Neighborhood Map

I have attached the map of the neighborhood surrounding my school here. In general, my school is located in a suburban area called Oxon Hill, Md. It is located just about a mile from the border of D.C. with the high school being located in a subdivision surrounded by single family homes and apartments. The vast majority of restaurants and other services are located on St Barnabas road, which is also about a mile away from the school. In short, while surrounded by apartments and homes, my school is decent walk from many community services.

If I were to incorporate anything about the local community into a lesson, I would probably focus on the lack of community facilities and a cemetery located off St. Barnabas. First, I would focus on the lack of community facilities to help students question why is it that people such as doctors, lawyers, business owners, etc., often do not provide their services to people living in certain communities. Why should it be made difficult for people to receive certain services because of where they live? (Read: Why is it that people living in poorer communities often have no access to needed services because people are afraid to set up business in their neighborhood?) You think I am wrong...try finding a Giant or Safeway in a poor neighborhood.

The cemetery is also noteworthy as it provides evidence of the "white flight" that transformed the neighborhood from a primarily middle class, Jewish neighborhood to a lower middle class, African-American neighborhood. Most of the markers in the cemetery have a Star of David on them, suggesting the heavy Jewish influence that used to exist in the community. I would challenge my students to question why the neighborhood had changed, how it changed, and how they feel about being segregated. This lesson would serve the purpose of illustrating to students what motivates a group of people to leave one area and settle in another.