This lesson asks students to consider the unique and special features of their hometown and to create a presentation or performance that could be used to welcome visitors to the town. In the process, students will gain an awareness of the human and environmental factors that make places unique.

Geography, earth science, history

Standard 4: "The physical and human characteristics of places"

Two to four hours

• Writing materials
• Crayons or colored pencils, construction paper, or other materials for creating their "welcoming" program

Students will

• discuss the special qualities of their home town;
• draw pictures of their home town, and compare each other's drawings to gain a clear understanding of what students think is unique and special about the town; and
• create a presentation or performance that could be used to welcome visitors to the town.

Ask students to contribute ideas to answer the question "What is special about the place where you live?," and add their contributions to the list on the board. They should be sure to consider both the human factors (e.g., diversity of people or interesting architecture) and environmental factors (e.g., beautiful river flowing through town or great weather).

Ask students to draw pictures of their hometown, showing people, buildings, and the natural landscape (which might consist of parks and pigeons if they live in a city).

Have students share their pictures with the class. Help them compare and contrast their drawings; did most students include the same features, or are there notable differences? Have students explain their justifications for the things they have drawn so that everyone can gain a better understanding of what other people think is good about the town. List some of their observations on the board.

Ask students to imagine that someone is coming to visit their town. How would they welcome this person and teach him or her about the town? Have students list the things they might do to make this person feel welcome and to showcase some of the things they feel are special about their town. Some possible ideas might be performing a skit, writing and singing a song, creating a multimedia presentation on the computer, writing and reading a poem, or making banners.

Help the class select one of the welcoming options they have suggested and complete the project, incorporating their ideas about their town's special qualities into it. The students should create something that they can actually use if they have a visitor to the classroom.

Have students invite another class to see the presentation or performance they've created. Or, have them share their presentation or performance with some of the town's leaders. Perhaps the City Council will decide to use what your students have created as part of the town's real promotional materials.

National Geographic: Xpeditions Activity—A Dinosaur's Neighborhood