Inquiries Filed Under:

About the inquiry

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of what parks do for us and where they may fall short. The compelling question asks something we may not have thought much about. “Should parks make us better people?”  For Fredrick Law Olmsted, the father of the American public park, the answer was very clear. Parks restore and nurture our soul and our body. They are open to all. Regardless of the circumstances of life, parks are a place to heal and grow.  However, there are some aspects of the Gilded Age mindset that may clash with the modern. Some may view Olmsted’s views of the working classes are culturally deprived can be seen as condescending. In addressing the compelling question, students complete a series of formative tasks in response to three supporting questions. These supporting questions and related tasks make use of Olmsted’s personal correspondence and photographs of Olmsted’s work.

 

Compelling Question

Should parks make us better people?

Staging Question

Discuss what sorts of things are in your local park and what people use the parks for.

Summative Performance Task

Argument: In this summative task, students will make an evidence-based argument responding to the compelling question,
"Should parks make us better people?" The question requires students to analyze the beliefs and designs of Olmsted
as a foundational American landscape architect and evaluate his relevance.

Extension:

Taking Informed Action

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