Ideal+neighborhood+project

Writing:
Spark: visit Boston Nature Center -- the open space between the BNC and here -- there's going to be a new neighborhood. We need to write to the mayor and tell him: if this is going to be our ideal neighborhood, what do we want in it?

What does our ideal neighborhood need? Why? -- opinion
 * Our ideal neighborhood needs (blank) because ...

Where did you see it? How was it good for that neighborhood? OR ??? (if we haven't seen it)
 * We saw this in (blank -- make a connection to a neighborhood we saw), where ... (something about why it's good for the neighborhood).

Where should it go in the neighborhood and why?
 * It should be near... because...

Audience: the mayor Final product: model city with kids' writing going out from it at the ends of string

Mini-lessons:
 * introduce the topic / state your opinion "I think a hospital is the most important thing is a neighborhood." (strong leads)
 * Provide reasons: "It is important because..." (3 reasons)
 * Use linking words "In addition," "also," "therefore," (connectors and starters)
 * Use adjectives (revision) to describe and persuade -- word choice
 * Conclusion
 * a question: Would you want to live in a neighborhood without a hospital?
 * call to action: If your neighborhood doesn't have a hospital, you can call the mayor and let him know how important it is.
 * personal connection: Good thing I got my flu shot, because I've been healthy all year.
 * restating: The hospital is important for things like flu shots, having babies, and get help when you're really hurt.

//__Example__: I think the most important thing in a city is the hospital. You need to go to the hospital so you can get a flu shot so you don’t get a nasty flu. Also you might have to go to the hospital if you get stabbed and you are bleeding profusely. Finally people go to the hospital to have healthy babies.//

Day 1:
Introduce idea of writing piece on ideal neighborhood: brainstorm what have we seen in neighborhoods (not what we've liked, just what you've seen) (interactive writing-- writing a list, not sentences, on index cards)

Day 2:
What do we want in our neighborhood (pull from the list)? (interactive writing)

Day 3:
Is there any thing missing that we need in our neighborhood? (interactive writing)

Build the neighborhood:

 * put the roads on big white paper (or let kids add roads later to connect things)
 * build the buildings with blocks, take a picture, place it on the mural where it should be in our ideal neighborhood
 * conversations about what we need / what is missing / where things go in the neighborhood