school and an assigned community location to determine which routes are more walkable than others. |
| Lesson 2.2: Pedestrian-Oriented Design (120 minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students learn about and apply the steps in the engineering design cycle to solve a problem for pedestrians traveling along their route to a community location. After analyzing the route, students use their data to determine potential problems and select one problem that impacts pedestrians the most. Then students explore how urban planners add improvements to streets with problems, and they learn how those improvements solve problems but also come with constraints. Finally, students apply their knowledge of solutions to their defined problem and propose their own solutions to make the route safer for pedestrians in their community. |
| Lesson 2.3: Friendly Feedback (60 minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets I can:
| In this lesson, students refine their Urban Planning Team’s design plan recommendations through peer feedback. First, students evaluate their team’s plan to identify areas they want more feedback on, then, in pairs, they switch papers with a pair from a different group and take turns providing feedback to each other as they each explain their team’s design plan. Finally, students will record their team’s next steps to improve their design plan. |
| Module Assessments |
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| Vocabulary |
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Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 2.1: Crowdsourcing Data
Teacher Guide
Lesson 2.1: Crowdsourcing Data
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 2.1: Crowdsourcing DataUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: What features can we add to make an area safer for pedestrians? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you will explore your school community virtually by using Google Earth to build a collective map with the class. Then, you and a partner will use Google Street View to “walk” the different routes between the school and a community location to determine which routes are more walkable than the others. Lesson Steps
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 60 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ SEP | Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. | |
| ✓ WSSSS | G1.5.3: Construct maps and other graphic representations of both familiar and unfamiliar places. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
|
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students explore their school community virtually by using Google Earth to build a collective map of community locations. Then, in pairs, students use Google Street View to “walk” the different routes between the school and an assigned community location to determine which routes are more walkable than others. |
| Teacher Preparation |
|
Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Locate our community | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students use the technology of Google Earth to find their school and look at the map of the neighborhood surrounding it, focusing on the streets and where people walk.
You might say: In the last module, we took a walk around our school community to gather and analyze data so we could determine if our route was safe for pedestrians. While being able to walk our route made it easy to see what we were looking for, urban planners work with larger areas that may be spread out and where walking might take too long. To help them, they use technology and tools to be able to “see” the larger area they are interested in studying.
In this lesson, we are going to use one of these tools, satellite imaging from Google Earth, to review some of our community locations and walking routes. Let’s start by seeing if we can re-create our observation walk route on the map.
[Slide 2] Find our community on Google Earth: Project your school’s neighborhood on earth.google.com for the class and invite a student to point out the school.
Using the web version of Google Earth, mark the school’s location on your saved project using the “Add placemark” button. (See the Teacher Preparation section for directions on how to create a project.)
Ask students to use landmarks on the map to help you re-create and trace the route traveled in the observation walk using the “Draw line or shape” button.
| Step 2: Build our community | (20 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students collaboratively build a map of their community on Google Earth to highlight features that are important to themselves and think about where people usually go and the walking routes they take.
[Slide 3] Activate local knowledge: Facilitate students in sharing their knowledge of the community.
Invite students to share their knowledge of the neighborhood and the important places they frequent in the community.
Note: Students will most likely share the places they walk to first like their home, community parks, friends’ houses, after-school organizations, etc. Use guided questioning to get them to expand their thinking to places they can walk to, like local grocery stores, even if they don’t usually walk there.
Refocus students on the Google Earth map of the school’s neighborhood and invite students to share locations and use landmarks or addresses to find them on the map, adding place markers with names. Try to keep the mapped locations within a 0.5- to 1-mile radius of the school so it’s still considered a walkable distance. Have students identify at least eight locations.
The locations will be split between the student groups for analysis, which is why it is recommended that you have one community location that is walking distance to the school identified for each group. If you have fewer locations available, you can have student groups double up on a location.
Alternative activity: Share the “can edit” project link with students and have them work in small teams or with partners to add their own markers on their own devices. Monitor the progress and markers being added on the projected screen.
| Step 3: Review walking routes | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students work with a partner to become familiar with walking routes between the school and a community location to determine which routes are the most walkable.
[Slide 4] Define walkable: Share with students that their initial review of different routes between the school and a community location is going to look for walkability.
Show the definition of walkable and add it to the Word Wall.
walkable: easily traveled by pedestrians
You might say: When we took our observation walk, we were looking for and gathering data about walk safety features specifically. However, there are other factors that might make someone decide to walk a specific route or not.
Think-Pair-Share: Direct students to think about the following question, then do a pair-share to brainstorm the features of what makes something walkable.
What makes a route more walkable?
In addition to reminding students of the safety features highlighted in Lesson 1.2, encourage them to also talk about distance, steepness, weather (although this isn’t part of the route), and other things that may make them choose to walk a particular route.
Regroup as a class, then invite partners to share which features make a route walkable. Record these features on the board or on chart paper for students to reference as they review different routes.
[Slide 5] Select walkable routes: Organize students in their Urban Planning Teams and assign each group a different place from the mapped locations the class compiled in Step 2.
Pass out the Selecting Walkable Routes handout and share the view link for your Google Earth project. Students will use this handout to record their notes and observations of the walkable routes they find in the community by using Google Earth.
Have students record their assigned location on their handouts.
Give students a few minutes to look at the bird’s-eye view of the map between the school and their assigned location and think about the following question: How many ways can you get there?
Prompt groups to work together to respond to questions 2–4 on their handout using the bird’s-eye view of the community map on Google Earth.
[Slide 6] Show students how to pull the little person icon into streets to switch to Google Street View.
Engage students in “walking” the routes they found from the school to their location using Street View and record their observations under question 5 on their handout.
[Slide 7] Pose this question to the students: Which route do you think is the most walkable? Why?
Then have students complete question 6 on their handout.
Students have practiced the CER strategy two times, so they should have an understanding of what they need to record as evidence and reasoning. This is another opportunity for formative assessment of the Science and Engineering Practice “Engaging in Argument from Evidence.”
