While some promising efforts have recently been made to connect farmers with new practices of water conservation and assist in the optimization and use of resources, these efforts have not eliminated the need for additional research and sustainable practices in farming. This is especially true for crops such as rice that rely heavily on large quantities of water for each stage of cultivation and maturation. Technology and design efforts are underway to increase water input productivity by decreasing losses from seepage and other issues. Processes for better management and other incentives have been used to increase water conservation, but these efforts are largely exploratory and common farmers still need the tools to fully implement water conservation in their personal fields. Applying engineering design to ensure adequate global access to water for agricultural and other needs is currently one of the National Academy of Engineering's Grand Challenges. This article describes a lesson plan to engage students in this challenge. Students work in teams to contribute to an area of great need worldwide. Throughout the lesson plan, students will develop and grow the skills aligned with Standards for Technological Literacy--specifically Standard 15 (Agriculture and Related Biotechnologies)-- as they focus on the materials available to rice farmers and how they can utilize those materials to protect and aid their crops. This lesson could frame a semester course focused on examining global engineering issues, be included as part of a larger materials-engineering unit (as this lesson focuses on materials testing), or open into a more student-guided unit that investigates other ways to tackle water shortages. The authors suggest that teachers implementing this lesson provide at least four natural materials with different properties to allow for student growth and experimentation and caution that students who are not familiar with the scientific method or design process may need additional review or instruction on these two topics.