Write the terms urban and rural on the board.

Ask students if they are familiar with the terms and to give examples of each. After students provide examples of urban and rural, use those examples to generate a list of characteristics of each. Then, as a class, create a definition of each term. Tell students to consider their town or community. Have students list characteristics of their community and decide if their community would be considered urban or rural according to their understanding of the terms. Tell students to select either urban, rural, or "somewhere in between." Divide students into small groups and have them explore the following Webcams. Have each group determine if the location highlighted in the Webcam is urban, rural, or somewhere in between. Price Edward Island Times Square Sedona Mt. Wilson Eiffel Tower Trafalgar Square Development: Explain to students that in Asia there are both urban and rural communities. East Asian cities have very high-density populations, and the culture there has changed over time to accommodate the large population. In contrast, rural areas are more sparsely populated, and the culture there reflects a more traditional way of living. Have students explore photographs from some of the online galleries listed in the Related Links section of this lesson. Tell students to compare and contrast urban and rural photographs. As they explore, have students answer the following questions: Where do people in urban and rural communities get their food? Do you think urban or rural people have more choices in markets, entertainment, and housing? Why? Do you think urban or rural people have to work harder to get their food? Why? What types of housing are available for urban and rural people? How expensive do you think each type of housing is? What are some advantages and disadvantages of having many or few neighbors? What types of recreation or forms of entertainment are available to urban and rural people? What types of jobs are available to urban and rural people? Where do you think they are likely to be paid more? Why? What types of services are available to urban and rural people? Do you think an urban or rural setting is more beautiful? Why? Do you think an urban or rural setting is healthier? Why?