The Civic Imagination Project

NUTS AND BOLTS

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Brief Description: Envision a fictional city by sending messages imagining your travels there.

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Recommended Age Range: 10+  

 

Participants: 2-3

 

Duration: A few minutes every few days as you receive the postcard from your post-card pal

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Materials Needed and Space Requirements:

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• In Person: You will need:

- A blank postcard, or postcard shaped piece of paper
- A friend or family member who lives in another city

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• Internet-Friendly Option: Phone with camera and ability to send photos as messages/attachments to other participants

 

Learning Opportunity: This activity expands your capacity to imagine possibilities for city life, and connect with people in other cities across a distance.

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Imagine

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Imagine that you have just moved to an imaginary city, and that you are sending postcards to someone about your travels. 

 

First, choose what city you have moved to. It can be anywhere in the universe - maybe it’s a city that already exists, or maybe it’s one that doesn’t yet. It could be a city from a pop culture story you like! What would it be like to actually live an ordinary day in Gotham or Metropolis, or Minas Tirith? 

 

Create a Postcard

Second, choose a special place in this city that you have visited and were excited by. On the front of the postcard, draw this place. It can be any place you like, or, if you are having trouble picking, you can choose one randomly from the places list below.  

 

Third, on the front of the postcard, write to your friend about this place you have visited. What is it like to be in this city as a visitor? What is it like to live in this city? How is it like your home, and how is it different? What are you excited to tell your friend about?  Use as many senses in your writing as you can to make the experience of the city come alive for someone who has never been there before.

 

Share

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Finally, mail the postcard to your friend! And wait for your friend to write back their own postcard about the imaginary city they’ve moved to. 

 

Internet Friendly Option: Follow the steps as above, but instead of mailing a postcard, pretend you’re texting or emailing a friend pictures of your travels. Draw a picture of something you saw, and then text/email it to a friend with a message about what you saw. If you’re feeling particularly dedicated, you could even start a travel blog! 

 

Example Places:

1. Public park

2. Library

3. Monument

4. Government building

5. Historic site 

6. Museum

7. Downtown square

8. Neighborhood 

9. Public artwork

10. Transit hub

11. School

12. Sports stadium

 

Repeat as many times as you wish!

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Print out the printer friendly version of this activity and the toolkit here.

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Print the character cards template here.