A variety of different postcard settings have been provided so that the groups will be discussing different communities. Ask the groups to list the characteristics of the community that is represented on the postcard. Allow 10 minutes for the students to work in their groups. You can circulate around the classroom helping the groups create their lists. Once the groups have finished making their lists, each group should share their postcard and their list of characteristics with the class.
Communities have different populations, spatial distribution, and amounts of open space.
They may use the ideas that they wrote down on their scratch paper. As the students give you ideas, write each idea on a Post-It note. Use a marker pen to write the idea so that the students can read what ideas have already been given. Place the Post-It note on the butcher paper within the corresponding circle. After the students have given ideas about what makes communities different, ask for ideas about what similarities all communities have.