New York Voters Pass the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act

• This brief article celebrates a comprehensive environmental law in New York State and the stakeholders that played a role in passing this law.
• Students will learn that this law will facilitate various measures to improve the New York environment and that New Yorkers who vary in political and geographical backgrounds support it.

Positives

• This article is concise, easy to understand, and inspiring.
• Students will benefit from seeing how focused civic engagement can affect change.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students may need the terms bond measure, urban forest, and others defined before they read the article.
• Students should understand some of the problems that have made this policy necessary.

Differentiation

• Students can read this article at home to prepare for an in-class discussion on the broader political context within New York State and how it differs from other states around the country.
• Students can use this article and other resources to create a timeline of American climate legislation in the past decade.
• Civics teachers can use this article in a lesson on coalition building and its impact on change.
• This article can enhance a classroom discussion on the New York government's effectiveness in dealing with climate change.

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