LANDMARKS OF LONDON

Preview of Main Ideas

In a study of England, students will embark on an "armchair visit" to London, its capital and largest city. It’s the 9^th largest city in the world with a history going back more than 2,000 years. It is the center of government and business, providing many sites to see and places to go. About 8 million tourists visit London each year. Many of the city’s landmarks are more than just tourist attractions. They have served useful and interesting purposes. Students will plan a one day sight-seeing tour that will include landmarks from a selected list. They will research the location, function, construction and history of each landmark. They will also investigate the different means of transportation to be used for visiting these landmarks.

Connection with the Curriculum

This activity may be used in Social Studies or Geography classes. Other subject areas that overlap are Math, Language Arts and Art.

Teaching Level: Grades 4-8.

Objectives Classification Outline (Also see objectives classification matrix below.)

Objective #1: Students will research the location, function, construction, and history of landmarks representing another cultural area.

Essential Element: Places and Regions.

Standard #6: How culture and experience influence peoples perception of places and regions.

Knowledge Statement #2: Ways in which different people perceive places and regions.

Skill Set #2: Acquiring geographic information.

Skill #1: Locate, gather, and process information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including maps.

Theme: Place.

Objective #2: Students will show how to use maps and other geographic materials to acquire and report information.

Essential Element: The World in Spatial Terms.

Standard #2: How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.

Knowledge Statement #3: Students will know and understand how to display spatial information on maps and other geographic representations.

Skill Set #5: Answer geographic questions.

Skill #1: Present geographic information in the form of both oral and written reports accompanied by maps and written reports accompanied by maps and graphics.

Theme: Place.

1. Encyclopedias.
2. Almanacs.
3. Travel books.
4. Resource books.
5. Maps of London.
6. National Geographic magazines.
7. Pictures of landmarks.
8. Slides.
9. Paper.
10. Colored pencils or markers.
11. Handouts.

1. A few weeks before the project have students write for information to the English Tourist Board, Thames Tower, Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London, W69EL, England (071) 730-3488, and visit travel agencies to collect brochures and posters.
2. Visit the school’s or public libraries to collect resource books and take reference material from Internet. Gather magazines like National Geographic or World.
3. Check with student’s families or other teachers to see if they have information, pictures, or slides to show from a visit to London.

1. Hand out a list of important landmarks in London. Have student find out something about each and write a brief description. Try to include why, where, when, and by whom the landmark was constructed.
2. Each student is now responsible for creating a travel brochure or booklet illustrating and explaining at least 5 of these landmarks. They may also choose to use magazines to cut out pictures.
3. Brochures may be shared with class or used to make a bulletin board display.
4. The class is now divided into smaller cooperative groups to plan a day-long excursion of London. They will be given maps and travel books to help locate the sites. They will be required to compute mileage between each landmark and be aware of time constraints in the planning of their schedule. Transportation by either the black London taxis, red double decker, or hop-on-hop-off buses, or by subway train (the first underground railway system in the world) or by river boat along the Thames must be decided.
5. Each group will write an itinerary and create a sketch map on posterboard. Icons must be developed to symbolize the landmarks to be visited. Major roads should be clearly identified. Colored yarn could be glued on the posterboard to indicate the chosen route. A scale, compass rose, and key should be included.

1. Each group will now make an oral presentation to the class to share the written itineraries and mapped routes. This could also be present during a special program for the parents. Tea and scones could be served as refreshment.

1. The same procedure could be used with landmarks of all Britain or all of Europe.
2. Create postcard illustrating the landmarks with written messages on the other side.
3. A travel diary relating impressions of your "trip" could be written.
4. Use collected information on the city of London to create a filmstrip.
5. Read a fiction book aloud to class or use a trade book that has as its setting the city of London.

1. Students keep travel booklets in a portfolio after they have been evaluated.
2. Group presentations of travel itineraries and maps. (Must meet requirements made by teacher.)
3. Written test could be prepared matching landmarks and important facts or descriptions.
4. Group discussion.

LIST OF LANDMARKS AND SIGHTS

1. Natural History Museum – One of London’s largest museums. It has lots of working exhibits for children.
2. Covent Gardens – Surrounded by theaters, restaurants and shops. Street entertainers perform for passers-by.
3. Tower of London – Once a prison for traitors. The British Crown Jewels are kept here.
4. Buckingham Palace – Home of the Royal Family.
5. St. Paul’s Cathedral – Designed by Christopher Wren. It has the heaviest bell in Britain.
6. Houses of Parliament – Home of the British government. It has the famous Big Ben clock.
7. Westminster Abby – Begun almost 1,000 years ago, this is where all English Kings and Queens are crowned.
8. Trafalgar Square – Focal point for rallies, marches, political meetings, and New Year’s Eve celebrations. In the center is Nelson’s Column, erected to celebrate the victory of Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
9. Kensington Palace and Gardens – Former residence of Princess Diana. You can still see the memorials and flowers that are left in her honor at the gates.
10. River Thames – After the Romans founded London in 43 A.D., they set up camp and built a bridge over it. The city gradually grew up along its banks.
11. Dicken’s House – Occupied by the author from 1837 to 1839. On display are portraits, letters, and first editions.
12. Madame Tussards – World’s most famous waxworks of famous and infamous.
13. Old Bailey – Central criminal court.
14. Hyde Park – Most famous of the royal parks – 340 acres.
15. The Globe Theatre – Reconstruction of original round theatre where everyone stood for Shakespeare’s performances.
16. Harrods – London’s famous department store with unbelievable displays for its customers.

 

Outer London

17. Greenwich – Home of the National Maritime Museum. Visit the Cutty Sark Clipper ship which stands on a quay.
18. Key Gardens – Huge botanical gardens with thousands of rare plants and trees.
19. Hampton Court – Tudor palace with a famous maze and (it is said) ghosts in the house.
20. Syon Park – Houses a transportation museum, conservatory and collection of living butterflies.

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