Environmental Justice and Literature/Media

Name: Gentrification Lesson

Grade Levels: 9-12 Number of Students in Class: 20
Unit: Environmental Literature and Media
3. Learning Target(s):
I know about some of the people, groups, and events in environmental justice history and about the
beliefs and ideas that influenced them (JU.6-8.15)

4. Assessment(s): Write a poem about how gentrification has affected the residents of Chavez Ravine
by building the Dodger Stadium.

5. Materials:
Chavez Ravine Presentation
Stealing Home Lesson Plan

7. Introduction/Anticipatory Set: Why would someone or a group of people be forced to leave their
homes?

8. ****Step-by-Step Lesson process:****

I adapted the “Stealing Home” lesson plan with my own approach in teaching Gentrification.
1. I’d begin the lesson with a journal prompt to begin examining how gentrification has affected many
communities by asking this broad question: “Why would someone or a group of people be forced to
leave their homes?

After the students complete their prompt, I’d begin by explaining our LT for today’s lesson and end
goal at the end of the week will be composing a poem about Gentrification regarding the residents of
Chavez Ravine.

2. I will use the “Observe, Think, and Wonder” approach while we will watch a short video about how
Chavez Ravine residents were forcefully removed from their homes to build Dodger Stadium. Students
must take notes by formatting their paper into three categories: what do you see/hear, what do you
think is happening, and what do you wonder?

3. After the video is finished, we will review each of these categories to make a class list of our
“observe, think, and wonder” notes. Once we’re done with the final section of our “wonder” category, I
will use Christensen’s steps to have students make personal connections based on the “observe” and
“think” categories by asking her guiding questions: “What does this photograph remind you of?
Anything from your life? From movies? From a book?”

4. Next, we will begin to analyze a student’s poem, “Chavez Ravine Soil” example from the Stealing
Home’s lesson plan. In this example, Sarah Gomes who is our student example wrote from the soil
point of view and personified it to have feelings of loss. After reading our copies, we’ll break students
into groups to discuss how the poem made them feel about what has happened to the soil.
5. Then, I will begin to explain to students that now we will begin to brainstorm about which persona
to write in their poem about gentrification in Chavez Ravine. They can write from the Chavez Ravine
resident, soil, playground, dodger chair, etc. Students must use their notes and annotations to write a
poem about how gentrification has affected the residents of Chavez Ravine by building the Dodger
Stadium.

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 9. Works Cited:

(2017). Chavez Ravine: Ignored by los Angels. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRahCBkDYmE&t=23s.

Morgan, L. A. (2022, March 28). Chávez Ravine: A Los Angeles story. Zinn Education Project.
Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/chavez-ravine

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