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 2.2: Pedestrian-Oriented Design
Teacher Guide
Lesson 2.2: Pedestrian-Oriented Design
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 2.2: Pedestrian-Oriented DesignUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people? Module Driving Question: What features can we add to make an area safer for pedestrians? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you will learn about and apply the steps in the engineering design cycle to solve a problem for pedestrians traveling along your route to a community location. After analyzing the route, you will use your data to determine potential problems and select one that impacts pedestrians the most. You will then explore how urban planners redesign streets to solve problems, and you will learn about the constraints of different solutions. Finally, you will prepare for the Urban Planning Exhibition by applying your knowledge of solutions to your defined problem to propose your own solution that makes the community safer for pedestrians. Lesson Steps
Explore More
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 120 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ PE | 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. | |
| ✓ DCI | ETS1.A: Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.ETS1.B: Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. | |
| ✓ SEP | Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
|
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students learn about and apply the steps in the engineering design cycle to solve a problem for pedestrians traveling along their route to a community location. After analyzing the route, students use their data to determine potential problems and select one problem that impacts pedestrians the most. Then students explore how urban planners add improvements to streets with problems, and they learn how those improvements solve problems but also come with constraints. Finally, students apply their knowledge of solutions to their defined problem and propose their own solutions to make the route safer for pedestrians in their community. |
| Teacher Preparation |
|
Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Refine walkability criteria | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students explore the engineering design cycle to refine the criteria from Lesson 1.2 for safe walking routes in order to apply it to their own route from Lesson 2.1.
You might say: In the last lesson, you reviewed different routes to a community location and selected one as being the most walkable. Walkability can include other factors besides safety, but we know safety is a really important part of a walkable route.
[Slide 2] Watch a video about the goal of zero traffic fatalities :
Activate prior knowledge by asking the following questions to elicit a few ideas from students:
Do you think most people consider safety when walking?
What do you think pedestrians know about safe streets?
Play the "Vision Zero People on the Street" video [1:59] from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).
Debrief the video with the class:
What do you think it will take to achieve the goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries?
How does Vision Zero connect with safer streets for pedestrians?
How does your work as an urban planner support Vision Zero?
[Slide 3] Review data: Show the Traffic Fatalities on Seattle Streets graph and ask students to write down what they notice and wonder about the graph or the data it came from.
Have students turn and talk about their noticings and wonderings about the graph, then call on a few students to share a notice or wonder they or their partner had.
Listen for the following ideas in student responses (or highlight these ideas if necessary):
In the graph, it is very noticeable that the highest number of traffic fatalities are pedestrians, and not anyone else.
The purpose of the video and graph is to connect to the actual data used by urban planners and their goals when designing for pedestrian safety.
Note: If you want to learn more about the data for this graph, review the Vision Zero 2019 Update from the SDOT.
| Teacher Tip: Supporting Students with TraumaIf you have students whose families have experienced significant injury or death due to a traffic accident, be mindful of the emotions that this topic may bring up. Checking in with students, allowing opportunities for them to share their experiences through writing or talking, and providing space and time for students to calm down if emotions are high are all trauma-informed practices that can be incorporated into the lesson. You can learn more about trauma-informed teaching at understood.org. |
[Slide 4] Brainstorm safety features: Lead a short discussion with the class on potential problems and solutions that pedestrians might face when traveling around a community.
Use the following questions to guide students into thinking about the features that are intentionally added to streets or communities to keep people safe.
What are things that might be dangerous for pedestrians in our community?
What things in our communities help keep pedestrians safe?
Note: The idea of intentionality is emphasized in a feature such as a marked crosswalk, which is an intentional design that helps pedestrians by showing where they can cross more safely because drivers recognize the marking and are more likely to anticipate someone crossing the street.
You might say: When urban planners intentionally design for pedestrians, it’s called pedestrian-oriented design. Remember our project challenge is all about designing a safety feature that will make a route in our community safer for pedestrians. Knowing more about the engineering design process will help us in figuring out what to do next.
[Slide 5] Introduce the engineering design process: Go through each of the three engineering design steps and briefly describe them. Highlight that the engineering design process specifically works to find and improve solutions to a specific problem. Talk about the parts of the process with the types of questions someone might ask during this step.
Define the problem to be solved: In order to understand a problem, it’s helpful to ask questions like these:
What is the problem? Why is it a problem?
Who is the problem affecting?
Are there any current solutions to this problem?
What are the most important criteria/requirements needed to solve the problem?
Develop a solution to solve the problem: Brainstorm many possible solutions for the problem.
How well does each solution meet the criteria/requirements needed to solve the problem?
Are there any other things that may change how well the solution works (e.g., cost, ease of use, accessibility, simplicity/clarity, etc.)?
Narrow down your possible solutions to the one that best meets the criteria for solving the problem and model a prototype to test it.
Optimize (improve) the solution to make it even better: Share the prototype and explain how it works to others.
What feedback did you get from others?
Are there ways to improve the design?
Make revisions to refine the solution.
| Teacher Tip: Develop a Deeper Understanding of the Engineering Design ProcessThe engineering design process and project-based learning work particularly well together. Note that the NGSS framework has more broadly defined engineering to “emphasize engineering design practices that all citizens should learn. For example, students are expected to be able to define problems—situations that people wish to change—by specifying criteria and constraints for acceptable solutions; generating and evaluating multiple solutions; building and testing prototypes; and optimizing a solution.” Read more about engineering design in the NGSS: Framework Appendix I – Engineering Design in the NGSS. |
Refine the criteria: Direct students to recall reviewing the different routes in the last lesson and what factors led them to determine which was the most walkable.
Students will likely share many of the same look-fors from the observation walk, as safety is a large part of what makes an area walkable, but they may also share other features, such as distance or slope, as those are also factors one would consider when walking.
