Big City Social Studies Unit of Study

1. Big City
2012

2. Essential Questions
• How do we use geographic tools to
gather, analyze, and interpret
information?
• How are urban, suburban and rural
areas alike and different?
• How might you describe different
regions within cities?

3. Google Earth
• Wray, Colorado
• Yuma, Colorado
– http://www.9news.com/shows/weekends/258567/320/Yuma-holds-fire-benefit-for-
farmers-and-ranchers-
• Fire Pictures
• Greeley, Colorado
– 4997 West 3rd St Rd – Residential
– 12669 Cr 66 – Dairy
• Westminster, Colorado
– 4800 West 92nd Ave. – City Building
• Lukas Elementary
– 9650 West 97th Ave – School
• Denver, Colorado
• Metro Denver
• Colorado
• United States of America
• North America

4. Geography
• Natural
– http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/destination-hunter/north-america/united-states/southwest/colorado/colorado-nature-
scientific-
wonders.html?onsite_source=relatedarticles&onsite_medium=internallink&onsite_campaign=SmithMag&onsite_content=C
olorado%20-%20Nature%20and%20Scientific%20Wonders
– http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_coriv.htm
– http://www.parks.state.co.us/Pages/HomePage.aspx
– http://www.colorado.com/colorado-state-parks
– http://www.14ers.com/
– http://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm
– http://www.nps.gov/state/co/index.htm?program=all
– http://www.history.com/topics/colorado
– http://shelledy.mesa.k12.co.us/staff/computerlab/Grand_Junction_Geography.htm
• Human Features
– http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/stories/denver-then-and-now-4809290
– http://www.nps.gov/beol/index.htm
– http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/CO/200002783.html
– http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/CO/200002775.html
– http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/destination-hunter/north-america/united-states/southwest/colorado/colorado-landmarks-points-of-interest.html#
– http://www.denver.org/images/maps/Metro.pdf

5. Videos
• Natural Features
– Cave of the Winds
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnBAI6xWM_4
– Royal Gorge
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZCUxL2XTsM
– Colorado 14ers
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v69UacqGB7E
– Colorado National Monument
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GCUOcC9iE4
– Colorado Plateau
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rMk93U4iVs
– Beecher Island
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aedmByt75ls
– Devil’s Backbone
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thWLn23D9vg
– Colorado River
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIPV-H9iCPA
– Colorado Waterfalls
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyF87pp3-GU

6. Urban, Suburban, Rural
Similarities and Differences
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuF2o
7SaRWU
– YouTube Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNc2
FeKkLtE
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91E
M5_4oL8
– LoDo YouTube Videos

7. • Urban (cities)
– http://www.denver.com/neighborhoods/
– http://denver.about.com/od/realestate/u/neighborhoods.htm
– http://www.denvergov.org/LivinginDenver/Environment/tabid/435532/Default.aspx
– http://www.usatoday.com/news/census/index
– http://hewit.unco.edu/dohist/vftrips/20thcent/uptown/tourmenu.htm
– http://www.denver.org/metro/neighborhoods
• Denver Neighborhoods
• Suburban
– http://www.larryhotz.com/denver-relocation/suburban-neighborhoods/
– http://www.coloradoresourcecenter.com/common_resource/html/denver_communities_rc.html
– http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/CO
– http://www.ci.westminster.co.us/
• City of Westminster
• Rural
– http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/ruraldefinitions/CO.pdf
– http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yourworkforcecenter.com/Images/CRWC_Reg
Map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yourworkforcecenter.com/WFCDir/Default.aspx&h=364&w=50
0&sz=85&tbnid=VJ3fwz483Ldo1M:&tbnh=96&tbnw=132&zoom=1&docid=fxS5lJ0b6aqzMM&
hl=en&sa=X&ei=zqp7T4LSKeLjiALm_YWLAQ&ved=0CIcBEPUBMAo&dur=348

8. What resources might be used to learn about
regions and features within the Denver Metro
area?
Regions Within the City
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/denver-region-
municipalities
– Denver Region Municipalities
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/municipal-boundaries-
2012
– Metro area regional boundaries
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/subjects/community-profiles
– Regional Data
• http://www.drcog.org/index.cfm?page=FIREMemberJurisdictions
– Fire Department Jurisdictions
• http://www.9news.com/weather/resources/region_guide/
– Weather Regions 9news

9. Industrial and Commercial
Information
• http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-
West/Denver-Economy.html
– Denver Industrial and Commercial
Statistics

11. Transportation and Recreation
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/2035-metro-vision-
base-rapid-transit-network
– 2035 Metro Vision Rapid Transit Network
• http://gis.drcog.org/bikeroutes/
– Bicycling regions
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/greenprint-data-
regional-trails
– Regional Trails
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/greenprint-data-
parks-open-space
– Parks and Open Space
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/regional-traffic-
counts
– Regional Traffic Counts

12. Interesting Data
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/clean-water-plan-
planning-areas
– Clean Water Preservation Areas
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/reservoir-preservation-
areas
– Reservoir Preservation Areas
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/river-preservation-areas
– River Preservation Areas
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/wastewater-treatment-
facilities-existing-and-terminated
– Wastewater Treatment Facilities
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/watersheds
– Watersheds
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/mountain-backdrop-
preservation-area
– Mountain Backdrop Preservation Areas

13. State Regions
• http://m.colorado.com/DenverArea.aspx
– State regions
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/c
olorado-state-house-districts-2012
– Colorado State House Districts
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/c
olorado-state-senate-districts-2012
– Colorado State Senate Districts

14. Census Data
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/population-
change-census-tract-2000-2010
– Population Change
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/blocks-
census-2010
– Blocks Census Data 2010
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/tracts-
census-2010
– Tracts Data
• http://gis.drcog.org/datacatalog/content/colorado-
counties-census-2010-population-and-housing-unit-
counts
– Colorado Housing Units According to Counties

15. What resources might be used to learn about roles of
government, government leaders and citizens and their
Local Governments and Communities
collective efforts to cause important change?
• http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/ima
ps/maps/g3_u1/index.html#top
– Urban, Suburban, Rural
• http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/government/locala
ndstategovernments/
• http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/government/locala
ndstategovernments/grownups.weml
– Brain Pop Video
• http://pbskids.org/democracy/govandme/index.html
– PBS
–

16. What resources might be used to learn how the
Denver Metro area changed in important ways?
Timelines – Changes Over Time
• State Capital
– http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/cap
/first.htm
• Profile of the State of Colorado
– http://www.state.co.us/kids/profile.htm
• A Brief History
– http://www.state.co.us/kids/2004kids/clchistor
y.htm
• Colorado Facts
– http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/colorado.html

17. Regions of Focus
• Commercial – a small portion of a city’s land used for such activities as the
buying and selling of goods and services in retail, wholesale, financial
businesses. These business are extremely important to a community’s
economy because they provide jobs and bring money into the community.
Examples
– Grocery Store – Clothing Store – Bank – Gas Station – Shopping Mall – Pharmacy
– Clothing Store – Office Buildings (where business transactions occur)
– Sports arena – Movie Theatre – Restaurant
• Industrial – an area of land within a city where there are commercial,
manufacturing, factories, and other such businesses. This is a non-residential
area.
• Recreation – protected areas within and around a city/state for outdoor use
such as boating, fishing, walking and hiking.
• Residential – an area of a city that is predominately used for housing. These
include single-family homes, multi-family housing units and mobile homes.