This unit began in my Applied Calculus (MA151) Messina course at Loyola University Maryland. I was inspired by the video (below) that I watched at a workshop given by Baltimore Racial Justice Action (BRJA) at Loyola.
I’ve since incorporated it into the summer online Applied/Business Calculus course. There are different ways to incorporate it, and I’ve also used it as a Messina Enrichment hour (or hours) for both Applied/Business Calculus and Caluclus I.
Step 1: Introduction to Redlining
The video linked below is a great introduction, especially for Loyola students in which many are familiar with the NYC/Long Island area that is featured. It can be shown in class with a discussion after, or have them view it on their own and write a brief reflection on it. That is how I did it for the online course. I’ve also done it that way recently for the Messina Calculus I course. Doing it on their own and writing a reflection can give them time to absorb the material before discussing in class.
Video and Reflection on Redlining: Assignment within Moodle
Step 2: Baltimore Map Activity
The map activity is ideally done in class, in small groups. For the online course I created the H5P activity below. It is surprising and yet not surprising how little students know of their surroundings/big picture because of smartphone navigation. Within class we can point out multiple areas such as Camden Yards, Inner Harbor, etc. The CSA-Map-2010 is the map you can use that was also used in the H5P activity.
Poll Everywhere Activity
In Fall 2021, I created a Poll Everywhere map activity to be done in class (and can also be done online). I used this map for the activity.
Redlining and Baltimore
The Redlining PowerPoint was made for the Fall 2021 class.
This YouTube video was created in replace of being able to discuss redlining in Baltimore, pointing out the neighborhoods impacted, etc. Ideally this discussion would happen in person.
1937 Baltimore Security Map: Loyola is marked with a star. There are three neighborhoods featured in a WeBWorK problem on compound interest (PDF below). North Baltimore/Guilford/Homeland (Guilford) is within the green areas to the north and south of Loyola. Greater Govans (Govans) is the neighborhood across (East) of York Road – the long vertical strip of yellow is a part of Govans. Sandtown-Winchester/Harlem Park (Sandtown) is within the redlined neighborhood D4 (just west of the center of the map).
- Green: “Best”
- Blue: “Still Desirable”
- Yellow: “Definitely Declining”
- Red: “Hazardous”
(Click on image for larger, zoomable picture.)
BNIA worksheet activity
This Baltimore Neighborhoods Indicator Alliance (BNIA) activity can be done in groups in class, or done via Moodle. If done in class, warn them to bring laptops, and figure out if any don’t have any to help group with ones that do. Not everyone needs a laptop; at least one per group. One could make it a group activity within Moodle, but I did not. Each student submitted their own, but there were four groups randomly chosen by Moodle.
One can easily modify the indicators based on the theme(s) of the course, Common Text, current events, etc. One can similarly modify the neighborhoods, although I would still recommend Guilford and Govans because of its proximity to Loyola and each other.
I created an example worksheet but forgot to include it in the Moodle directions. Sigh.
UPDATED FOR FALL 2021: Group Worksheets and Summary Table to complete/show
WeBWorK problems
The following exercises were within the WeBWorK problems on compound interest, exponential growth and decay problems. For the first problem with neighborhoods and median house prices, I originally used 2015 data and that in the previous 50 years, houses rose about 5.4% annually. In 2020 I could no longer find the source of that statistic so I modified it to the version in the PDF below. Of course, using the 5.4% yields more dramatic differences.
The second problem discusses subprime loans and the discriminatory practice of using them.
Links, Presentations, etc.
A collection of articles, etc. that are sources and others that are related to this issue.
Redlining in an Applied Calculus Course Presented in the MAA Contributed Paper Session on Quantitative Literacy and Social Justice: An Ongoing Dialogue on January 17, 2020 at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Denver, CO. PDF of slides.
Infusing Active Citizenship and Social Justice into the First Year Experience Co-presented with Michael Puma, C0-Director of Messina on February 22, 2020 at the 39th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience (FYE 2020) in Washington, DC. PDF of slides.