[Slide 6] Connect students from their factors back to the look-fors from the observation walk if they haven’t made that connection already when sharing.
Pass out the Walkability Criteria Checklist and invite students to add other important features that would make a route more walkable.
Record these features in the “Other” category on the checklist.
Note: If you have access to printing on the fly, you can edit the criteria handout in real-time, then print and give it to your students, or you can print it as-is and have students write in the new features shared into the “Other” box as you discuss.
Define and add criteria to the Word Wall:
criteria: factors on which a decision will be based
| Step 2: Define the problem | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students analyze the route to their community location using the walkability criteria to determine the route’s walk safety score, then they use the data gathered to identify potential problems for pedestrians along the route.
[Slide 7] Gather data: Break groups into pairs and direct them to “walk” their most walkable route from Lesson 2.1 again, but this time using the Walkability Criteria Checklist to analyze the walkability of the route. After students record their observations using the checklist, they should score the route in each category and create a composite score.
If students are struggling with what to look for for each criterion, refer them back to the Observation Walk: Safety Look-fors handout from Lesson 1.2, as it has guiding questions for each criterion.
Circulate to support students with filling out their checklist and making observations on Google Street View.
Note: The criteria language for traffic has been adjusted because students will not see the route live and therefore can’t observe distracted drivers or cars going too fast. Instead, the criteria focus on designs (such as speed bumps and speed limit signs) that can help prevent those outcomes.
[Slide 8] Compare data: Once pairs have completed their “walk” and scoring using the Walkability Criteria Checklist, have the pairs regroup back into their group of four to discuss their scores and observations.
Use the question prompts on the slide to direct the conversation about their data from the virtual walk.
How closely did each of your scores match the scores of the other pair in your group?
What similarities and differences did you notice between your results?
Were there any criteria that were marked as missing by everyone?
[Slide 9] Interpret data: After students have compared their results from the virtual walk, direct groups to identify and record evidence (What I see) that they noticed led to a problem (What it means) on the page 2 of their Walkability Criteria Checklist. Groups should write down as many potential problems as they see from their data.
You may need to model how to identify a potential problem and support it with evidence from data. There is an example on the checklist and on Slide 9 that can help you support your students with brainstorming.
Note: You may notice that this is 2/3 of a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning process; since this is a brainstorm, you want to make sure the identified potential problems are evidence-based, but students will develop the reasoning when proposing their redesign recommendation at the end of the lesson to complete the CER.
| Step 3: Learn about pedestrian-oriented design | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students explore how urban planners redesign streets to improve pedestrian safety and how improvements come with potential constraints.
You might say: We learned earlier that when urban planners intentionally design for pedestrians, it’s called pedestrian-oriented design. But not all cities or streets begin with pedestrian-oriented design. Sometimes they weren’t planned with pedestrians in mind at all. And since cities change over time as old buildings are torn down and new buildings go up, as more people and more traffic create new hazards, sometimes urban planners have to redesign streets to add safety features where they are needed.
You have done exactly what urban planners do to identify potential problems, and now you are going to take it to the next step: designing a solution to the problem. Today, we are going to learn about how urban planners improve cities by adding different types of safety features, and how planners decide which features to add.
[Slide 10] Review card structure: Pass out one set of Safety Improvement Cards to each group of four. Review the structure of the cards and highlight the pieces of information they have:
Title: name of the feature
What is it? description of the feature, with a picture of it on the right-hand side
How does it keep pedestrians safe? breaks down what the feature does and how it works to keep pedestrians safe
Cost: relative expense of the feature to add, goes from $ – not expensive to $$$$ – very expensive
Time to install: estimated length of time from approved proposal to fully installed in the street
Point out to students that cost and time are important parts of the design process, as they are design constraints or conditions that restrict or limit a design project. Cost and time are important to consider when planning a design because both are usually limited. Add this term to the Word Wall.
design constraint: a condition that restricts or limits a design project
[Slide 11] Review real-world safety infrastructure: Pass out one Safety Improvement Card Sort handout per group.
Allow students a few minutes to review the different cards before giving them their sorting task.
Challenge the students to sort the different safety features into categories for how they keep pedestrians safe. Students can have as many categories as they want, but they need to be able to justify why they sorted the cards into those categories.
Have groups work on sorting their cards and completing the handout.
Ask table groups to briefly share out their categories and their justifications. Debrief by prompting students to identify common categories across the class.
Two categories you will most likely see multiple times are:
Improvements to help slow traffic, such as speed bumps, speed limits, traffic circles, etc. Seattle DOT calls these traffic calming features.
Improvements to help pedestrians safely cross the street, such as curb bulbs, crossing islands, marked crosswalks, etc. Seattle DOT calls these crossing treatment features.
If either of these categories surfaces in the class, connect it to the Seattle DOT categories so students feel they are really assuming the role of an urban planner. Through these data analysis and interpretation activities, they are seeing and understanding what professional urban planners see and what they must understand when making decisions to redesign for safety.
Students will need their Safety Improvement Card Sort handouts and the cards again, so ensure they keep them somewhere easy to access in the classroom.
| Step 4: Propose solutions | (20 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students apply their understanding of the criteria and constraints of designing for pedestrian safety to propose solutions to their route’s defined problem for pedestrians.
[Slide 12] Brainstorm solutions: Draw students’ attention back to their Walkability Criteria Checklist from Step 1. Have them review the list of brainstormed potential problems for pedestrians along their route.
Ask students to work with their group to narrow down their list of potential problems to the top two that make the biggest impact on pedestrians and, if solved, would raise the walk safety score of their route the most.
Students should mark these two problems with a star to clearly identify them.
Bring students back to thinking about the Safety Improvement Cards and their categories. Have them review and identify which categories or specific features could be solutions to their top two problems.
Students should mark these categories or solutions with a star on their Safety Improvement Card Sort handout.
Example problem/solution combination could be:
Problem: Crosswalks are not easy to find (street crossings).
