Engage the Range is comprised of three modules meant to be used in sequential order, with students in grades 9-12: Learn the Range, Experience the Range, and Change the Range. Reference the Resource Guide for helpful tips, links, and information, including suggestions of how to integrate Engage the Range across disciplines and use it as a tool to deepen student awareness of equity and justice.
Learn the Range
This self-paced interactive course takes students on a journey through the past, present, and potential future state of the rangelands found throughout the Great Plains. Participants will learn about the important historical events that shaped the current characteristics of the Great Plains and the species that are found there.
Time needed: 60-75 minutes (or split past/present/future between class periods)
Take the Course
Experience the Range: In-person Field Trip
The objective of this module is for students to use their senses to identify characteristics and common range issues while learning directly from a rancher on site during a field trip to a range*.The teacher guide and rancher guide are intended to plan for the trip and guide the lesson with suggested prompts for different aspects of the range. Distribute the student guide to each participant so that they may take notes and answer reflection questions after the trip concludes.
Time needed: For field trip = 0.5 day total depending on travel time (1-2 hours for activity); For student post-reflections = 10-15 minutes
Experience the Range: Virtual Field Trip
Students can explore multiple ranches from the comfort of their screens and learn from the ranchers as they share about various considerations and challenges they face while maintaining the ecosystem and landscape. Linked within the Introduction chapter is a downloadable and fillable guide, for students to take notes about their observations and reflections from each segment.
Time needed: 60-75 minutes
Take the Virtual Field Trip
Change the Range
In this final module, students will apply what they’ve learned about sustainability and range management by creating and presenting a prototype solution to one of the issues they discovered during Experience the Range. The teacher guide offers a variety of activity options that take students through the steps of the design thinking process. Also included is a student reflection exercise and an assessment/grading rubric.
Time needed: 2-3 class periods
