NY Social Studies 2.1b

Social Studies2nd GradeKey Idea 2.1

The Standard

Suburban communities are on the outskirts of cities, where human population is less dense, and buildings and homes are spaced farther apart.

New York State K–12 Social Studies Framework

Key Idea 2.1

A community is a population of various individuals in a common location. It can be characterized as urban, suburban, or rural. Population density and use of the land are some characteristics that define and distinguish types of communities.

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students identify suburban communities using location, population, building spacing, and land use. They compare suburban areas with urban and rural communities using maps and pictures.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can select a suburban community from several images or maps and explain their choice. They cite clues such as nearby cities, fewer people, and homes spaced farther apart.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think suburbs are part of the countryside or that they have no stores or apartments. They may also assume every place outside a city is suburban.
How to Assess It: Show one urban, one suburban, and one rural aerial image. Ask students to circle the suburban image and write two clues that support their choice.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Build two tabletop communities with blocks on equal paper squares, then compare the number and spacing of homes and buildings.
Show a suburban street image and ask, "What clues suggest this community is near a city but less crowded?"
Sort clue cards labeled urban, suburban, or rural, then explain one clue card that could fit more than one community.
Use a satellite map to compare equal-sized areas in a city center and nearby suburb, counting buildings and open spaces.

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