EASY PROJECT You Can Do Tomorrow: Flip Cityscape

My students were so excited to see that they could combine their pictures
to make a huge cityscape!
Had to take a picture of their "discover"!

This project works as quick lesson 1/2 hour lesson or combine this book for a full hour class and added literacy connection. Either way it is sure to engage your students, teach them about cityscapes and keep supplies to a minimum so you can focus on instruction.

This was my favorite book in third grade. I remember the first time I saw the illustrations in our library class, I was mesmerized.

Twenty-three years later, browsing the children's section of the library, I ran across this book again. I knew had to use it in one of my lessons, one of my THIRD GRADE lessons. If you've been following the blog, then you might remember, I was not a reader as a child, so the fact that a book had an impact on me was a big deal (now I am reading The Hunger Games and books for my Graduate work so I guess I can call myself "a reader!") Reading this book to the third graders brought me back. They were just as engaged as I hoped they would be!

ROUND TRIP is a book that you read from front to back, then turn it around and read it from back to front!

We created our own cityscapes inspired by Ann Jonas' black and white illustrations in Round Trip.

First, we used horizontal and vertical lines to create a cityscape. We cut out skyscrapers. We saved BOTH sides of the paper (no paper wasted) and flipped the top to become another set of buildings. Using the black and white theme from the story, students created architectural details for their skyscrapers and a night sky for their cityscape. This was an EASY PROJECT and engaging.

Here are some of proud artists work.

I have so many more to show you! Some from my higher level classes have amazing architectural details. But these are the most spirited and show the energy of the kids who made them! I share this with you because every single student enjoyed making their cityscape AND who knows you might need a sub lesson for the arsenal!