Solution(s): Add marked crosswalks and crossing beacons.
[Slides 13] Prepare for group work: Pass out the Pedestrian-Oriented Design Planning handout and have students review Parts 1 and 2. Remind students that the engineering design process needs to have a defined problem and developed solution; this is what they are going to do in their groups today.
Share with students that while everyone will be recording their own handout to reference when we share our designs with other teams in the next lesson, they will be working together to combine their ideas into a single design recommendation that solves a defined problem.
You might say: The first part of your exhibition should be informing the audience about the problem you defined. If they know what the problem is and why it is important to solve the problem, they will be really interested in hearing your solution and how it works. Let’s figure out which problem on our route is the highest priority to fix to make it safer for pedestrians.
[Slide 14] Consensus discussions: Walk students through Part 1 of the design planning handout: “Define the problem.” Explain to students that they will have to decide as a group which of the problems they have identified they want to design a solution for, and explain that they should only fill out the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) for that one problem.
Give groups 10 minutes to decide which problem they would like to solve and fill in the CER on the Pedestrian-Oriented Design Planning handout. This is something that should, at this point, be very familiar to students, so they should be able to use the resources they have already completed, like the Walkability Criteria Checklist, to fill out their CER.
[Slide 15] Next, walk students through Part 2 of the design planning handout: “Develop a solution.” They should use the Safety Improvement Card Sort handout and the Safety Improvement Cards to support them in developing the solution. They may also want to refer back to the location of their identified problem on Google Earth to remember what the street looked like.
Reassure students that this is just their initial design solution; they will have the opportunity to get feedback on it and revise it in the next lesson.
Give groups 10 minutes to decide on a solution they would like to propose and to fill in page 2 of their Pedestrian-Oriented Design Planning handout.
| Step 5: Revisit the Know & Need to Know chart | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students are refocused on the unit driving question and how what they learned can be applied to answering that question.
You might say: Let’s revisit the Know & Need to Know chart to see how our knowledge has changed. What can we add to the “Know” part of our chart that would be helpful as we design solutions to keep pedestrians safe? What else do we need to know before sharing our designs at our Urban Planning Exhibition?
[Slide 16] Reflect on progress: Invite students to discuss what they have learned and how their thinking has changed. Use the following prompts to elicit student ideas and update the Know & Need to Know chart using a different colored marker to indicate new thinking from what was recorded last time.
What do we know now that we didn’t know before?
What questions have we answered?
What new questions do we have now?
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 2.3: Friendly Feedback
Teacher Guide
Lesson 2.3: Friendly Feedback
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 2.3: Friendly FeedbackUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: What features can we add to make an area safer for pedestrians? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you refine your design plan recommendation in the same way as most scientists and engineers: through peer feedback. First, you will evaluate your Urban Planning Team’s plan to identify areas you want more feedback on, then you will switch papers with your peer review partners and take turns providing feedback to each other as you explain your team’s design plan. Finally, you will record your team’s next steps to improve your design plan. Lesson Steps
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 60 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ DCI | ETS1.B: At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs. | |
| ✓ SEP | Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Respectfully provide and receive critiques from peers about a proposed procedure, explanation, or model by citing relevant evidence and posing specific questions.Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information: Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media, and may include tables, diagrams, and charts. | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
|
|
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students refine their Urban Planning Team’s design plan recommendations through peer feedback. First, students evaluate their team’s plan to identify areas they want more feedback on, then, in pairs, they switch papers with a pair from a different group and take turns providing feedback to each other as they each explain their team’s design plan. Finally, students will record their team’s next steps to improve their design plan. |
| Teacher Preparation |
|
Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Explore project goals | (20 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students review the Project Checklist and Rubric to finalize their team’s design plan and prepare for peer feedback.
You might say: Before you really finalize our Urban Planning Team’s design, you need to know what a great design plan recommendation has. Let’s review the checklist and rubric that we’ll use to determine if a design has everything it needs to be implemented in the community.
[Slide 2] Review project challenge: Refer back to the Project Checklist and Rubric from Lesson 1.1 and prompt students to review the project challenge and expectations.
If you have not yet distributed the project rubric, do so now.
Invite students to read through the rubric for the project and consider the expectations for their design plan with a partner, considering the following questions:
What questions do you still have about the project?
What expectations do you think will be the most challenging? Least challenging?
What expectations are unclear and you want to know more about?
Have students share questions they have about the project’s expectations and clarify as needed.
[Slide 3] Finalize designs: Prompt students to take out their Pedestrian-Oriented Design Planning handout from Lesson 2.2.
Students will work with their Urban Planning Team to review their current plan—with the criteria of the project checklist and rubric in mind—and work together to finalize their designs.
Inform students that they individually need their final designs as they will be splitting up for the peer feedback process.
| Step 2: Evaluate your plan | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students review their own team’s design plan using the Peer Feedback Rubric and identify where their group needs more feedback to effectively improve their designs.
You might say: An important part of any urban planner’s process is sharing their ideas with their peers (other urban planners) and getting feedback on the design and how well it meets their criteria. In this lesson, we’re following the process used by urban planners as we share our plans with each other, our peers, to give and get feedback on our designs.
[Slide 4] Self-evaluation: Pass out the Peer Feedback Rubric and share with students that they are going to get targeted feedback from their peers on the key goals of our project.
Provide a minute or two for students to become familiar with the Peer Feedback Rubric.
Prompt students to individually fill in the “self-feedback” column based on their knowledge of the group’s design.
Invite students to put a question mark next to the criteria that they marked “not yet” and a star next to the criteria they want more specific feedback on.
Prepare for peer feedback: Split each team into two pairs. Have each pair review their self-evaluation with each other and look for common marks.
