WATER RIGHTS
Leslie Simmons McKenzie High School

OVERVIEW:

This simulation helps students begin to understand the difficulties of managing a finite resource.

CONNECTION WITH THE CIRRICULUM:

Geography, Government, History, Economics, critical thinking.

TEACHING LEVEL: 7- 12th grade TIME FRAME: Approximately 1 hour

CONNECTION TO STATE CONTENT STANDARDS:

Standard 4/ Benchmark 4

CONNECTION TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:

Standard #16 Meaning, distribution, and importance of resources

MATERIALS:

Enough role cards for each student
Fate cards
Three water jugs
Enough cups for each student
Overhead and chalkboard

INTRODUCTION:

Review discussion of resource availability. What are our local natural resources? How abundant are they? Is there an infinite or finite amount of those resources? What does it mean to us when resources are limited?

PROCEDURE:
  1. Ask the class the above questions. Tell students that "we are going to do a case study on water, one of our local resources that appears to be abundant."
  2. Explain that there are two basic types of water law in the United States. "We are going to focus on the law that governs Oregon water." (Appropriative water law)
  3. Briefly describe the history of the Appropriative water law. (Gold miners)
  4. Teach the basic rules of Appropriation.
  5. Students will participate in a water rights simulation. First they draw roles out of a hat. The roles will include: whom they are, their water right date, and how much water they claimed. A jug of water will represent the Deschutes River. Students are then doled out water based on their water rights. Illuminate the understanding that fish do not have water rights.
  6. Students then reflect in their journals from the perspective of the individual roles they played.
  7. A volunteer will then draw a fate card that will change the amount of water in the river: drought, heavy snowfall, or contamination.
  8. Students are once again doled out water based on their water rights.
  9. Students will once again reflect in their journals.
  10. Lead a brief discussion where the students discuss some possible consequences of Appropriative water law.

EVALUATION:

Participation and through their journal writing.

EXTENSION:

Look at other methods of resource management. Look at resource issues around the world.
Possible roles for your students that would be on the role cards: (Be creative)
farmer with a large claim dates of their claims will vary
developer with a large claim
government with a moderate claim
homeowner with a small claim
fisherman with no claim
boaters with no claim
business with a moderate claim
fish with no claim

In the simulation, the claims would be relative to the cups the students have.
Their role card may say that they have a claim for one whole cup or just a half of a cup.