Lesson Plans

Grades: 6-8

City Planning

Growing Pains in Texas Hill Country

Students read a news article about local population growth and the resulting sprawl, create and write a proposed solution, and simulate a city council debate.

Grades: 9-12

City Planning

Growing Smarter

In small groups, students analyze a map of an undeveloped area within a city in order to create and present a growth plan that incorporates smart growth concepts.

Grades: 6-8

Fresh Water Use

Water, Water Everywhere

Students observe a brief demonstration on the distribution of the world’s water and then calculate how much water they use on a daily basis, both directly and indirectly.

Grades: 9-12

Fresh Water Use

Roll on Mighty River

Small groups of students take on the role of a stakeholder vying for water from the Colorado River and debate their position in a mock arbitration.

Grades: 6-8

Extreme Weather

In The News: Research for Tomorrow

Through planning, writing, and performing a news telecast, students use information from current events articles to create fact-based predictions about what their futures might look like.

Grades: 9-12

Extreme Weather

Carbon Crunch

Students use country-level data to compare where carbon dioxide emissions are produced to where people are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.