Module 31: Changing Communities- Social Studies 3 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, students will learn to identify the factors that cause cities to grow, identify the factors that would lead someone to live in an urban area and identify the factors that would lead someone to live in a suburban or rural area. They will compare and contrast modes of transportation across time and how they have affected American communities and identify the role that new technology plays in changing communities.

Module Materials:

  • Pencils
  • Crayons or colored pencils
  • Notebook
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Highlighter
  • Markers
  • Blank paper

Module Objectives:

Lesson # Lesson Title Objective(s)
1 Why Cities Grow
  1. Identify the factors that cause cities to grow.
2 Urban Life
  1. Identify the factors that would lead someone to live in an urban area.
3 Suburban and Rural Life
  1. Identify the factors that would lead someone to live in a suburban or rural area.
4 Transportation Then and Now
  1. Compare and contrast modes of transportation across time and how they have affected American communities.
5 New Technology
  1. Identify the role that new technology plays in changing communities.

Module Key Words:

Key Words
population growth
urban
suburban
rural
transportation
community
technology
personal information

Module Assignments:

Lesson # Lesson Title Page # Assignment Title
2 Urban Life 6 City Living Assignment
3 Suburban and Rural Life 6 Where Would You live? Assignment
5 New Technology 6 The Most Important Technology Assignment

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson # Lesson Title Notes
1 Why Cities Grow After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain what a city is and the factors that cause cities to grow.
2 Urban Life After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain the reasons why people choose to live in urban areas.
3 Suburban and Rural Life After completing this lesson, ask your student to explain the characteristics of a suburban and rural area, and why people would choose to live in either area.
4 Transportation Then and Now After completing this lesson, ask your student to describe three things they learned about transportation in this lesson, how it has changed, and how it impacts communities.
5 New Technology

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title Question
Why Cities Grow
  1. What factors lead to the growth of cities?
Urban Life
  1. Why do some people live in urban areas?
Suburban and Rural Life
  1. Why do some people live in suburban or rural areas?
Transportation Then and Now
  1. How has transportation changed in America?
New Technology
  1. What role does technology play in changing communities?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title Video Question

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

  • What is the main idea?
  • What are three things new you learned?
  • How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

# Book Author Lexile Level

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

# Outing