(Original article: January 1999. The resources in Section 5 have been updated.)
A Planner's Day in School Lesson Plan (PDF)
Authors: Karen Finucan & Jan Rothschild
Audience: Planners working with schools during a National Conference
Purpose: Teaching children about communities and planning is really educating them about democracy. Such an education provides opportunities to engage students in the “stuff of the real world” to enhance their sense of community and place, while helping them to become responsible citizens. Students learn how to use what they learn to make a difference in their lives and in their community. Students are empowered to help share where they live. As today’s children will, one day, inherit the communities that we plan, it is in our best interest to ensure that their stewardship will be a wise one.
Introduction: Planners’ Day in School has been an annual function at APA’s National Conference since 1989. The program was a success from the start and has grown with each passing year. The program is simple. One morning is set aside at the conference for planners to visit a public school class in the host city. Planners share their time and expertise, APA provides student kits, transportation and a continental breakfast.
Objective(s):
* To develop and implement a successul Planners Day in School
* To provide information on recruiting and preparing volunteer planners
* To provide information on preparing for the visit and working with schools
Materials: See #5 below.
Procedure:
1. Establishing a relationship with a school(s)
The first step is to decide how large a program you want or are able to manage. Your program may be part of a chapter conference or as a separate stand alone event. If just one school is involved, you should contact the school’s principal. If many schools are to take part, then start by contacting the school district’s director of community affairs or social studies coordinator or school principal or superintendent. Plan an initial contact at least four, preferably, six months in advance.
When you determine that you are speaking to the correct person, begin by explaining about APA, your chapter and its educational goals. Prepare a packet of information on the organization. Pitch the classroom visits. Inform the administrator how planning concepts supplement and in fact, complement what students are learning. (Review introduction to this report.) Emphasize that the information will help students be better decision-makers, introduce them to what is occurring in their community, and enhance their sense of responsibility and participation in a democratic society.
Explore with the administrator what units of study planned for the students would tie in well with the introduction of planning in the classroom. Reassure the school administrator that this service is provided at no charge to the school.
When the administrator agrees, determine which day or days that the visits will take place.
2. Recruiting volunteers
Use the chapter newsletter and/or conference mailings to recruit volunteers. If you have time, you may want to send out special invitation letters directly to members. This should be done several months before the visits. First, determine the date by which you need to know how many planners will be participating. This is usually two months before the scheduled visits.
Then decide how much time you need to give planners to respond to your request for participation, generally four to eight weeks. So, in most cases your solicitation to planners should go out at least four months in advance.
When recruiting volunteers, be sure to ask the following questions:
* What, if any, prior teaching experience do you have?
* Are you comfortable teaching alone or do you prefer a partner?
* Can you provide transportation?
3. Scheduling Visits
With the exact number of volunteers in hand, get back in touch with the school system to arrange the classroom visits. In determining the visits, you may be able to handle several schools. If the chapter is providing transportation, you might want to limit the number of schools involved.
Time is also important. If possible, try to arrange all planners’ visits in any one school during the same class period. For example, East High School may have four social studies classes and three geography classes from 9:55 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. If you can put a planner in each class, they can travel together, cutting costs. Also, it makes the participating planners feel as though they are taking part in a group project, not an individual one. It also allows them to share their experiences on the way back.
4. Preparing Volunteers
Once the classes have been assigned, let each planner know:
* Who his/her partner is, if he/she has been paired with another planner, and how to reach
* The specifics of the visit (date, time, and place)
* Method of transportation
* The teacher’s name and how to reach him/her
* The number of students
* The subject the students are studying
Urge participating planners to contact the classroom teacher in advance of their visit. This helps ensure a smooth session.
As a reminder, send specific information to teachers about the visit reminding them who, what, where, and why for the visit. This can be done under the guise of thanking them, for participating or as a cover letter accompanying handouts for the students (see below).
5. Preparing for the Visit
Chapters should be responsible for gathering, packaging and distributing materials to assist planners during the visit. Suggested handouts available on the APA website or through APA's Washington or Chicago offices include:
* Career information: http://www.planning.org/careers/
* Definition of planning and profiles of planners for grades 3-7: http://www.planning.org/KidsAndCommunity/
* Activities for high school students: High school essay contest: http://www.planning.org/institutions/hsessay.htm
* Activities for elementary and middle school students: book club discussion of "A Street Through Time" - https://www.planning.org/resourceszine/articleview.htm?ArticleID=9505
* Activities from Kids and Community: http://www.planning.org/bookcorner/Default.htm
* Evaluation
You may want to include information about your local chapter and an article or articles on local issues that you wish to introduce to the class and teacher.
APA will be happy to provide extra copies of Planning magazine for planners to distribute to students.
Aerial photographs and/or maps of the conference city may be useful for planners to familiarize themselves with the area in advance of their visits.
Make copies of the sections in the Public Information Guide IX on “Preparing for a Classroom Visit,” and “Classroom Resources”. Allow your volunteer “teachers” to select the activities that best suits them. The more comfortable they are with what they are teaching, the better job they will do. Reviewing the Guide will help your volunteers to decide what they would like to do in the class.
6. During the Conference
Schedule a brief session either the morning of or the night before the classroom visits. This gives planners a chance to meet other participants, share ideas and experiences, and ask questions of the chapter’s planners in school facilitator. It also allows the facilitator to double check transportation arrangements.
Occasionally, an emergency arises where one or more participants is unable to take part. It is advisable to have one or two planners as alternates willing to step in at the last moment. Alternates should receive all the information and attend the meeting. You may also invite a representative from the school district or school to attend the meeting; but don’ t be surprised if a busy schedule prevents him/her from attending.
7. Evaluating Planners Day in School
Be sure to handout evaluation sheets to both planners and educators. This will help you obtain immediate feedback regarding the program. APA’s evaluation form is easy to complete.The responses will be useful in improving the program to ensure that it meets the needs of planners, students, and teachers. The respondent has the option of providing his/her name.
8. Conclusion
Teaching children about communities and planning is really educating them about democracy. Such an education provides opportunities to engage students in the “stuff of the real world” to enhance their sense of community and place, while helping them to become responsible citizens. Students learn how to use what they learn to make a difference in their lives and in their community. Students are empowered to help shape where they live.
As today’s children will, one day, inherit the communities that we plan, it is in our best interest to ensure that their stewardship will be a wise one.
