
Cities: Discover How They Work with 25 Projects
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$17.95 - $22.95Reviews
A Moonbeam 2014 Silver Award Winner
Bookloons
“Both teachers and homeschooling parents will find this a very useful book which integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and math in a very practical and interesting manner in the study of cities.”
Pam Evans, 6th Grade Teacher, Jefferson Elementary School, Charleston, Illinois
“An excellent resource to teach about ancient history!”
Children's Literature Review
“Twenty-five kid-friendly projects, spread out over ten chapters, offer intriguing hands-on activities that illustrate the development of cities and their infrastructure, and outline the issues and problems facing modern city planners and managers. A good addition to an upper elementary or middle school curriculum on the history of urban development, urban sociology, current issues in city planning or management and city planning for the future.”
School Library Journal
“According to the 2010 Census. 80% of Americans line in urban areas. But do they know what it takes to make a city run? From this well-organized and engaging text, readers will learn how cities developed and grew . . . this is a worthy title for any library collection.”
Booklist
“Propounding the emerging interdisciplinary paradigm of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics), this hands-on informational book discusses how cities' complex structures and systems function together. Through appealing illustrations, reader-friendly text, and fun hands-on experiments suitable for home and classroom, Reilly helps foster an appreciation for the way that cities function almost as organisms with vibrant systems and interdependent structures.”
Ithaca Child
“If you're looking for something different to do this summer, use the activities in this book to explore any city you visit.”
Kenton D. Wesby, Art Teacher & SECME Master Teacher, DuPont Hadley Middle School, Old Hickory, Tennessee
“I am thrilled to add another book to my professional library that addresses the educational standards in a practical and relevant manner.”
Susan Anderson, director, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Portland, Oregon
“This book does a wonderful job helping children understand how cities work, why they were created in the first place, and how cities might evolve in the future.”
Teacher Resources

Classroom Guides
For educators! Download a packet of essential questions, mentor texts, and Common Core State Standards to use in classrooms and libraries.
Classroom Guide Common Core State Standards
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Detailed Book Description
To a child, a city is a chaotic, vibrant community whose workings can seem quite mysterious. How did people create subways? How does the water get to the very top of a skyscraper? Is there any organization to a bustling metropolis? Cities: Discover How They Work will give kids a view into the inner functioning of these urban areas. They'll learn about all the parts that come together to make cities work and how they've grown and changed since the very first riverside settlements.
Fascinating sidebars, unique illustrations, Words to Know, and fun Did You Know facts combine with age-appropriate hands-on activities to make learning about complex urban environments fun and reinforce learning. Projects include creating subway cut-aways to understand how transportation systems work, building an aqueduct to learn how cities get water, and experimenting with skyscraper design and water filtration. This STEAM title, which integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and math includes a glossary, list of resources, and index.
Hardcover, $21.95 9781619302136 |
Paperback, $16.95 9781619302174 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Timeline
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Birth of a City
Chapter 2
Cities Grow Up
Chapter 3
Bringing Power to the People
Chapter 4
Water Challenges
Chapter 5
Getting Around Above Ground
Chapter 6
Getting Around Underground
Chapter 7
Urbanization
Chapter 8
Who’s in Charge?
Chapter 9
Cities and Nature
Chapter 10
Each City Is Unique
Glossary
Resources
Index