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What is a Municipality?

Time Frame

3 class periods of 45 minutes each

Authors

Utah LessonPlans

Summary

Students will gain information about Utah municipalities.


Materials


Background for Teachers

Enduring Understanding

Students will understand that Utah municipalities include cities and towns with varied populations, traditions, and history.

Essential Questions

  • What is a municipality?
  • What is the difference between a city and a town?

Objectives

Students will compare the ways in which a school meets unique community needs with the ways in which a municipality meets unique citizen needs.

Students will study and understand the differences between cities and towns.


Instructional Procedures

Setting the Stage: "Our Unique School"

  • This lesson will start with a mini-field trip around the school grounds. Tell students that the class will walk around the grounds to observe and take notes on the features of the building, grounds, plants, and playground.
  • Explain that when students are back in class, they will then be asked to sketch a "bird's-eye view" of the campus. The drawing will include as many details as they can remember.
  • Pass out "Our Unique School" worksheet(pdf), pencils, paper, and clipboards.
  • While students are outside, help them identify which direction is north, south, east, and west. Proceed around the campus pointing out interesting features. Students will take notes or sketch as they walk.
  • After students return to their desks, pass out "The School Campus" worksheet(pdf). Ask students to use their notes in order to draw and label the streets, playround equipment, buildings, flag pole, trees, etc.
  • Share and discuss drawings.
  • Ask students if all Utah schools look and function in the same way. Explain that each school is uniquely planned and "customized" to fit the needs of the school population and patrons. Ask students how their school differs from other schools that they have visited. Why aren't schools all the same?
  • Ask students to list factors that might impact the design or function of a school. (Factors might include: number of students, ages of students, type of school, geography of the land, and design of neighborhood homes, etc.)
  • Explain that just as schools are planned to reflect the needs of the students who use it, cities and towns are organized to reflect the history, population, geography, and needs of their community. Many factors play a part in the ways in which communities are organized.

Activity: "Our Country, Our State, Our City, Our Town" Worksheet,

  • Distribute "Our Country, Our State, Our City, Our Town" worksheet(pdf) to students. Read and discuss the information.
  • Ask students to pair up with a friend to brainstorm and write the names of all the Utah cities, towns, or communities that they can remember. Record students' answers on a chart for further reference.
  • Students will keep the handout in their "City and Towns" file.
  • Discuss ways in which students might research facts about their own community and discover how their community received its name.

Activity: "Municipalities Have Lots of Class!" Worksheet

  • Ask students to think of reasons why some communities are called towns and some are called cities.
  • Pass out "Municipalities Have Lots of Class!"(pdf)
  • Read and discuss the information. Challenge students to discover whether the communities they listed earlier are cities or towns. (This might be done by calling city offices or accessing community websites.)

Activity: Short Review/Quiz (As a Class Response or on Paper)

  1. What is a municipality?
  2. What is the difference between a city and a town?
  3. Why do schools differ from one another?
  4. In what ways might municipalities differ from one another?
  5. What factors might cause these differences?


Bibliography

This lesson plan is part of the Utah League of Cities and Towns This Must be Utah! A Teacher's Guide to Utah Cities and Towns

  • Author: Sheri Sohm
  • Editor: Sydney Fonnesbeck , Director of Training
    Utah League of Cities and Towns


Created: 05/24/2006
Updated: 02/02/2018
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