Loading...
For teachers
Twelve sessions of classroom-ready material covering redlining, contract buying, public housing, urban renewal, and the modern affordable-housing toolkit. Built for high-school U.S. history, civics, and AP Human Geography — and used in three Chicago Public Schools and a handful of college intro urban-planning courses.
12
sessions
4
units
Free
CC BY-NC-SA
+1.5
pre/post gain
Teach them in sequence as a 12-session arc, or pull a single unit into your existing course.
01
3 sessions
Students read a 1940 HOLC surveyor description, overlay it on a current census map of the same tract, and trace what stayed in place. Pairs with the podcast's Bronzeville episode and the first virtual tour.
Aligns to: C3 D2.His.4.9-12 · D2.Geo.6.9-12
02
2 sessions
Students model the wealth gap created by contract buying using real Cook Center markup figures, then analyze the Contract Buyers League's 1968 strike as a case study in collective action.
Aligns to: C3 D2.Eco.10.9-12 · D4.7.9-12
03
3 sessions
From the CHA towers to Hills v. Gautreaux to HOPE VI. Students debate the Plan for Transformation in a structured Harkness-style seminar.
Aligns to: C3 D2.Civ.5.9-12 · D2.His.16.9-12
04
4 sessions
TIF, ARO, and the Red Line Extension. Students play Build the Block in pairs, then write a 500-word policy memo recommending changes to one Chicago tool. We've used this with juniors and adult organizers alike.
Aligns to: C3 D4.6.9-12 · D2.Civ.13.9-12
What teachers get
45-minute and 90-minute versions of every unit, with timing, materials, and a printable facilitator script.
Editable Google Slides and Keynote files for every session, designed to drop into your existing class without rebranding.
Structured Harkness, Socratic, and small-group prompts — with sample student responses and follow-up questions.
Pre/post knowledge checks on AMI, redlining, TIF, displacement, and inclusionary zoning. Validated for a +1.5-point average gain.
“The pre/post on this unit was the cleanest gain I’ve ever seen. By the end my juniors were arguing about TIF in the hallway.”
— CPS social studies teacher, pilot cohort
Tell us a little about your classroom and we’ll send the full kit, including the slide decks and assessments. Free for any educator, anywhere.
Email our education lead