Dorothy F. Forbes
This unit is about a community in the City of New Haven, Connecticut, The Hill Community, which was one of the first communities in the United States of America to be selected as a Model Cities area. I feel that this qualifies it to be considered unique. I will focus on what a community is, how a community functions, and what causes it to grow or remain stagnant. I shall look at how the involvement of the inhabitants in the community shapes it.
I have looked at how the various ethnic groups shaped this locale as they moved to and from. How politics played a role around ethnicity. I have listed sample lesson plans, strategies, and techniques that may be used or others may be instituted easily to enhance the teaching of this unit.
Since communities make up the cities which comprise the states and then the nation, it is very important that our students understand what it takes to keep our country, America, in the vanguard as we move into the 21st century. Some alarmists are forecasting that the leaders-to-be of this great nation at this time are not, for the most part, gearing up on positive routes that will keep us in the forefront. Thus we need to begin to get our future leaders back in the spirit of pride and feeling ownership. I feel that this unit is one step in that direction.
(Recommended for Social Studies, grades 7-12)
Key Words
Ethnicity Puerto Rican Hispanic Ethnicity Migration New Haven Rico American Race Relations Life Urban Communities