Prompt each pair to identify the criteria they want feedback on the most (starred criteria) when they pair up with another group to get feedback.
| Teacher Tip: Teaching Students How to Give Quality FeedbackPeer evaluation can be a difficult task for students. Some students can be sensitive to critical feedback or feel judged, and introverts may feel shy and nervous about the process. To combat these challenges, it is useful to create a culture of feedback that allows students to become familiar and comfortable with the process. Edutopia offers some suggestions to encourage “reflection not correction,” provide choice, and offer opportunities for specific feedback. As you develop this portion of the lesson, you may find it useful to explore Edutopia’s article "Teaching Kids to Give and Receive Quality Peer Feedback." You may also want to review "The Role of a Teacher in a Critique Lesson" article from EL Education or watch the "Austin’s Butterfly: Building Excellence in Student Work" video to learn how a teacher can facilitate quality feedback for students. |
| Step 3: Participate in peer feedback | (20 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students give and receive feedback on each other’s design plans to build a deeper understanding of the project criteria and develop experience evaluating and refining their design solution.
Model feedback: Using a sample design plan you created in advance, model how students should listen or read and how they should mark up the rubric. You should also model providing specific and kind feedback, as that is what will support the feedback recipient in making improvements to their design.
[Slide 5] Peer feedback: Organize the students into groups of four: each with a pair from a different Urban Planning Team.
The team pairs will switch handouts with their partner pair and identify a “pair A” and a “pair B.”
Explain the procedure for giving and receiving feedback to the groups:
Share your design plan (8 minutes).
Pair A explains the plan out loud using drawings or information from their Pedestrian-Oriented Design Planning handout.
Pair B listens and records feedback on the rubric.
Summarize feedback: (2 minutes)
Pair B shares a summary of the feedback with pair A.
Pairs switch roles and repeat the process.
After both pairs have shared and given feedback, have them return their papers to their original owners.
| Step 4: Plan your next steps | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students plan their group’s next steps on how to improve their design plan.
[Slide 6] Plan next steps: Have pairs give their papers back to the original owners and thank each other for the feedback.
Prompt students to turn to their team partner to review the feedback they received and discuss:
Are there any changes you want to make to your design?
Is there something you want to share with your team?
Are there questions you now have?
Students will consider the feedback they received and use it to inform their team’s next steps, recording them on their Peer Feedback Rubric.
Note: When students regroup with their team in Lesson 3.1, they will have two sets of feedback (one from each pair) that they will integrate into their final design.
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Module 3: Designing Safer Communities
Module Overview
Module 3: Designing Safer Communities
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Unit Driving Question
How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question
What actions can we take to make our community safer?
Module Overview
In Module 3 of this unit, student Urban Planning Teams improve their designs based on the feedback they received, then prepare and showcase their work at their Urban Planning Exhibition. First, students regroup with their team to share the peer feedback they received and determine how it should be incorporated into their recommendation plans. They integrate the feedback to make changes to refine the problem for pedestrians and develop a map model of the area to visually demonstrate the problem they defined. Then, students reevaluate and integrate the feedback from their peer review to refine their solution to improve pedestrian safety, updating their map model of the area to visually demonstrate how the location would change with the implementation of their design. Students also review the expectations for the final exhibition and prepare for their Urban Planning Exhibition by creating visuals and practicing sharing their design arguments with each other. Finally, Urban Planning Teams showcase their understanding of urban planning and designing safe communities to students, teachers, parents, and community members. After the exhibition, students reflect on and celebrate all they have accomplished to redesign the community to make it safer for pedestrians. An optional extension of this unit is to work with community leaders to present pedestrian safety recommendations and get them enacted in the community.
| Lesson 3.1: Model Designs (60+ minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets: I can:
| In this lesson, students regroup with their Urban Planning Team to share the peer feedback and determine how it should be incorporated into their recommendation plans. Then, they integrate the feedback to make changes to refine the problem for pedestrians and develop a model to help other people visualize the area and the problem they defined. |
| Lesson 3.2: Call to Action (120 minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets: I can:
| In this lesson, student groups review the exhibition structure and analyze a video example of a design plan recommendation from students at Arroyo High School. Then, they reevaluate and integrate the feedback changes or additions they identified in Lesson 3.1 to refine their solution design to improve pedestrian safety. Next, they add the feature they are proposing in their design recommendation to their map model using colors or 3D representations to visually demonstrate how the location would change with the design. Finally, students prepare for the final exhibition by creating visuals and practicing sharing their arguments and designs with each other. |
| Lesson 3.3: Urban Planning Exhibition (45 minutes) | |
Key Standards: Learning Targets: I can:
| In this lesson, student teams showcase their understanding of urban planning and designing safe communities to students, teachers, parents, and community members in our Urban Planning Exhibition. After the exhibition, students reflect on all they have accomplished to make the community safer for everyone. This lesson is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the students! |
| Module Assessments |
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| Vocabulary |
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Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 3.1: Model Designs
Teacher Guide
Lesson 3.1: Model Designs
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 3.1: Model DesignsUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: What actions can we take to make our community safer? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, you will regroup with your Urban Planning Team to share your feedback and decide how you should change or add to your recommendation plan. Then, you will integrate the feedback changes to refine your problem for pedestrians. Finally, your Urban Planning Team will develop a model to help other people visualize the area and the problem you defined. Lesson Steps
Explore More
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 60+ minutes (dependent on map construction time) |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ PE | 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. | |
| ✓ SEP | Developing and Using Models: Develop a model using an analogy, example, or abstract representation to describe a scientific principle or design solution.Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model.Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool, or process. | |
| ✓ WSSSS | G1.5.3: Construct maps and other graphic representations of both familiar and unfamiliar places. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
|
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, students regroup with their Urban Planning Team to share the peer feedback and determine how it should be incorporated into their recommendation plans. Then, they integrate the feedback to make changes to refine the problem for pedestrians and develop a model to help other people visualize the area and the problem they defined. |
| Teacher Preparation |
|
Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Share peer feedback | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, student groups review the feedback they received from their peer evaluators and decide how to change or add to their design recommendations for the final exhibition.
