Materials

• Video, slides, or photographs that reflect the various functions of towns and cities

Instructional Activities

1. Review the content from the previous session.
   
   
2. Ask students to explain the difference between rural areas and metropolitan areas. Encourage students to think about availability of shopping, community centers, government operations, open space, agriculture, and other aspects.
   
   
3. Explain that cities and towns serve certain functions for the larger community. People often have to travel some distance to purchase certain products, take care of business associated with property and legal issues, and receive some services. Ask students to share if they or someone they know has to travel more than 30 minutes to go to a mall, a courthouse, school, or work. Display the following list of functions of towns and cities, and ask students to explain reasons why rural communities generally do not serve these functions:
   • Security, defense
   • Religious centers
   • Trade centers (local and long distance)
   • Government administration
   • Manufacturing centers
   • Service centers
   
   
4. Explain that the functions of cities and towns can change over time. Ask students to suggest reasons why this may happen. Provide the following examples of the change in a city’s function, and discuss possible reasons for each:
   • Rio de Janeiro — move of Brazil’s capital city from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia
   • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — early function connected to defense, then became steel manufacturing center, later shifted to diverse services (financial, light manufacturing)
   • New York City — changes in trade patterns: coastal and transatlantic trade, trade from Great Lakes via Erie Canal, worldwide trade and finances
   • Mining towns, “ghost” towns — resource depletion, changes in the environment
   
   
5. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity, using available teacher resources.