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Ask students to summarize the variety of opportunities for citizens of the West, in direct relationship to the natural resources of this vast region, beginning with information provided by the narrative, Natural Resources of the West. What conflicts might arise over modification of the environment in order to access and use its natural resources? Ask students to consider a case study of a community concerned over further development of its natural resources- the Wintu tribe of California. Ask students to review the importance of sovereignty of tribal governments, asking students to participate in the First Nations reader's theater. In what ways are the Wintu exercising their sovereign rights? Compare the Wintu case to the potential use of ANWR's oil in Alaska. Ask students to assume the role of governors of either state and compose a re-election campaign speech in support or opposition of further development of natural resources on tribal lands.
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Reinforce student understandings of the three types of productive resources- human, natural, and capital, using the lesson, Those Golden Jeans, from EconEd, featuring the story of Levi Strauss. Invite students to participate in the lesson's Resource Race to test their understandings. When using human labor and capital to modify resources for consumers, who should make such decisions in a democratic society?
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Invite student groups to engage in the brief online adventures (below) of national parks of the Western region. What resources are protected in these national parks and how is their use or modification limited? Plan a visit to one of the parks and create a postcard to a friend or family member, describing the natural resources and how they are being managed by the U.S. government.
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Encourage students to examine the importance of water to the Western states. Ask students to identify where this natural resources is abundant versus scarce, using a precipitation map. Ask students to engage in a case study of water usages for agricultural efforts, using the presentation, Water Makes a Difference: Imperial Valley, provided by O.C.S.S. How have people of the West adapted to the climate by wisely modifying their use of limited water resources? What threatens future access to water resources? Ask students to extend their learning by analyzing the impact of population growth and transformation of rural lands to urban areas, using the presentation, Urban Sprawl from Space. Encourage students to create a class T-chart, identifying the beneficial versus wasteful uses of water resources.
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Ask students to identify current opportunities and limitations of extracting coal resources of the West, using the presentation, Challenges in Coal Mining, provided by O.C.S.S. Ask students to create an illustrated T-chart, noting both benefits and risks of coal mining to individuals, communities, and the environment. Encourage students to investigate how coal is formed, the types of coal, and its uses. Is coal a scarce or abundant resources? Ask students to examine estimates of our nation's coal reserves and information from the U.S. Geological Survey to answer this question. Encourage student partners to develop a brochure from a major western coal mining company, recruiting investors to buy stock in coal mining operations. For brochure ideas, invite students to review how the largest company, Peabody, promotes its coal operations in the West.
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