Amy has been a classroom teacher for 20 years, with certification in bilingual education, language arts, and a national board certification in social science. She currently is an instructor in the Oregon State University Cascades Masters of Teaching program and works as a regional program manager for the Civics Learning Project. Amy's undergraduate degree is in environmental studies and she has been working to address climate change since her teenage years. She lives in Bend, Oregon.
In this lesson, students explore civic engagement through a town hall role-play to allocate scarce water resources and propose ideas for climate resiliency that honor multiple perspectives.
Inquire: Students work in groups to rank ten purposes of a river and explain how to balance a community’s competing needs for water.
Investigate: Students represent stakeholders in the Deschutes River Watershed, research it, and write testimony about the allocation of water.
Inspire: Students engage in a mock Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative Town Hall meeting, reflect on the process, and choose a follow-up action.
