Like many rapidly growing cities around the world, Brazil’s major cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have struggled to provide housing for everyone living there. In response, informal settlements, known in Brazil as favelas, have sprung up around these cities.

Informal settlements are areas of unplanned housing. They often do not have sanitation, water, trash disposal, electricity, or other services.

Informal settlements are often found in areas that may be difficult to build or live in. For example, they’re built on steep slopes, in areas near railroad tracks or heavy industry, and in areas with high flood risk. In other words: these settlements are built on land where formal developments are deemed undesirable.

In this guided lesson, students explore how people select a place to live and the conditions that lead to the formation of informal settlement using National Geographic MapMaker. Students will use satellite imagery and population density data to learn more about informal settlements. By clicking the links above, educators will find a student activity with a short article, MapMaker, and activity steps sorted onto different tabs. The second link takes teachers to the teacher’s guide with helpful suggestions, guiding questions, and relevant national standards.