Neighborhood Mapping

We rely on a complex infrastructure of tunnels, pipes, and pumps to bring us the water and power we need in order to live and to clean our wastewater. What are the different utilities and services used by our communities and how do these services impact our communities on broader social levels? Students use field research methodologies to collect and analyze data about local infrastructure in order to raise awareness about placement of neighborhood utilities and services in students’ local communities. Teachers will guide students through an investigation that asks them to map major power, water, and sewer systems in the context of their neighborhoods, then collect data to explain the resources available in specific communities. Students will report out on their findings through a poster presentation. In this activity, learners will develop an awareness of their immediate infrastructure and surroundings, and build an understanding of what resources exist to support local infrastructure and community needs. Youth will walk away from the activity understanding that system change influences real neighborhood change, and in order to create system change, one must understand existing systems.