As you enter into the Urbanization unit, why not have students learn how maps were used to achieve demure segregation using the HOLC maps of the 1930’s? This is a topic that is largely left untouched in the high school classroom unless discussed in AP Human Geography. US History classes would greatly benefit from this lesson as well.

PURPOSE:

To have students understand the historic and systemic racism of housing segregation within the United States. Students will learn about the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) between 1935 and 1940, where HOLC staff members, using data and evaluations organized by local real estate professionals–lenders, developers, and real estate appraisers–in each city, assigned grades to residential neighborhoods that reflected their “mortgage security” that would then be visualized on color-coded maps. Neighborhoods receiving the highest grade of “A”–colored green on the maps–were deemed minimal risks for banks and other mortgage lenders when they were determining who should received loans and which areas in the city were safe investments. Those receiving the lowest grade of “D,” colored red, were considered “hazardous.”

NOTE: This is considered an advanced lesson that could easily command 2 class periods of time. It would be beneficial for the teacher to model the use of this website as students investigate. The intention is for students to complete these tasks in a pushed copy of the Google Slides in their own drive and resubmit to the teacher for credit.

INSTRUCTION:

Students will force a copy of the Google Slides interactive activity and complete the 7 steps to completion. With this activity, students will investigate the function of the HOLC redlining maps, view discriminatory language used to determine areas of mortgage avoidance, and compare the HOLC maps with a contemporary U.S. racial dot map. Students will also have the opportunity to answer a free response question that asks students to evaluate the effectiveness of the HOLC policies after map analysis is complete.

INCLUDES: (11 Total pages) (Google Slides)

• ONE Title Page
• ONE slide that asks students to research the purposes of President FDR’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation program.
• ONE slide that asks students to identify the grading system of the HOLC maps and to identify discriminatory language in their descriptions.
• THREE slides detailed the steps to complete an in-depth analysis of a U.S. city that experienced housing segregation as a result of the implementation of the HOLC maps (1). Example slide provided (2). Blank template for student completion (3).
• THREE slides detailed the steps to compare the HOLC maps to a racial dot map of the same city (1). Example slide provided (2). Blank template for student completion (3).
• ONE slide with an open free response question that asks students to reflect on the effectiveness of the HOLC program’s efforts.
• ONE slide citations and user agreements

Want to check out my ad-free illustrated primer pages that I created for the topic of RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL SEGREGATION?

➤The Human Imprint Illustrated: Urban Segregation – Ad-free. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

➤Segregated By Design: Vimeo Video Worksheet & Key HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

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This item was created using Adobe Illustrator, Google Slides, solely by the Human Imprint.

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Thank you.

Relevant Topics include: AP Human Geography, segregation, Jim Crow, Redlining, Blockbusting, Racial Steering, Microfinancing, Black Codes, DeJure segregation, ethnic island, Great Migration, Racially Restrictive Covenants, Racial Filtering, White Flight, Redlining, Linguistic Profiling, HOLC, Home Owners’ Loan Corporation