Idaho Social Studies 6-9.WH.2.7

Social StudiesGrades 6–9Geography

The Standard

Explain how the resources of an area can be the source of conflict between competing groups.

Idaho Content Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify a resource, the groups that want it, and how each group uses it. They use a map to explain how location affects access and why the groups might disagree.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given a map and a short case, a student can name the resource and both groups. They can explain how one group's location or use could limit the other's access.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think a resource causes conflict just because it exists, even when groups are not competing for it. They may assume the group closest to a resource owns it, or that every disagreement becomes a war.
How to Assess It: Show a sketch of upstream farms and a downstream town on a shrinking river. Ask students what each group needs and why they might disagree about water use.

Lesson moves

Give pairs eight blue water tokens, a river sketch, and farm and town role cards; have them divide the water and explain their choices.
Ask, "If farms upstream take more river water, what happens to a town downstream, and why might both groups disagree?"
Match cards labeled copper mine, mountain farmland, farmers, and mining company; write why both groups want control of the same land.
Show a Colorado River map; mark farms and cities, then ask how a dry year could change each group's access to water.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6-9.WH.2.7, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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