Future City Lab: Pedestrian Safety

Ask the guiding question: What are some relevant problems that our community faces that we hope to solve? Have students turn and talk about this question. Then have students share their responses with the whole class. As students share, chart their responses as a list. This can be an interactive list that you continue to add to throughout the lesson(s).

Preview and define relevant vocabulary for students (e.g. pedestrian, pedestrian safety, fatalities).

Using the presentation, introduce one of the community problems that people living in New York City face – pedestrian safety. Ask students: What connections can you make to this problem about pedestrian safety? How do we see this problem in our community? Allow students to share their connections with the whole class.

Using the presentation, describe the three possible solutions that could address the problem of pedestrian safety in New York City.

Divide students into groups of three or four. Each group will focus on one of the three solutions described in the presentation. They will have to take on the perspective and discuss the possible benefits and challenges to the given solution. The groups will receive a copy of the solution directly from the presentation and the Benefits and Challenges Think Sheet.

As a group, students will collaboratively discuss the benefits and challenges of their given solution in addressing pedestrian safety. Some questions that can guide their discussion:

1.) How would this solution benefit pedestrians? How would it make it easier and safer for pedestrians to get around?

2.) What are some challenges that might occur as a result of this solution?

3.) Is this the best solution to address pedestrian safety in New York City?

When students are done discussing, they will write down these benefits and challenges on the T-chart found on the Benefits and Challenges Think Sheet. 

Give each group the opportunity to share at least two benefits and two challenges they identified for their solution. Ask students to briefly explain why they identified these benefits and challenges. (Note: If there is more than one group focused on the same solution, ask additional groups to identify different benefits and challenges or build on the previous groups’ responses.)

Briefly review the community problem from Session 1. Ask students to restate the three solutions as well as a few benefits and challenges they identified for each in Session 1. Display the solutions.

Restate the question: Which solution do you think would best solve the pedestrian safety problem in New York City? Why? Have students share their responses with the whole class. Then have students select one of the three solutions. They will have to support this solution and persuade others to support it as well.

Introduce the OREO method of writing a persuasive paragraph (Optional: Play the song found in ‘Additional Resources’ that introduces the OREO method.) Model for students how to use the OREO Opinion Writing Template. First, model how to clearly state their opinion about the solution they selected. Then model how to support with reasons and evidence. Finally, show students how to restate their opinion with a concluding statement.

Allow students independent writing time to write their persuasive paragraph based on the OREO method. Students will be given the OREO Persuasive Writing Template to guide and plan their writing. Using the template, students will write their persuasive paragraph.

Select two to three students to share their persuasive paragraph. Ask students for feedback: Did this paragraph persuade you to support their solution? How could the writer have improved their persuasive paragraph?

Choose one of the other problems that our community faces (display list created in Session1, Step 1). Then describe one solution you feel is best to solve this problem.