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A Word Portrait of My Community

Massachusetts "Community Profiles" Website

  Introduction

This activity draws on students' observations of and knowledge about their community in creating a word portrait of their town or city. It can be effectively used as a follow-up to other lessons in the "Our Town, Our City" collection, once the students have explored the history and culture of their community. The contributions of all of the students are compiled into one composite word portrait of the town or city. In this lesson, students develop an awareness of the subtleties of language and learn to collaborate with others in creative efforts.

Grades 4 - 12

Social Studies:

Gr 3, CS #4 4. Use cardinal directions, map scales, legends, and titles to locate places on contemporary maps of New England, Massachusetts, and the local community. (G)

Gr 4, CS #1 1. Use map and globe skills to determine absolute locations (latitude and longitude) of places studied. (G)

Language Arts:

Grades 3-4: 4.15. Determine the meanings of words and alternate word choices using a dictionary or thesaurus.

Grades 3-4: 13.6. Identify and use knowledge of common textual features (paragraphs, topic sentences, concluding sentences, glossary).

Grades 3-4: 19.11. For informational/expository writing: Write brief summaries of information gathered through research.

Grades 9-10: 4.25. Use general dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, thesauruses, or related references as needed to increase learning.

Grades 11-12: Students will organize ideas in writing in a way that makes sense for their purpose.

Information Technology:

Grades PK-4:
3.1. Explore and develop understanding of how to gather information from a variety of electronic sources, including teacher-selected Web sites, CDROM encyclopedias, and automated card catalog.

Grades 5-8: 3.6. In keeping with the research process outlined in Standard 24 of the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, identify electronic sources of information (e.g., Internet, CD-ROM, online periodical databases, and online catalogs).

Grades 5-8: 3.7. Use search engines effectively to find relevant, unbiased, and current information on a subject. (Standard 2 performance indicators apply--i.e., evaluate Web sites and write correct citations for sources.)

Grades 9-12: 3.12. In conducting research use all appropriate electronic sources (e.g., Web sites, online periodical databases, online catalogs).

Grades 9-12: 3.13. Integrate (with correct citations) electronic research results into a research project.

Grades 9-12: 3.14. Routinely evaluate Web sites for authenticity when using them.

Duration: One or two class periods.

Procedure:

1. Define the term "portrait"

2. Explain that the class will create together a word portrait of the school's town or city.

3. Print out, photocopy and hand out to the class the brief Narrative paragraph describing your town or city from the "Massachusetts Community Profiles" offered online by the Mass. Dept. of Housing and Community Development.

3. Locate your community on a map of Massachusetts (use Google Maps, or acquire maps from the Town Hall or Public Library or Town Engineer's Office.)

4. After reading your town's paragraph aloud, ask students if this is a full and accurate portrayal of their community. What is missing? What makes their community special? How does one distinguish this town or city from others? Encourage students to go beyond the obvious (boundary lines on a map) and into more subtle features of geography, history and culture.

5. Display a map of the local town or city on a screen. If you have an LCD projector, you can project directly from maps.google.com; otherwise, print out the map to display on an overhead projector.

6. Students (individually, in pairs or small groups) create a word-portrait of their community guided by the accompanying Worksheet, consulting the map and community profile when necessary.

7. Students take turns reading their word portraits for the class.

8. As each word portrait is read, a composite community portrait is created on the blackboard, adding more words to each line as each group reads aloud.

9. The entire class reads the composite word portrait aloud, with feeling!

10. Discuss: does this word portrait accurately describe our community? Is there anything left out? Would other media (images or sounds or music or dance or theater) better depict some of the elements?

1. Map of the town or city where the school is located

2. Overhead or LCD projector.

3. Internet connection (not required during class time - see above)

4. Photocopies of the town or city's Narrative description from the Community Profile website.

5. Worksheet (below)

5. Paper, pencil

Rubric (spreadsheet or PDF format)

_______________________: A Word Portrait
(community name)

by _________________________________
(student name(s)