Background
Cognitive scientists have consistently argued that building from student knowledge and student interest and having students practice the work of those in the discipline are the best ways to help information they are learning move from discovery and knowledge that can be applied in new situations. My unit begins with the place that is perhaps closest to all of us (though not always), the home. What is the meaning of a home and what do people look for when buying homes? Why has the battle over housing in Chicago been so contentious? What did "home" mean for African-Americans seeking to move out of their overcrowded neighborhood and what did "home" mean to the whites who fought desperately, and for so long, to maintain the neighborhoods they knew? From homes to the neighborhoods in which they exist, we will examine the history of changes to the economic anchors of the community: the retail stores and services available. What role do these economic anchors play in creating and sustaining communities? Who should own the stores? Is the price of goods more important than local ownership? Finally, we will return to their more direct experience by evaluating what role education plays in creating and sustaining community. What is the responsibility of a school to its community? What does a quality school look like?
The following sections are organized according to the sequence in which I plan to teach them. We will start with a mini-research project on the present day issues in the Englewood neighborhood. From there we will explore how the neighborhood developed. Finally, we will look at how the present story and past context can help us to think about a future for the neighborhood.
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