Cynthia H. Roberts
During the past 60 years there have been a number of changes in the Dixwell Community. With the urban renewal, not only the physical structure of the area, but the human dimension as well as showed a considerable change.
The purpose of this Unit is to afford students the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the historical background, physical structure, organizations, businesses, and individual contributions for the redevelopment of the Dixwell Community.
The majority of activities incorporated in this unit will concentrate on reading.
The activities and strategies in this unit will encourage students to use various skills and abilities for learning.
The students will learn a range of skills: 1) Critical and analytic thinking, 2) Reading comprehension, 3) Vocabulary building, 4) Writing skills, 5) Research and map skills.
Objectives
1) To motivate students to read: 2) To improve some general information concerning the Redevelopment of the community. 3) To expose students to businesses, and organizations in the community. 4) To gain knowledge about historical development and contributions of past and present culture. 5) To gain knowledge, skills, values, social participation, and practice in decision making. 6) To understand how economic development in the U.S. influences the community. 7) To demonstrate and increase social studies vocabulary associated with the unit. 8) To demonstrate the ability to locate and research materials in the library. 9) To understand the social and economic conditions in the community.
This unit will cover a six week period and will be divided into four separate sections. Classes will meet five times a week.
This unit will provide the adolescents (9th -12th grades) with an opportunity to read and discuss issues that are relevant to the community.
The community is a vital resource for teaching economics. Many adolescents seem to feel and alienation towards there local area. They spend large parts of their school day in what they feel is an artificial school environment removed from the everyday activity of community life.
In addition to that, developing a better understanding of the local economy can help them to develop a sense of social efficacy that encourages participation in their community. Community study can help to build a stronger identity with the local area, and can reduce feelings of cynicism and apathy so common among many adolescents.
In learning economics by means of the local community provides students with numerous opportunities to become better citizens.
Students constitute the single most important resource of the local community, namely, its future. Through education, we can consciously foster those attitudes and skills deemed most valuable to the community.
Through this process, students will enter their community with a charge, to carry on the work of reproducing the life of the community.
It is my purpose in this unit, to actively participate in bringing about their vision of the future in the Dixwell Community.
