Connecticut Environmental Rights Amendment

Synopsis
This lesson asks students whether Connecticut should add an amendment to its state constitution protecting the environmental rights of current and future residents.
Students analyze the draft amendment along with proponent, opponent, and informational sources, then write persuasive testimony, role-play a Connecticut General Assembly hearing, or negotiate compromise language as legislators.
This lesson will take approximately two to four class periods.
Teaching Materials
Prerequisites:
Consider reviewing how to evaluate a source's credibility.
Pre-teach terms such as amendment, resolution, proponent, and opponent, and provide sentence frames for written testimony.
Preparation:
Because the amendment is moving through the legislative process, check its current status before teaching and adjust the framing of the essential question if needed.
Differentiation:
Consider printing articles for students who may be easily distracted by ads and other information on the web page.
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