Geography · 10th Grade

Active learning ideas

Concentric Zone and Sector Models

Active learning helps students move beyond abstract diagrams by engaging with real urban patterns. Mapping historic growth alongside modern development lets learners test models against evidence rather than memorize them as fixed rules.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Geo.3.9-12
• C3: D2.Geo.6.9-12

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Chicago Then and Now

Hang maps of Chicago from 1920 and today at stations around the room. Students rotate in pairs, marking which zones or sectors align with the Burgess and Hoyt models on each map and noting where the models break down. Groups share their annotations in a whole-class debrief.

Explain how transport systems like subways and highways shape the growth of a city.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, place maps of 1920s Chicago next to 2020s Chicago so students notice what the Burgess model still explains and where it falls short.

What to look for

Present students with a current map of a major US city (e.g., Los Angeles or Boston). Ask: 'Based on the concentric zone and sector models, where would you expect to find the Central Business District? What evidence on the map supports your claim? How do modern transportation routes, like the 405 freeway or the MBTA Green Line, align with or contradict the sector model's predictions?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Your City, Your Model

Students sketch a basic map of their nearest major city, labeling residential, commercial, and industrial zones from memory or a printed reference map. Partners compare sketches and decide which model fits best, then present their reasoning to the class with one piece of supporting evidence.

Analyze why different social classes cluster in specific parts of the city.

Facilitation Tip

When students do Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for pairs that connect their city’s transit lines to Hoyt’s wedges, not just recall definitions.

What to look for

Provide students with a simplified diagram of either the concentric zone or sector model. Ask them to label three key zones or sectors and write one sentence for each explaining the typical land use or social characteristics associated with that area, referencing the model's core principles.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Concept Mapping
• 50 min · Small Groups

Structured Analysis: Redlining and the Sector Model

Using historical HOLC maps from the Mapping Inequality project, students analyze how federal redlining reinforced sector model patterns by concentrating lower-income and minority populations in specific zones. Groups annotate the maps, then write a one-paragraph claim connecting federal housing policy to spatial inequality.

Compare the applicability of the concentric zone and sector models to different cities.

Facilitation Tip

For the Redlining and Sector Model analysis, provide redlined maps from the 1930s and current demographic overlays so students see how investment patterns persist.

What to look for

Ask students to write a short paragraph comparing the concentric zone and sector models. They should identify one situation or city type where one model might be more applicable than the other, and briefly explain why.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Build-a-City

Each group receives a set of land use cards (industrial plant, wealthy housing, transit line, park, CBD) and arranges them on a blank city grid. Groups compare their finished city layouts to the Burgess and Hoyt models, then explain their placement decisions and identify which model their city most closely resembles.

Explain how transport systems like subways and highways shape the growth of a city.

Facilitation Tip

During Build-a-City, remind groups that zoning laws and street grids are as important as housing density when testing the models.

What to look for

Present students with a current map of a major US city (e.g., Los Angeles or Boston). Ask: 'Based on the concentric zone and sector models, where would you expect to find the Central Business District? What evidence on the map supports your claim? How do modern transportation routes, like the 405 freeway or the MBTA Green Line, align with or contradict the sector model's predictions?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with a caution: models from 1925 and 1939 were built for one city in one era. Bring in Timbrell’s 2022 study showing that only 12% of US metros still fit Burgess closely. Use Hoyt’s emphasis on corridors to highlight how rail and highways still guide growth today. Avoid teaching these models as timeless truths.

Students will recognize that both models are historical tools, not universal templates. They will explain how transportation, policy, and economics shape land use differently in each case. Growth happens when students connect theory to lived geography through data and discussion.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students assuming the concentric zone model predicts every modern city layout exactly as Burgess drew it for 1920s Chicago.

  Stop groups at the 1920s map and the 2020s map side by side. Ask them to highlight where the rings still appear and where they break down, then list reasons like highways, gentrification, or edge cities.

• During Think-Pair-Share, listen for students claiming wealthy residents always live closest to the city center because it is the most desirable location.

  Hand out suburbanization timelines and case studies for Detroit and Atlanta. Have pairs mark when and why affluent residents moved outward, then share findings with the class.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share
• Concept Mapping
• Simulation Game