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You are here: Publications Urban Your Neighbourhood Online version

Exploring the Built Environment - Your Neighbourhood

Learning objectives

Students will develop:

  • awareness of the elements that make up a neighbourhood - its landmarks, public spaces, buildings, connections, landscapes and people
  • knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting their local built environment.

Process

  • Take students on a walk around the neighbourhood. It is suggested that the study focuses on the immediate area surrounding the school as this area is easily accessible and can be returned to if necessary.
  • Ask students to record their observations on the walk, including annotated sketches of things they see, smell and hear. Teachers may wish to provide students with an outline of the route taken on the walk for students to record observations on. In particular, ask students to consider the following questions:
    • How are peoples’ needs provided for in the neighbourhood - is there somewhere to play, buy food, go to the doctor etc?
    • Which places are the noisiest? and the quietest?
    • Can you smell anything? Is the smell good or bad? Where is it coming from?
    • Do certain areas of the neighbourhood look better than others? What is it that makes these areas look better?
    • How easy is it to walk around the neighbourhood? What other ways can you travel around the neighbourhood?
    • What things do you like and dislike about the neighbourhood and why?
  • Once back in the classroom, divide students into small groups and ask each group to make a pictorial map of their route decorated with illustrations of the significant features they saw, smelt or heard along the way.
  • Ask each group to discuss and agree on five things they like and five things they dislike about the neighbourhood, providing justification in each case. Each group should also suggest ways of improving one thing they dislike. Ask students to indicate their likes and dislikes on the maps they have created, using a smiley face next to the things they like and a sad face next to the things they dislike.
  • Ask each group to present their map to the class and share their observations.

Additional activities

  • Supply students with cameras to record their observations on the walk and exhibit the photos.
  • Take the same walk at a different time and compare observations. As a class, discuss how the use of the area changes throughout the day.
  • Source historical photos of the area and compare the similarities and differences between the area as it was in the past and as it is today.

Resources needed

You will need the following resources:

  • large pads on which to record observations
  • pencils
  • stiff cardboard on which to draw maps
  • a range of art materials to create a map, for example crepe paper, cardboard of different thicknesses, coloured pencils, magazines, felts, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, string etc
  • sellotape
  • scissors
  • glue.

More information

Visit our website: www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/urban/ or contact the Ministry for the Environment’s Urban Group by emailing urban.design@mfe.govt.nz or phoning (04) 439 7400.