You might say: In the last lesson, we gathered feedback on our group’s design plan. Urban planners gather feedback because other people bring different perspectives, and their knowledge of the area can help make our ideas better. Today, your urban planning team is going to integrate the feedback you received and refine your problem for pedestrians. Then, you’ll prepare for your Urban Planning Exhibition by making a map to help others visualize the problem that we saw when we analyzed our data.
[Slide 2] Orient to the exhibition: Explain the structure and inform students that they will not be formally presenting their projects in front of everyone at the exhibition but standing by their map model and visuals and presenting to the audience that comes by to learn about their project.
Share that they are going to get to practice presenting and answering questions about their project with another group.
Recommend that they have two people in charge of defining the problem and two in charge of explaining the solution. Allow students 5 minutes to briefly talk about who will present each section.
[Slide 3] Direct students to regroup with their Urban Planning Team: Prompt students to each share the feedback that they got from their peer review partner in the last lesson.
Use the questions on the slide to guide students to look for common feedback or trends they noticed and use that information to prioritize what should be addressed first in their refining of their design.
Students should highlight or make a note of the things they want to change or add to their design recommendations.
| Step 2: Refine the problem | (20 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students reevaluate their defined problem and integrate the feedback from Lesson Step 1 to refine their group’s argument on the Revised Design Plan handout.
[Slide 4] Refining the problem: Pass out the Revised Design Plan handout and indicate to students that this is where they will put their final argument that defines the problem for pedestrians on their route.
Remind students to consider the feedback they received when revising their arguments.
Also, point out to students that the final exhibition will include students, teachers, parents, and/or community members (this will vary depending on who you have invited and when the exhibition is scheduled), so they should be mindful to write their plan to match their audience.
Work time: Allow students time to finalize their argument that defines the problem.
| Step 3: Model the problem | (30+ min) |
Purpose: In this step, students learn about the art of mapmaking from Danai Fadgyas, an urban planner in Melbourne, Australia, and then follow his process to make a map that highlights their defined problem.
[Slide 5] Play the "Art of Mapmaking" video [3:57]: You may wish to pause the video and record the five essential ingredients of a map according to Danai Fadgyas. They are also listed on [Slide 6].
[Slide 6] Model the problem: Walk students through the steps of mapmaking and talk through the considerations they should have as they build their map.
Purpose: To help people visualize where and what the problem is for pedestrians on our route
Consider: What problem do you want to highlight? How big of an area do you need to map?
Build: Identify the area and zoom into Google Earth to only show this area.
Style: Illustrative (doesn’t have to be very precise, but should be roughly to scale)
Consider: What size paper will you use? How will you scale your map?
Build: Draw the outline of the major streets roughly to scale on your paper.
If the paper and the screen are roughly the same size, you can hold the paper up to the screen and trace the outline of the major streets to set the scale of the map.
Base considerations: What elements are important to show in your location? Which elements are important to the purpose?
Consider: Not all details can be shown on your map - which ones are really important to show? How simple can you make them?
Build: Draw in map details that are important to highlight the problem - buildings, street features, current safety features, etc.
Context considerations: How will you emphasize the important areas?
Consider: Are any elements important to show in 3D? Which and why? Are there specific features that should be styled differently to make them easier to see (like making them a different color)?
Build: Draw in or highlight the important elements and features that outline the problem for pedestrians you are defining on your map.
Personalize considerations: How will your group make it original?
Consider: What will your team add to make the map representative of your style? What colors, pictures, writing style, etc. will you add to personalize your map?
Build: Use your team’s style, colors, and design elements to finish the main part of your map (everything but the BOLTSS).
BOLTSS considerations: Border, Orientation (compass), Legend, Title, Scale (approximate), and a Source (Google Earth)
Build: Add in the BOLTSS details to finalize your map of the problem for pedestrians your Urban Planning Team has defined.
Work time: Have a materials manager from each group gather the materials they will need to create the map. Allow students time to work together.
It is recommended that students take on group roles while working, here are some example roles:
Facilitator: keeps everyone on task and focused, ensures everyone has a voice in the group, supports the others where needed
Cartographer: uses Google Earth to review the location they are mapping, keeps track of important elements to show, and displays them when needed to support the urban planner
Urban planner: does big-picture thinking about the problem/design solution and how the base map should demonstrate the problem/solution
Community communicator: thinks about how the community will read the map and works with both the urban planner and the cartographer to add the details to the map such as labels and smaller objects to support the presentation goals
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 3.2: Call to Action
Teacher Guide
Lesson 3.2: Call to Action
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 3.2: Call to ActionUnit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Question: What actions can we take to make our community safer? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose In this lesson, your Urban Planning Team will review the exhibition structure and analyze a video example of a student design plan recommendation, then reevaluate and integrate the feedback changes or additions you identified in Lesson 3.1 to refine your solution design to improve pedestrian safety. Next, your team will add the feature you are proposing in your design recommendation to your map model using colors or 3D representations to visually demonstrate how the location would change with your design. Finally, you will prepare for the final exhibition by creating visuals and practicing sharing your argument and design with an audience of your peers. Lesson Steps
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 120 minutes |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ PE | 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. | |
| ✓ DCI | ETS1.A: Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.ETS1.B: At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs. | |
| ✓ SEP | Developing and Using Models: Develop a model using an analogy, example, or abstract representation to describe a scientific principle or design solution.Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool, or process.Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. | |
| ✓ WSSSS | G1.5.3: Construct maps and other graphic representations of both familiar and unfamiliar places. |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
|
|
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, student groups review the exhibition structure and analyze a video example of a design plan recommendation from students at Arroyo High School. Then, they reevaluate and integrate the feedback changes or additions they identified in Lesson 3.1 to refine their solution design to improve pedestrian safety. Next, they add the feature they are proposing in their design recommendation to their map model using colors or 3D representations to visually demonstrate how the location would change with the design. Finally, students prepare for the final exhibition by creating visuals and practicing sharing their arguments and designs with each other. |
| Teacher Preparation |
|
Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: View a design plan recommendation example | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students review the exhibition structure and analyze a video example of a design plan recommendation from students at Arroyo High School.
