In “Speaking Up for the Beach,” students will study coastal law
and policy in California and elsewhere in the United States,
especially as it concerns public access to the coast. They will
wrestle with complicated questions about policy and
environmental responsibility. Students will engage in a mock
California Coastal Commission hearing and create a guide to
beach law in California. This project is different from the others
found in California Coastal Voices in that it has a strong focus on
the History-Social Science Standards, in addition to the Next
Generation Science Standards. Good science is interwoven with and
often the basis for good environmental policy, so understanding
science concepts and how to apply science to policy decisions is
a critical life skill, whether in a professional capacity or as a well informed voter.

Students will provide evidence of learning by:
• Developing an Illustrated Citizen’s Guide to California Beach
Law. This graphical guide to the Public Trust Doctrine,
California Coastal Act, and California Constitution may be
presented as a comic book, storyboard, or another style that includes fact-based original drawings and/or writing. Creative
or innovative approaches are encouraged. This document may
be created digitally or on paper depending on technology
resources and preferences.
• Participating in a mock California Coastal Commission
meeting: Students will act as Commission staff, local applicant
groups, presiding commissioners, or other stakeholders.
• Each student will maintain a notebook that will be reviewed by
the teacher for evidence of changes in student thinking.