Rationale
I chose to study the southwest side of Chicago because it is personal, not only for myself, but more importantly, for my students. Learning will be relevant to their everyday lives. I anticipate that my students will relate to the community’s concerns presented in the lessons. There is a wide disparity in the city of Chicago between the northside and the southside when it comes to race, socio-economic status, and available resources. Students will discover that this disparity is in part a result of racist formal practices, such as redlining, that have contributed to the environmental injustices that the city of Chicago faces today. Students will investigate how redlining has affected the environment in which they live. For children, as with adults, learning this information may take an emotional toll. It is important to look at constructive solutions to these problems to avoid a sense of hopelessness. For this reason, the unit will focus on examining successful grassroots efforts, especially by people of color advocating for their own neighborhoods.
We will look at the past by studying the history of the stockyards in Back of the Yards and how it took grassroots efforts to pass laws that would eventually make significant positive environmental changes. Then we will study particulate matter air pollution and the effects it has on our health. Finally, we will move on to the Little Village neighborhood which, again through grassroots efforts, has made great environmental justice strides in the last decade.
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