US History · Week 35 · The Cold War and Contemporary America
Protecting Land and Water
Students weigh the views of conservation and property rights advocates on issues like the Salton Sea and Colorado River water and propose a fair solution for the Coachella Valley.
- Students will
- Students weigh the views of conservation and property rights advocates about the Salton Sea and Colorado River water, and propose a fair solution for the Coachella Valley.
- SEL skill
- Slow down and weigh values and consequences before choosing a fair solution
- What it looks like
- Students use emotions to think through a shared problem and weigh ideas calmly before deciding.
- Content focus
- Protecting Land and Water
- Format
- Small group problem-solving
Responsible decision-making
Responsible decision-making means making caring, constructive choices by thinking about ethics, safety, and consequences. More responsible decision-making activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- 11.11.5: CA History Social Science Content Standard, Grade 11: United States History and Geography: Continuity and Change in the Twentieth Century (standard 11.11, item 5)
- CA HSS Analysis Skill: HI5 Analyze human changes to landscapes and the environmental policy issues that result. (Historical Interpretation)
- C3 Framework (national): D2.Geo.5.9-12 Evaluate how political and economic decisions over time have influenced the cultural and environmental characteristics of places and regions.
- Literacy in history: RH.11-12.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis, such as charts and maps, with information in a text.
Fits these textbook chapters
- American History: Reconstruction to the Present, Module 17: Transitions and Conservatism
- American History: Reconstruction to the Present, Module 19: The United States in the 21st Century
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 3: Setting the Geographic Stage
Textbook names are used only to help you find activities that fit what you teach. RoseThread Connect is not affiliated with these publishers.
More responsible decision-making activities for US History
- Freedom of Conscience Responsible decision-makingStudents examine the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses and the ongoing debate over church and state, weighing several perspectives before forming a view.
- Titans of Industry Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh whether leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller were captains of industry or robber barons and practice judging evidence rather than labels.
- Becoming a World Power Responsible decision-makingStudents map the Spanish American War and expansion in the Pacific, including Filipino and Native Hawaiian perspectives, and weigh the costs of a choice for everyone it affects.
- New Deal Debates Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh arguments for and against New Deal programs, including the Central Valley Project that reshaped California water, and practice evaluating a policy by its intended and unintended effects.
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RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.