My Town is Important Apex

Early in the school year, one of our second grade teachers discovered Mrs. McGowan's website and the collaborative Internet project "My Town is Important". She felt it would be a valuable way to teach second graders about their community. She then shared this idea with other second grade teachers. They collaborated with our media coordinators and technology facilitator to integrate their social studies study of neighborhoods and community and language arts poetry with information and technology skills.

We started with Margaret Wise Brown's The Important Book as a format for sharing information. We invited the town mayor to visit with our second grades. We also used the town newspaper, pamphlets from the Chamber of Commerce, and the town website to learn about our town. Each student chose an aspect to focus on when writing their poem.

Here is an example from each class that participated:

	The important thing about Apex is that it has schools. There are three water towers, restaurants, grocery stores, and a fire department. There are houses, people, parks, and neighborhoods. But the important thing about Apex is there are schools. by Addy in Miss Hunt’s class
The important thing about Apex is that there is a thick book of laws for Apex. People pay taxes to support our town. Many people want to move to Apex because there are good jobs and good schools here. Apex is the highest point. Salem Street in downtown Apex is the ridge line. But the important thing about Apex is that there is a thick book of laws for Apex. by Shaddi in Miss Kaplan's class
	The important thing about Apex is that were 5,000 people 13 years ago. Now there are 28,000 people. The town of Apex owns the Eva Perry Regional Library building. But the important thing about Apex is that there were 5,000 people 13 years ago. by Ryan in Mrs. Murray's class

Click to view each class collection of poems.
Mrs. Murray
Miss Kaplan
Miss Hunt

Click here to see what we learned from our visit with the
Mayor of Apex, Keith Weatherly.

Click here to find out more about Apex, a small but rapidly growing town located near Raleigh, the state capital. Our nickname is "The Peak of Good Living".

See how this project ties in to our Standard Course of Study.

busy historic downtown Apex	the old train depot - now the Chamber of Commerce

an aerial view of Apex which is rapidly growing and expanding	the old fashioned Fourth of July parade

our new Town Hall - the core of our town government	a caboose aquired by the Apex Historical Society

photos courtesy of the town of Apex