This group of assignments grew out of my association with the East Central Neighborhood in Muncie, Indiana. My adventure there began when I was able to buy an old house simply by assuming a mortgage, without having to buy any equity. In the time I spent in my old house, I participated in a variety of events that helped me to learn about how one comes to understand a neighborhood. As a result, I decided to assemble this set of assignments to help students explore a neighborhood. I wanted to involve students in real research that does not require extensive field trips.
Students can work on the neighborhood where their school is.
While this may be an unfamiliar neighborhood for many students, participants in this project need to remember that any neighborhood is unfamiliar to someone who moves into it. This set of assignments can involve the community in serving as resources for the students. Since the assignments focus on developing a sense of identity and pride in the neighborhood, some local businesses may be interested in helping to sponsor the project. Please see this web of pages as a suggestion of possibilities. Feel free to scale the assignments to your own grade level and to fit them to your own circumstances.