October 14 What is your site and what can you find there?

                                Fall 2013

     The Heart of the City:  Learning about Urban Studies

Social Science Sleuths

October 14

What is your site and what can you find there?

BRING YOUR PICTURES

What kinds of things have discovered about your site?  We’ll talk about the questions you answered and more questions that you may have now that you’ve been there.

Getting ready for next time:

Exploring nature in the city.

 Now that you’ve started to get acquainted with your area, let’s look at what kind of natural elements are in  it.  Natural elements include plants, wildlife and whether or not there is a microclimate in your area.  A microclimate is a very small area that may be always shaded because of how a building is angled on the land; or it might get extra warmth because of reflections from windows; or often be wet because of how a building drains.  Don’t get too concerned about looking for microclimates, they are just something extra to know about.

As you look for plants notice what kinds of plants are growing:

Trees?

Grass?

Bushes/shrubs?

Flower pots?

Gardens?

What things look like they were planted purposely by people?

What things look like they might be naturally occurring?

Where are these plants?  Are they next to buildings?  Next to the street?  In a big open area?

Take pictures of what you see.

What kinds of animals can you find in your area?

Birds?

Squirrels?

Pets?

Evidence that someone has walked a dog recently?

Other kinds of animals?

Can you find other ways nature has shaped your area?

TAKE PICTURES!