Lesson Plans
Experiencing the City: An Introduction to Urban Planning for Middle School Students
Experiencing the City is an introduction to urban planning. Using the concepts and activities in this unit, teachers can take their students through a process involving evaluating and analyzing a city or neighborhood from multiple perspectives. Students will have the opportunity to learn how cities came to be, what infrastructures are needed to keep them running, and how cities respond to the needs of people and the organizations the use them.
Experiencing the City provides teachers tools to help students idenify key components of city planning and develop vocabulary related to architecture, design and urban planning. The program demonstrates the importance of urban planning and supports students as they think about good design for neighborhoods.
Dowload the free PowerPoint presentation and the teacher’s guide at the bottom of this page.
The City is a Classroom Program: Slide Show, Walking Tour and Workbook
The City is a Classroom is GPL’s three-part program utilizing architecture as a multi-disciplinary teaching tool. The program of study consists of:
- Slide Show of key buildings in Portland
- Walking Tour along Congress Street (Two weeks advance reservation is required. See “Tours” section for pricing and tour details.)
- The City is a Classroom Student Workbook, an interactive Portland history workbook especially for elementary school students. “Flint the Phoenix” guides students through the history of Portland using maps, games, and a comprehensive timeline. Correlates with 15 Places to Know. With foundation support, we are able to offer this booklet free to all Portland third-graders and their teachers, and for $1.00 per book for all other schools.
Contact the Manager of Education Programs for more information, 207-774-5561 ext 104.
Buildings Make Community
Buildings Make Community: A Teachers’ Resource Handbook, is a compilation of resources designed to make information and curriculum materials about the study of the built environment accessible to local area educators. Copies are available in the Frances W. Peabody Library as a reference and research tool. Topics include mapping, design heritage, structure and materials, and urban planning. GPL created the Handbook in 1995 in collaboration with Portland Public Schools.
Stop by the Frances W. Peabody Library to view the Handbook; or contact the Manager of Education Programs for more information, 207-774-5561 ext 104.
Portland Observatory Activity Book
The Portland Observatory: An Activity Book This twenty-four page activity book is geared toward third through fifth graders. It includes information on the Portland Observatory’s function as a maritime signal tower, its builder Captain Lemuel Moody, and its history through time. The book incorporates architecture, maritime history, and historic preservation, and is richly illustrated with photographs, copies of primary source documents, and original drawings by Peaks Island artist Jamie Hogan. Activities ask students to think about how their lives relate to the history surrounding this National Historic Landmark, enhance their vocabulary, and help them gain a deeper understanding of Portland’s maritime heritage. Discounted price available for schools.
Portland Observatory Resource Guide
The Portland Observatory Resource Guide provides online access to free lesson plans and activities which are designed to be adaptable to a variety of grade levels. Targeted results from the Maine State Learning Results are listed within each section, and the resource guide can be used as a jumping-off point for field trip preparation, a unit on Portland history, or a yearlong experimental learning project with the Portland Observatory as the focus.
Portland Timeline for Kids
Download the PDF below to view this historic timeline of Portland from The Portland Observatory: An Activity Book.
Experiencing the City PowerPoint