Lesson Plan 6:
Coordinated Resource Management Exercise

Lesson Activities

1) The object of this lesson is to place students in the shoes of groups that have a particular vested interest in natural resource ecology. Through playing the roles of the different groups, students will conduct a problem-solving session concerning the varying viewpoints of a local problem.

2) The teacher selects an issue of importance to the local community that deals with some aspect of the natural environment in which different groups have varying ideas of what should be done about the issue.

3) Assign each student to one of the groups listed below. (Not all groups need to be used.) Depending on the number of students in the class, they can be assigned individually or in groups of two or three students. It is not recommended for these discussions that more than three students represent any organization. Names given to organizations are hypothetical and could be altered to fit the issue/situation that is developed by the teacher, but the original intent of what the organization stands for should be maintained. Students will be researching what a group of that type believes and promotes, the stance it would likely take on the assigned issue, and how that group would defend its position. This can be accomplished by having them contact real-life organizations with similar goals, researching the particular aspect the group promotes (e.g., bird watching or backcountry hiking), and interviewing someone they know who is more aware of that area/topic. Off-Road Vehicle Riders Association Happy Hunters Organization Red River Water Users Association Pioneer Land and Cattle Company White Caps Rafting Company Wildlife Wizards The Nature Club Prodigy PTA Slow Flow Irrigation District West Ridge Stockgrowers Association Blossoming Botany Society Brisk Bird Watchers Society Castle County Conservation District Hilltop Hikers Association

4) Provide students with up to three weeks of time to research the viewpoint of the organization that they hypothetically belong to. The bulk of their research will need to be done before the actual CRM's begin. They will need enough time to find out how that organization would about the chosen natural resource issue in your local area. Information about the local issue that would be helpful in order for the students to narrow down their assigned group's viewpoint would be the following: A brief history of the area and issue General climate of the area (annual precipitation, temperature, etc.) Water resources in the area (rivers, lakes, irrigation reservoirs, etc.) and current & potential uses of them Types of vegetation, timber, minerals, and other natural resources found in the area Wildlife that live in and use the area Recreational use of the area (current &/or potential) Livestock use of the area (current &/or potential) Any current/potential use or natural resource harvesting of the area (grazing, logging, mining, hunting, fishing, haying, real estate, etc. A field trip, if possible, to the actual location may also be helpful to their research. Interviewing people who live and work in the area could be another beneficial source of information and insight.

5) Each student (or group of students) representing an organization will need to prepare a short statement which outlines the group's goals and objectives. The length and depth of this statement will vary depending on student grade level and should be set by the teacher. The purpose of this introduction is to provide the other students (i.e. groups) with a basis for knowing and understanding what each of the groups represents. Students may also want to prepare charts, graphs, tables, etc. of data that supports their group's stance.

6) The teacher acts as the mediator or facilitator for all meetings. Be sure each student/group has an adequate opportunity to participate and represent the organization's views. During the meeting(s), students will be role-playing in the shoes of their organization and should set aside their own personal viewpoints. This lesson will not only educate students about the local natural resource issue, but will teach them life skills such as listening and respecting other viewpoints, sticking to the game plan, patience, and maintaining composure when placed in situations where people disagree with them.

7) A series of 30-50 minute meetings would be ideal for the students to work through the CRM process. Ideally, 3-4 meetings would be adequate. Students should share their group's viewpoints and goals for the issue, determine a list of comprehensive objectives, have quality discussion, and come to a conclusion that all organizations can agree with (in part or in whole). Students should be aware that not everyone will be completely satisfied with the solution they reach, but rather, that the best possible consensus incorporates the concerns of all and reflects an understanding of the issue's many aspects.

8) Conduct a 'debriefing' meeting at the conclusion of the process. Ask students to share and reflect upon the skills they learned, the process itself, and the solution they collaboratively reached.