Cities: Discover How They Work with 25 Projects

Build it Yourself

by Kathleen M. Reilly, Tom Casteel (Illustrations)

To a child, a city is a chaotic, vibrant community whose workings can seem quite mysterious. How did people create subways? How does the water get to the very top of a skyscraper? Is there any organization to a bustling metropolis? Discover How They Work gives kids a view into the inner functioning of urban areas. They’ll learn about all the parts that come together to make cities work and how they’ve grown and changed since the very first riverside settlements.

Fascinating sidebars, unique illustrations, Words to Know, and fun Did You Know facts combine with age-appropriate hands-on activities to make learning about complex urban environments fun and reinforce learning. Projects include creating subway cut-aways to understand how transportation systems work, building an aqueduct to learn how cities get water, and experimenting with skyscraper design and water filtration. This STEAM title, which integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and math includes a glossary, list of resources, and index.

Cities meets common core state standards in language arts for reading informational text and literary nonfiction and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Urban Planning

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

It all started with a four-inch book written in green crayon on peach paper, called "The Rabbet and Dog and Cat." Yes, I realize that's not how rabbit is spelled. I know that now. But when I was five, I wasn't worried about the spelling. I was too busy creating my masterpiece ("illustrated by the author").

Today, I write on the computer (look, Ma, no crayons!) -- my books include chick lit (HALFSIE), nonfiction (Nomad Press series), a middle grade (REGINALD PEPPER) and an upcoming young adult novel (SHE).

I'd love to talk about books with you!

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hemmed and hawed over this book, trying not to let my expertise on the subject cause me to overreact to its occasional oversimplifications and minor inaccuracies - Machu Picchu was not built of mud bricks, "cloaca" does not exactly translate to "sewer," really, minor stuff. But on the other hand, minor inaccuracies can signal an overall cavalier approach to research and fact-checking, so sometimes they mean more than they appear. Like I said, hemming and hawing. Until page 113, on which the author says that "Baltimore crab cakes" (really it would be "Maryland") "are usually served with coleslaw." I have never heard of anybody putting a crabcake and coleslaw on the same plate, and... we're done.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children's Nonfiction

Used/resourced for Torchlight Lvl 5

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Build It Yourself series, Cities introduces readers to cities and how they work through a combination of facts and "hands-on" activities. Topics covered include a general overview of the birth of cities and their growth, electricity, water, transportation above ground and underground, urbanization, government, environmental concerns, and characteristics that make cities unique. While the writing is a bit bland and generalized, it does a good job of explaining the concept at hand and giving students a firm understanding of the topic. The Activity sections provide a solid way for students to apply what they just learned and could serve as a nice basis for science fair projects. The book includes a timeline of milestones in the birth of cities, an extensive glossary, and a list of resources, books and websites, for further information. Overall, a solid title that ties in nicely with STEAM units and gives students a look into the inner workings of cities and how they function in daily life.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how many kids are clamoring for books on cities and city planning, but this was well written and some of the projects might be very interesting. I especially liked the idea of creating a flip book with the "city growth overlay" pages from a previous activity--a kid-friendly version of GIS layers. Pretty clever and cool!

[Joy Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the suggested game/activity "Planning Your City" pg 20-21

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good city themed projects for elementary school children in this book.