Gene V. Gandelman
Lesson 11: The Good Things About My City
Objective To teach students how to seek out and accentuate the positive.
Sometimes with all the negatives you read an hear about regarding the city, it’s hard to remember all the good things and advantages. For example, if you’re unable to drive, the city provides buses, trains, and taxis. Entertainment, shopping, restaurants, sports events, museums, cultural centers and much more are easily accessible. Employment and job opportunities are more abundant in cities than rural areas. People come into the city every day to take advantage of what you have right there.
Writing Activity #1
Your friend down South wants to move North but can’t decide on which city to come to or even if he should go to a city or not. You would like this person to live near you. Write him or her a letter telling them why they should move to New Haven. Include all the places to go and things to see and do. Write about the people here, who you’re sure your friend will like. Describe the different seasons here and the various events which happen in each. Write about the schools an colleges, the theatre and culture, the proximity to New York, Hartford, and Boston.
Writing Activity #2
What is your favorite place, activity or event in New Haven? Describe it in detail. Write everything about it—how much fun it is, why you enjoy it and why others would enjoy it. Perhaps its the summer concerts on the Green, or a game in Yale Bowl, or a downtown parade. Maybe it’s the Labor Day road race or the Bed Races on the Green, or the Liberty Belle Cruise. Whatever it is, include every little detail. Don’t leave anything out. Make your readers want to experience it themselves. Don’t forget to tell them how to get there.