[Slide 2] Review the exhibition structure and expectations: Direct students to retrieve their Project Checklist and Rubric handout from Lesson 2.3.
Review the structure of the exhibition and the expectations for the project on the rubric.
Invite students to share any questions they have about either the expectations or the rubric.
[Slide 3] Analyze a video example: Play the "Diagonal Crosswalks" video [1:56] showing a design plan recommendation from students at Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo, California.
Ask students to review and critique the Arroyo High School video using the project rubric, focusing on how the Arroyo students:
define the problem, showing where it is and how it is unsafe for pedestrians
explain the evidence (data) they analyzed and how it supports the claim that the problem is real and important to solve
describe their design solution and where it would go / what it would look like
explain how their solution would make the area safer for pedestrians
You may choose to replay the video one or two more times for students to make notes on what they observe using their rubric.
[Slide 4] Debrief the example: Invite students to debrief the example with the prompts below with a partner or small group, then initiate a whole-class discussion to share the highlights of their debrief discussion.
Discuss the example with your partner, considering how the Arroyo High School team:
made their claim
used data
supported their choice of a solution
used visuals and data to make their case
How do you think the Arroyo students could have improved their presentation?
| Step 2: Refine the solution | (15 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students reevaluate their solution and integrate the feedback from Lesson 3.1 to refine their group’s design on the Revised Design Plan handout.
You might say: We have already refined our problem and visualized it on a map model, but what about our solution? We want to make sure we show on our map how our design can solve the problem, so today let's revise our map to include our design recommendation and finalize our solution like we did our problem.
[Slide 5] Refine the solution: Direct students to retrieve their Revised Design Plan handout and share that just as they put their final argument that defines the problem on this sheet, they will also put their final solution.
Remind students to consider their peer feedback when revising their design solutions.
Again, remind students that the final exhibition will include students, teachers, parents, and/or community members, so they should be mindful to write their plan to match their audience.
Work time: Allow students time to finalize their solutions to the problem
| Step 3: Model the solution | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students use colors or 3D elements to add their design recommendation to their map model to show where it would go, what it would do, and what the street redesign would look like.
[Slide 6] Revising the model: Direct students back to their map from Lesson 3.1 and encourage them to be creative to make their design recommendations stand out and showcase how they would benefit pedestrians on the map.
Encourage students to use color (or materials to turn the 2D map into a 3D map) to increase the ease of reading the map and understanding what the solution is and what it does.
Circulate as students work and press them with questions about their solutions as a formative assessment opportunity.
Work time: Allow students time to revise their maps and add in their solutions.
| Step 4: Prepare for your exhibition | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students create visuals to support their map model that outlines the problem, and they explain how their design recommendation would solve it.
You might say: The goal of our exhibition is to get people to learn about the problem we interpreted from our data and understand how our design recommendation can solve that problem, but our audience may need more than just us talking to them and our map to understand. When planners make proposal presentations, they have many visuals to help people understand their designs.
[Slide 7] Review a planner’s exhibition from RMIT University’s School of Architecture in Australia: Invite students to share what they notice about the visuals this planner included. Look for the following responses: writing, pictures, maps, models.
[Slides 8] Exhibition preparation: Share with students the visuals they will be making to support their presentation.
They will be using large paper (either legal-size or chart paper, depending on the availability) to create a visual mini-poster to help define the problem and another to support the explanation of how the solution works.
Students should include writing, but they can also include pictures or diagrams on their visuals.
Encourage students to review the Safety Improvement Cards again for inspiration.
Digital alternative: Instead of creating mini-poster visuals to support their presentations, students can also create slides explaining their urban design plan recommendation with the same information as the posters. Using laptops or tablets, students can incorporate these slides into the gallery-style Urban Planning Exhibition or show them in a more formal presentation.
If adjusting to have a digital alternative, use [Slide 9] rather than [Slide 8].
Work time: Allow students time to construct their visuals.
| Step 5: Practice presenting to the audience | (30 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students re-watch the video from the Arroyo High School student team, focusing on how they communicated to their audience. Then they role-play with another group to practice how to explain their design recommendation and answer questions from the audience in preparation for our exhibition.
You might say: An important part of communicating our designs is presenting them to other people. Like you, the group of high school students in California also needed to communicate their defined pedestrian safety problem and solution to an audience of community members. Let’s re-watch their video, focusing on how they communicated their problem and solution to non–urban planners within their community.
[Slide 10] Replay the "Diagonal Crosswalks" video [1:56]: Clarify that you recognize how they shared their information was a bit different as they were outside using the actual site as their visual, but what did students notice about how the high school students shared their information? Look for the following responses from students:
They shared in simple language for everyone to understand.
They shared why the problem was important to them.
They were specific and clear about the data that supported the problem (numbers of people who crossed, observational data of those who they interviewed).
They explained in detail how their solution would make the intersection safer for pedestrians.
They used visuals and pictures (footage) to help explain their recommendation.
[Slide 7] Presentation preparation: Pass out the Communicating Our Designs handout and inform students that they will not be formally presenting their projects in front of everyone at the exhibition but standing by their map model and visuals and presenting to the audience that comes by to learn about their project.
Share that they are going to get to practice presenting and answering questions about their project with another group.
Recommend that they have two people in charge of defining the problem and two in charge of explaining the solution. Allow students 5 minutes to briefly talk about who will present each section.
Presentation practice: Walk students through the protocol for practicing:
Group A will present first. They will describe their problem, why it is unsafe for pedestrians, their design recommendation, and how the recommendation would solve the problem (5 minutes).
Group B will ask clarification questions about the design, and group A will respond (3 minutes).
Optional question stems are available on the slide.
Group B offers feedback on group A’s presentation (2 minutes).
