Urban Studies Workshop. Shopping Centre Study. Rockfort, Illinois.

The urban environment itself can be a laboratory for learning, and the learning activities in this workbook utilize the shopping center as a study site. General objectives of this unit of study are (1) to investigate how shopping centers serve the community; (2) to integrate a number of curriculum skills and concepts; and (3) to investigate the environmental impact of large shopping centers and malls. Suggested exercises for elementary and secondary school students include work in mapping and sketching, graphing and tabulating, interviewing and recording and photography. The plan calls for students to first visit a shopping center. Stores may be classified according to type and a graph drawn showing the results. Another activity calls for students to visit a store and compare prices and sizes of articles and determine which are the better buys. At a clothing store they may note the type of materials used for clothing, and hardware stores provide the opportunity to study countries of origin of products and raw materials and transportation methods. Other activities look at various building materials, car movement patterns in parking lots, and landscaping design. Children may also visit travel bureaus and plan trips, learn how to open a savings account at a bank, and choose a nutritious lunch from a restaurant menu. A number of urban study activities are also listed for science teachers, including investigation of urban climates, environmental impacts, and sewage treatment processes. (DS)