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Preserving the Wonder
Grade level: 10-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Overview: As with all things man-made, many visionary environments have suffered damage because of time, weather and neglect. In this activity, students will investigate various Web sites of foundations that are devoted to preserving the visionary environments presented in the Off the Map Web site.
As one can see while touring Off the Map, quite a bit can be done with a strong conviction, some cement and a variety of materials found in everyday environments. However, some people do not share in a visionary artist’s dreams and may not appreciate their work—deeming it an eyesore, a health hazard, or simply a misuse of space.
Background: Many of the visionary environments presented in Off the Map may have been destroyed or left to ruin if not for people from within and outside the artist’s community who stepped in to lead a campaign of preservation to keep these environments intact for others to enjoy. These interested parties formed committees and foundations devoted to preserving these environments, and have successfully lobbied local governments, unhappy neighbors, developers, and others.
Activity 1
Ask students to research the preservation efforts of each visionary environment presented in Off the Map. For each artist, although some efforts will be more obvious than others, students should attempt to answer the following questions:
• Who started the organization/committee? What prompted them to begin?
• What challenges did they face? From whom or what?
• What is their main focus? (Preservation, expansion, historical considerations, etc.)
• How successful have they been?
• According to the student, is their effort worthwhile?
Students should write up their findings in order to discuss them in class.
NOTE: Students can begin their hunt for information about preservation efforts by reading the material in "The Site Today" section of each travelogue. In addition to current status and visiting info, this section contains a link to the "official" site or preservation group's web site.
Activity 2
After class discussion, students should choose one of the environments from Off the Map and make a case, in writing or for in-class debate, for its preservation. What kind of funding is necessary to preserve the site, and is it readily available? If the visionary environment was one person’s vision, do we as a community have a responsibility to preserve it? How would the student propose to successfully preserve a visionary environment?
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