Pre-Visit Activities : Urban Sprawl : Assessment Third - Fifth Grade Online Curriculum : Communities

Assessment
Have the students examine  the school’s property. Have the students examine  how different parts of the school property are used and then break these land uses down into percentages. For example: the school’s property is 4 acres and the school’s buildings occupy 30% of the property, the playground 5%, the ball field 10%, the parking lot 15%, and the remaining 40% is woods. The students will then create a map that shows the entire property with correctly proportioned developed areas. The map can be assessed according to a scoring rubric of: understanding of the terms developed and undeveloped areas (5 pts), understanding of percentages (3 pts), and correct proportions (2 pts).

Scoring Rubric (Out of 5 points)
On the map:

•  Developed and undeveloped areas are correctly labeled (2 points)

•  Written percentages correlate with the percentage of space allotted on the map (2 points)

•  Proportions on map and percentages are correct (1 point)

• Total: 5 points

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Cross-Curricular Extensions
Social studies/science/language arts: Ask students to research how humans can either

1. minimize the negative impact of technology, industrialization, or population growth on ecosystems or
2. maximize the positive impact of technology or industrialization on ecosystems
   and to either
   • write about one way they think could help to minimize the negative impact or maximize the positive impact 
     or
   • design a product that humans would use in agriculture, technology, and/or in industry that would help minimize the negative impact or maximize the positive impact, draw a picture of the design, and provide an explanation of why it would help the ecosystem.

Look at the following data sets for the amount of electricity and water used by the people of South Carolina. When you are an adult, in 2030, how much more water and electricity do you think South Carolinians will use?

Data from SCE&G
Data from the Commission of Public Works

Math/ Science extension: Written by South Carolina Aquarium master teacher Collette Dryden 3^rd grade teacher at Satchel Ford Elementary School.