The paper describes ways in which the urban classroom teacher can celebrate the Bicentennial and investigate the historical role of the cities throughout American history, without sacrificing current and futuristic issues and topics. Primary and secondary sources are used and a community-based field program for students is developed. The following common municipal problems confronting both colonial and contemporary city residents could be the basis for a unit of instruction: fire, sanitation, traffic control, crime, welfare and the poor, public works, and defense. By developing a sense of historical perspective, the urban social studies student should be better prepared to examine the issues and municipal problems of today's cities. Community resources are abundant for the study of these and other local history issues and include community residents; guide books; Bicentennial television programs; novels; newspapers; municipal and county court records; diaries, letters, and autobiographies; maps; town, city, and county histories; travellers' accounts; and field trips. Also included is an extensive bibliography of early American history references and a sample competitive funding proposal for a community-oriented local Bicentennial project. (Author/DE)