26
Oct
Mr. Patton’s AVID class has entered the National Engineer’s Week Future City Competition. As part of the competition, students will learn Sim City 4 and how to manage a city’s budget and various resources to build a city of 50,000 people. Having spent alot of time in the 1990′s with the original Sim City, I’m glad that my previous “research” experience finally has purpose.
The research on gaming in education is still in it’s infancy, and a big challenge integrating games in the classroom is finding the right game that matches the curriculum. Fortunately, students study Civics in 8th grade and this game provides an excellent hands on experience with government and economics.
Some students overspent on government services such police, fire departments, health care, and education, and watched their city go into huge debt. Others were more careful and compromising, but were able to maintain a budget surplus. Students learn valuable lessons in balancing income and expenditures to manage and develop their city at an appropriate pace. Linking such lessons to current national debates and issues is almost natural!
In addition to playing Sim City, students will research how to build a city with sustainable and recyclable resources and also build a model of a city of the future.
When a classroom activity can combine math, English, science, and civics in a real world experience, it’s more than a just a game.
