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Rigorous and Relevant 21st Century Learning – Lance Suzuki’s Urban Plan Project

 

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Urban Plan

           Mr. Lance Suzuki, award winning economics teacher at the high school, is adept at creating lessons that are rigorous and relevant. In particular, the Urban Plan is a realistic, engaging, and academically demanding project in which students learn about the fundamental forces that affect development in the United States

          Specifically, the Urban Plan is a three week long simulation where students work in groups to develop a plan for redeveloping a hypothetically blighted urban area.  Each student assumes a specific role (i.e. project manager, marketing director, etc.) and has to incorporate economic concepts in their proposals.  In addition, like real-life development teams, student teams must balance many complex and interlocking elements:  profitability, practicality, city requests, neighborhood satisfaction, and aesthetics.

          While developing their plans, real urban planning professionals – including professors, architects, urban planners, and real estate developers – come in to ask questions and give feedback.  At the end of the process, student groups present and defend their plans before a panel of urban planning professionals, who select a winning plan after an oral presentation and questioning.

          Mr. Suzuki has been participating in this program since 2006. He finds it to be a great way to integrate economic concepts that students have learned within a real-world scenario, making it relevant to our students. In addition, the rigorous problem solving aspect of this activity makes it one that involves the use of higher-order thinking skills that will prepare Maryknoll students to be 21st century learners and leaders.

Thank you Mr. Suzuki for providing our Maryknoll students this opportunity!


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