Switch roles and group B presents.
Set a timer to ensure each group stays on task during the practice session.
Practice: Allow students time to practice their presentations using the protocol. Circulate the room and listen in as you keep time to ensure students stay on task and practice.
Wrap-up: In the last 5 minutes of the session, have the Urban Planning Teams meet back together to debrief their feedback and reflect on what adjustments they may want to make when they present at the exhibition.
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Lesson 3.3: Urban Planning Exhibition
Teacher Guide
Lesson 3.3: Urban Planning Exhibition
Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design
Lesson 3.3: Urban Planning Exhibition
Unit Driving Question: How can we design communities that are safe for people?
Module Driving Questions: What actions can we take to make our community safer? Learning Targets I can:
Purpose Let’s celebrate! In this lesson, you and your team will showcase your understanding of urban planning and designing safe communities to an audience of students, teachers, parents, and community members in our Urban Planning Exhibition. After the exhibition, you will reflect on all you have accomplished to make your community safer for everyone. Lesson Steps
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Teacher Preparation Notes
Pacing | |
| Lesson Timing: | 45 minutes (+ if continuing with optional extension) |
| Standards | ||
| ✓ PE | 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. | |
| ✓ DCI | ETS1.A: Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.ETS1.B: Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. | |
| ✓ SEP | Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem.Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information: Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media, and may include tables, diagrams, and charts. | |
| ✓ WSSSS | SSS4.5.4: Present a summary of arguments and explanations to others outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, and reports) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary). | |
| ✓ CCSS | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. |
| Lesson Overview | |
| In this lesson, student teams showcase their understanding of urban planning and designing safe communities to students, teachers, parents, and community members in our Urban Planning Exhibition. After the exhibition, students reflect on all they have accomplished to make the community safer for everyone. This lesson is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the students! |
| Lesson Resources | ||
| For Students | For Teachers | Materials |
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| Teacher Preparation |
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Lesson Steps in Detail
| Step 1: Present your designs at the Urban Planning Exhibition | (35 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students celebrate the learning and hard work of their Urban Planning Team with the community by presenting their designs and showing how they have learned to make their community safer for people.
[Slide 2] Welcome community guests to the exhibition!
You might say: Our Urban Planning Teams have been hard at work studying walkable routes to different popular community locations. They have become urban planners: collecting data through observations, analyzing and interpreting that data, and designing solutions to problems they have identified for pedestrians. These amazing planners are now ready to share their findings and recommendations with the community. I would like to wholeheartedly welcome everyone to our Urban Planning Exhibition and celebration of their projects!
Facilitate introductions: Introduce the student teams, as well as your exhibition guests.
[Slide 3] Review the unit for guests: Explain the learning and collaboration that students have completed throughout the unit, which they are sharing and celebrating in their exhibition today.
[Slide 4] Describe the exhibition structure (or adapt as needed to reflect your students’ exhibition):
Urban Planning Teams will stay at their project displays while the guests circulate from project to project within the exhibition space.
When guests approach a team’s exhibit, students should share the following, as they practiced in the previous lesson:
Define the problem on the route to their community location.
Explain why it is unsafe for pedestrians.
Present the design solution they recommend.
Explain how their solution will solve the problem.
The audience’s role is very important, as they will be giving feedback at the end of the exhibition and will be asked to prioritize the project based on the information they hear from the presentations. Encourage community guests to ask the teams questions if they have them.
Remind student teams that a big part of being an urban planner is to be able to communicate their arguments and solutions and answer questions the community may have about their designs. Being clear and specific about their design will help guests understand why their recommendation is so important to install in the community.
Exhibition time: As community guests circulate and teams present their designs to them, you may choose to use the Project Checklist and Rubric to grade student projects.
[Slide 5] Wrap up the exhibition:
Invite guests to provide feedback to the urban planners through the Urban Planning Exhibition Guest Feedback Form (copy the template to create your own).
Thank all of the guests for coming and attending all of the teams’ presentations.
| Step 2: Reflect on your experience | (10 min) |
Purpose: In this step, students revisit the Know & Need to Know chart, then reflect on their work and what they have learned throughout this unit. Self-reflection is a powerful tool in learning, especially with skill development, so if this is new to some of your students, you may want to model the activity by sharing your personal reflections on the project as well.
[Slide 6] Reflect on progress: Invite students to discuss what they have learned and how their thinking has changed. Use the following prompts to elicit student ideas and update the Know & Need to Know chart using a different colored marker to indicate new thinking from what was recorded last time.
What do we know now that we didn’t know before?
What questions have we answered?
What new questions do we have now?
Invite students to share what they would do next if they were to continue as an urban planner.
[Slide 7] Student reflection: Pass out the Unit Self-Reflection handout. Share the reasons we reflect and the different types of things we can reflect on (content learned, process or skills developed, or what you learned about yourself along the way). Another important use of reflection is to provide feedback to the teacher to make the project even better for next year’s students.
| Step 3: OPTIONAL – Take action! | (60+ min) |
Purpose: In this optional step, students vote along with the exhibition audience to determine which design is the highest priority to implement in the community. They then contact stakeholders and work to get the design implemented in the community if possible.
Share designs: Have students share their design recommendations with the class and complete the same ranking question as the exhibition guests in their feedback form.
Analyze the data with students to determine which one was ranked the highest priority (the one that is the most needed right now).
Contact stakeholders: Depending on the nature of the identified problem and type of solution, you may need to reach out to district, city, county, or state officials to determine which organization would be responsible for designing, approving, or implementing safety changes in that area.
Have students prepare a class presentation to argue for the importance of solving the problem as well as advocating for how the solution would work.
Organize a presentation to the stakeholders.
Take action! While there is no guarantee that the student design will be able to be implemented, the experience students will have in going through this process will be extremely relevant and will allow them to see the importance of civic action.
Unless otherwise noted, Guardians of the Block: Safe Communities by Design ©2023 by Educurious is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.