Harmony Ridge: Redlining in Plain Sight
Step into the role of a 1950s loan officer in the fictional town of Harmony Ridge. Students analyze neighborhood profiles, decide who gets a loan, and then confront how their own choices mirror the real practice of redlining. This higher-level simulation challenges students to uncover systemic bias, rethink fairness, and design a more equitable housing system.
Grade Level: 8–12
Duration: 2–3 class periods
Webb's DOK: This activity scaffolds from DOK 2-4. All parts can be conducted independently to adjust for time or student needs.
What’s Included:
- Harmony Ridge Map: 1950s-style town layout.
- Neighborhood Profiles: Economic and social data for each area. Part 1 – City Planner Simulation: Students rate neighborhoods and justify investment decisions.
- Part 2 – Loan Officer Simulation: Students approve or deny loans under a limited budget.
- Part 3 – Reading Connection: Redlining and Segregation in the North article with reflection questions.
- Part 4 – Designing a Fairer System: Students build their own equitable loan model and test it.
- Teacher Guide: Full instructions, discussion prompts, Common Core alignment, and assessment ideas.
All activities come with ready to use student Worksheets: Justification charts, loan tables, reflection prompts, and fairness model templates.
Skills Developed: Historical analysis and systems thinking Economic and ethical decision-making Cause and effect reasoning Evaluating fairness and bias Collaborative problem solving
Perfect For: Civil Rights Movement units Economics and geography crossover lessons Inquiry-based or project-based learning AP or honors-level social studies classes Discussions on fairness, policy, and social equity