The Chesapeake Bay watershed is an estuary made up of water from the Atlantic Ocean and the watershed of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Home — MPT in the Classroom — State Circle — State Circle Lesson Starters — Managing, Preserving & Protecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed — Teacher's Guide

Managing, Preserving & Protecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Grades 9-12

This lesson focuses on two main ideas:

  • The Chesapeake Bay Watershed as in important natural resource
  • The challenges of managing, protecting, and preserving the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Procedure

INTRODUCTION (15 minutes)

  1. Display the vocabulary words in one column and the definitions in another column in random order. Challenge students to match the words with the correct definitions in one minute. Review correct answers and clear up any confusion.
  2. Have a student volunteer read the lesson introduction, then show the State Circle video excerpt.
  3. As a class, discuss the lesson’s essential questions and thinking questions.

EXTENSION (30-120 minutes)

Complete extension activities with students, as you see fit.

ASSESSMENT (15 minutes)

Have students apply their newfound knowledge by completing a Summative CER on the lesson using evidence from the video and activity resources as support.

REFLECTION (10 minutes)

Have students complete a reflection.

Standards

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards and Maryland State Standards

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

Civics

  • D2.Civ.5.9-12.
    Evaluate citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
  • D2.Civ.13.9-12.
    Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
  • D2.Civ.14.9-12.
    Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.

Geography

  • D2.Geo.4.9-12.
    Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
  • D2.Geo.4.9-12.
    Evaluate the impact of human settlement activities on the environmental and cultural characteristics of specific places and regions.

Maryland State Standards

Environmental Literacy
Advance students’ knowledge, confidence, skills, and motivation to make decisions and take actions that preserve and protect the unique natural resources of Maryland and of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

American Government: Economic Goals and Indicators
The student will analyze the principles of economic costs and benefits and opportunity cost to evaluate the effectiveness of government policy in achieving socio-economic goals by evaluating how the principles of economic costs, benefits, and opportunity cost affect public policy issues, such as environmental and healthcare concerns, defense and education policy.

American Government: Regional and Domestic Policy
The student will analyze the roles and relationships of regions on the formation and implementation of government policy by:

  • Explaining how geographic characteristics and shared interests stimulate regional cooperation between governments.
  • Analyzing the importance of regional characteristics and interests including economic development, natural resources, climate and environmental issues, and population shifts in formulating local, state, and national government policy.
  • Analyzing patterns, trends, and projections of population and how these may affect environmental policy.

AAmerican Government: Public Policy
The student will evaluate the role of government in addressing land use and other environmental issues by evaluating the way national, state, and local governments develop policy to address land use, and environmental issues, such as pollution, urban sprawl, property rights, and land use/zoning.


Summative CER

Option 1:

Use evidence and reasoning from the lesson video and activity resources to explain why the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is an important natural resource.

Option 2:

Make an argument for protecting and preserving the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Use evidence and reasoning from the lesson video and activity resources to support your argument.


Reflection Questions

  • What is one thing that you can do as a citizen to help protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay Watershed or another important natural resource?
  • Why is it important to consider and balance competing interests when making public policies?

Summative CER Rubric

No Response
Score Point 0 		Not There Yet
Score Point 0.5 		Beginning To
Score Point 0.75		 Yes
Score Point 1.0
The claim is missing The claim is incorrect or irrelevant. The claim partially takes a position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt. The claim takes an appropriate position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt.
There is no type of evidence in the response The evidence is irrelevant or does not support the claim. The evidence partially supports the claim and demonstrates some understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources. The evidence supports the claim and demonstrates a strong understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources.
There is no use of words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence. Use of words, phrases and clauses fail to show or explain any relationship between the claim and evidence. Scientific words, phrases, and clauses used lack cohesion but partially clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence. Appropriate scientific words, phrases, and clauses are used to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence.


Teacher Resources


References

 

This learning resource is a production of Maryland Public Television/Thinkport.