PLANNING A PARK

• Articulate their own wishes for a small park.
• Interview an older person on his or her wishes for park features.
• Discuss with others ways to reconcile different interests.
• Work with a small group in creating a park plan all members can agree to.
• Assist in oral presentation of park plans.

Suggested Time

4-10 class periods

Materials

Marker
pens
Newsprint
Tag board (or some other heavy material)

Comments to the Teacher

This lesson has several parts and will give children practice in skills of mapping, interviewing, oral presentation, and criticism, as well as conflict resolution. The aim is for students to see how the elements of planning fit together, recognize where snags may develop, and be ready to handle them. Two kinds of preparation may be useful in your class: first, some discussion of kinds of conflict or disagreements and the ways we handle them (using current reading or pictures as sources); second, an exercise in mapping the school playground to limber up that skill.

Teachers who have used this lesson find it fits in well with globe- and map-use units and provides a good introduction to the study of cities.

1. Begin the lesson by telling the class they have the chance to plan a square-block park for their community, to be used mainly by elderly people and children. Their job is to determine what they want in the park and what older people want. Then they must decide what should actually be put in the park. Ask about the parks that class members have been to and what they enjoyed there. Encourage them to bring in pictures of parks they like or to draw pictures of favorite park features. These may include play equipment such as slides and backboards as well as natural features like ponds and trees. Post a list of class wishes for the park.
2. Next, ask each child to interview an older person about desirable park features. The class questionnaire can be very simple: a. If you could plan a square-block park, what would you want in it? b. How do you think the desires of older people and those of young children can be filled in the same park?
3. When questionnaires are brought in, make a list of the results, next to the list of what your own class wants in the park. Discuss the conflicts revealed. Can some people have quiet for reading on a bench when they are next to a slide full of shouting kids? Can you fit a lake and a baseball diamond in the same place? Emphasize the limits to your park space. Would there be less conflict if the park were larger or without bounds? Encourage students to think of ways to handle the conflicts of interest. A hedge, for instance, might separate runners and noise from a quiet sitting area. Old and young might give up some of their first choices in favor of facilities both could enjoy.
4. Once students have the idea, divide them into groups of three (for best conflict-interaction) to draw up original park plans. Have each group work out a rough draft on newsprint, to be approved by the teacher. Then they can draw final plans with magic markers on tag board (or some other heavy material) for an important-looking final product. Be sure groups focus on taking care of differing needs and interests in their plans. The children may disagree among themselves on the plans or ways to use materials. Let them know that this, too, is legitimate disagreement and that they can handle it by give-and-take, compromise, etc. You can act as a floating mediator, helping to clarify disputes and reminding group members of possible alternative paths of action.
5. Ask each group to present its final plan to the rest of the class. This will promote good feelings and pride among group members and provide a chance to use oral presentation skills. Ask the class to evaluate the plans in terms of how well the wishes of old and young are met. Handled with care, this can help children learn both how to make and how to take constructive criticism.

Extending the lesson

Share the plans of your class with their interviewees or other older people. A book of photos of the plans for the park might be taken around, or invite the public to a class show with the plans on display. Once children have tried planning, they should be more interested in how it is done locally. Take the class to visit the Parks Department of your city or invite a town planner to talk with your class. Ask particularly how he or she finds out what people want and how decisions are made when there is disagreement.