Mrs. O’Donnell’s 7th grade geography students are currently exploring this essential question: “How does urban sprawl affect people and the planet?” They are examining the dilemmas faced by Portland, Toronto, and Atlanta in planning for their growing metropolitan areas. Students work in Policy Planning Groups. In each group students take on the roles of planning commissioner, smart growth advocate, suburban housing developer, environmentalist, and citizen for affordable housing. They work collaboratively to recommend a plan for each city, and then they research to find out what each city actually did to combat urban sprawl. This is an important lesson for students as Spokane and the West Plains continue to grow.