Lesson Plan: Designing a Cemetery

In this lesson, high school students will discuss the impacts of human activity on watersheds and biodiversity, through the lens of landscape management and design at Arlington National Cemetery. Students will have the opportunity to plan a new section of the cemetery using a menu of options related to plantings, stormwater management, parking lots and walkways, fertilizer and pesticide. As they make their choices, students will be asked to consider the needs of the environment, the interests of cemetery visitors, and a budget, reflecting real-world challenges faced by Arlington National Cemetery administration.