SimCity Lesson Plan

Holly Hemmings

Subject Area: Mathematics with cross-curriculum in Science and Social Studies Grade Level: 7th Grade Objective: The students will be able to consider multiple variables that affect making changes in a complex system, specifically how changes in pollution and jobs affect the city. Based on this data, students will create a mathematical representation of how these variables relate to each other. The students will also be able to explain how technology and planning can support effective solutions to reduce human impact on the environment (p. 7). Lesson/Unit Summary: This is the last lesson of the SimCity Pollution Challenge. The students will have completed a series of 5 missions beforehand based on the Glass Lab Games (http://glasslabgames.org/) Pollution Challenge. In pairs, the students play the role of the mayor of their city. The students learn to deal with addressing employment issues, population, the happiness of the citizens, and environmental issues that are involved with city life. Each mission becomes increasingly more complex in the tasks the students are asked to solve. In the sixth mission, the students are asked to lower the pollution emission rate as well as increasing jobs in the city. Students will also create a diagram to represent the relationship between the components of the system. Instructional Strategy (ies): Reflective problem solving Simulations: Game Cooperative learning Student projects Student demonstrations to the class Summarizing Generating and testing hypotheses Graphic organizer: Chart or graph Common Core Standards (ELA, S.S, Science, etc.) CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP.C.8c Design and use a simulation to generate frequencies for compound events. CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities. Next Generation Science: Human Impacts on Earth Systems ESS3.C Cross Cutting Concept: Systems Thinking 21st Century Skills Critical thinking and problem solving ISTE/NETS Standards for Students:

1. Creativity and innovation c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues SimCity is a game simulation of city life. Students will explore the issues of employment and pollution that arise due to production and population in cities. Students will explore options on how to best combat these obstacles through game-play. 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions Students will use the game-play simulation to test their solutions to the problem described in the mission. The students decisions will contribute to the data collected about the effectiveness of their solutions to the problem. They will draw upon knowledge of previous missions to assist in their ideas of how to make an informed decision in solving the pollution and employment problems of this mission. Media and Materials/Technology Needed: SimCity game, laptops or computers (per pair of students), student journals (notebook or online version), and Internet connection. How Depth of Knowledge (DOK) level 3 & 4 will be addressed in lesson: In this lesson, students are asked to solve a problem involving decreasing the amount of pollution in their city as well as increasing the number of jobs in the community. This applies to the strategic thinking level because there can be more than one right answer on how to solve this mission. The students will need to reason and plan which steps of action they will take to meet both objectives, and what they feel is the most beneficial decision to make for the city. This meets DOK level 3. To extend students thinking to DOK level 4, students will create a diagram or chart to show the relationship between the decrease of pollution and the increase of jobs, if there is one. Students will test their solution, analyze the data, and create a mathematical representation of the data to convey their learning. Differentiation (delivery method, activity/process, content/ability/ assessment): The SimCity game has an option for language preference. For bilingual or ESL students, the students will have the option to play the game in their native language if it is available. If their native language is not an available option, the teacher will contact the ELL teaching consultant to assist students with language barriers. If there are multiple students in the class that speak the same language, another option will be for them to work together on the project. This is designed to enhance student understanding of how to solve the missions in the game without miscommunications to hinder students learning. For students that are above grade level, while analyzing the data from the last mission, the students will be asked to create a mathematical equation to represent the data along with the graphical representation. For students below grade level, the students will still create a graphical representation of the data and explain, in their student journal what the data represents. For students struggling

with the mathematical reasoning, it will only be required that they graph and analyze data for only one of the following: the decrease in pollution or the increase of jobs. This accommodation still meets the objectives, while putting less pressure on the student to analyze both sets of data. Anticipatory Set: Have the students read the 11 facts about pollution from: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-pollution. Discuss as a class what is surprising to them and in what ways, either from the other Pollution Challenge missions or from their own experiences, they can help reduce the worlds pollution. Teaching Procedures: Before beginning the mission, students will create a diagram of their initial thoughts on the relationship between pollution and employment rates. They will use their knowledge from previous missions, as well as their predictions, to create a representation of the relationship. The students will continue their game of the SimCity Pollution Challenge. The students will be completing their final mission of the challenge in which they must lower the pollution rate in Jackson City while increasing jobs. They have 15 minutes to complete this mission. After the mission is complete, students will record their thinking and procedures in their student journal. This could either be a written journal or online post the teacher has access to. The students will also collect and analyze the data from their mission. The students can use an online diagramming tool to create a chart or graph of their solution to the mission. Students can use the following: Microsoft Excel, http://www.gliffy.com/, PowerPoint, Prezi, https://www.lucidchart.com/, or Emaze to create their diagram. The students will explain what they did in the simulation and how it affected the pollution and employment rates. The students will explain how the variable related to one another through a mathematical representation; this could be a chart or graph to show the increase and decrease of the variables. Lastly, the students will compare their initial prediction of the relationship to their findings after the simulation. They must use evidence to support their findings. The final objective is part of the overall evaluation/assessment (see below). Closure: The teacher will initiate a whole-class discussion on the students findings. The students will talk about their solutions to the mission to see how their ideas compared to others in the class. The teacher will ask the students what they learned or took away from doing this activity and how they can apply this to real life situations. Evaluation/ Assessment: Since this is the last lesson in the unit, this will be the final assessment. The pair of students will create an interview between the mayor of the city and the interviewer. The students will explain how the role of technology and planning can support effective solutions to reduce human impact on the environment. The students must ask about each of the missions, the solutions, and their outcomes. The students can film the interview or create a written format of the questions and answers. The students will use facts from their journal entries to help the mayor support his or her position during the interview. Resouces: GlassLab Games. SimCity: Pollution Challenge! http://www.simcityedu.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/11/SCE_PC_Brochure_sml-1.pdf. SimCity: www.simcityedu.org Glass Lab Games: http://glasslabgames.org/