Redlining: Understanding Our Past to Reimagine Our Future

• This three day lesson plan will teach students about the unequal distribution of green spaces in cities, with a culminating activity that encourages activism through art. 
• Students will learn about the historical background of redlining, how it impacts health, green spaces, and the importance of parks. 

Positives

• This lesson is thorough, interdisciplinary, and engaging.
• The teaching notes, which can be viewed below each slide, are excellent and include citations that allow for continued learning.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students will need their Google account information to sign into Adobe in order to create an infographic during the third day of the lesson.
  

Differentiation

• This lesson would work well in science, history, or art classes; classes can focus on the data and science behind the importance of green spaces, the historical implications and impacts of redlining and equality, and how art is a powerful tool for activism. 
• The worksheets included allow for individual and group work and will facilitate engaging class discussions.
  
• Each of the two worksheets can be used with younger students as a whole class or small group activity, while older or advanced students could each work on different cities and share or chart their findings. 
• For the culminating infographic activity, you could scaffold by providing information for younger or struggling students.
• Other related resources include this lesson plan about redlining and environmental racism, this lesson and activity where students create their own equitable cities, and this video about urban heat impacts in communities of color.