1. Distribute the Homes on the Range T-chart handout to students and project a copy onto a large screen. Demonstrate how students can use the graphic organizer to record notes.
2. Lead a discussion with the students to build background information about rangelands in your state. Optional: Use the PowerPoint, Homes on the Range: An Introduction to Rangelands to help students visualize and better understand what rangelands are. The Classroom discussion should include the following points:
   • "What are rangelands?" (Rangelands are vast natural landscapes that include grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, forests, tundra, wetlands, and deserts. It is land that can be used for grazing, foraging, wildlife habitat, aesthetics, hunting, and a clean water supply.)
   • "Who uses rangeland?" (Ranchers, hunters, hikers, scientists, wildlife, and livestock. Ask students to share ways they have personally used rangeland, emphasizing the value of rangeland to humans, animals, and plants.)
   • How can grazing animals improve rangeland? Grazing animals…
     • Reduce the amount of fuel (grasses and shrubs) for wildfires. Land that is grazed is less likely to experience severe fires.
     • Increase aeration of the soil, facilitating better water absorption. Their hooves break up hard ground, adding beneficial air to the soil.
     • Control the growth of the non-native grasses and plants so that other desirable plants (wildflowers and native grasses) can thrive.
     • Increase the diversity of habitats available to wildlife species. Many species, including several threatened species, benefit from livestock controlling the growth of invasive plants.
   • What role does a range manager have in the health of our land? The range manager makes decisions about how to carefully use and manage rangeland resources (plants, animals, soil, and water) to meet the needs and desires of society. When managed properly, rangelands provide habitat for livestock and wildlife while benefiting humans, animals, and plants.
   • What does a range manager do? A range manager may work with ranchers, scientists, and others to monitor plant growth, create agreements among rangeland users, develop conservation plans to meet land goals, manage private livestock operations, and develop methods to protect the range from fire, unwanted wildlife, and poisonous plants.
3. Introduce the students to the game, Rangeland Rescue. Explain that in this activity, students will take on the role of range managers to help a game board manufacturer create a realistic board game about rangelands. The manufacturer has provided instructions and game board spaces. Students must use these resources to design their game board. Review the Rangeland Rescue Game Instructions out loud as a class. Tell students that this handout is their instructions for playing the game.
4. Distribute and review the Rangeland Rescue Game Design handout. Tell students that this handout is their instructions for designing the game. Show students an example of the game board pictured below. Divide the class into groups of four. Distribute the necessary materials.
5. Once game boards are complete, each student will evaluateanother group’s game board, using the Rangeland Rescue Game Design Grading Rubric. Students should play the game completely prior to filling out the rubric. The teacher will review the completed rubrics and average the student-determined evaluation scores for grading.
6. Debrief the activity to highlight significant discoveries. Use the Range Fact Cards to guide discussion and quiz students on the information they learned about rangelands and range managers.
   

Variations

• Have students use library, classroom, and Web resources to design their own Range Fact Cards. Each Range Fact Card must feature a question about rangelands. Questions may be true/false, multiple choice, or short answer. Students should print questions and answers neatly on index cards for use in the game. Use an electronic presentation to introduce the topic.
• Distribute the Homes on the Range T-Chart electronically and have students fill them out on their tablet computer.

ELL Adaptations

• Give students a copy of the lesson’s Background Agricultural Connections, which provides additional information about rangelands and range managers. Lead students in highlighting and annotating the text to identify important information.
• Use games such as Pictionary or Bingo to reinforce challenging new vocabulary words.
• The “Think-Pair-Share” technique increases student engagement and is an effective way to encourage English language learners to express new concepts in English. Give students time to write a response to a question on paper, additional time to discuss their ideas with their neighbor, and then solicit responses from the entire class.