This course of study offers to seventh grade pupils themes which are designed to clarify the meaning and importance of the urban environment in which they live. The guide is about people in the cities and about the planning, growth, and problems of cities. Themes cover the Baltimore city area, urbanization in Maryland, urbanization in the United States, and urbanization in the world. The disciplines of history, economics, geography, political science, sociology, and anthropology are woven into the content and learning activities. Techniques of discovery and inquiry are recommended. Specific learning experiences provide opportunities for the use of skills in a functional manner. A selected bibliography on city, state, and federal relationships in government; a list of selected nonprint media on city, state, and federal relationships; and an annotated bibliography replace the use of a single textbook. Each of the four themes in introduced; has a list of objectives; and has schematically related content, understandings and generalizations, sample activities, and suggested skills. (Author/KSM)