Using the Future City Competition to Facilitate Multidisciplinary Team Teaching in Middle Schools

Diana Laboy-Rush, Oregon Future City Regional Coordinator

OATAG 2007 ConferenceOctober 13, 2007

Agenda What is Future City? Official Rules and Evaluation Criteria Spanning Multiple Disciplines Project Management Timeline Building a Team Introducing SimCity 3000™ Designing a Future City Building a Model of a section of city Researching and Writing the Essay and Abstract Preparing the Team Presentation How to get started…

What is Future City?

A competition for 7th and 8th grade students to foster interest in engineering, math and science

through hands-on, real world applications.

Competition Guidelines Teams will consist of three students, an engineer-mentor, and a

teacher sponsor. The students will design the logical model of the city using SimCity

3000™.   The team will construct a scale model of the city section using

recycled materials in their designs. The model must be no larger than 25"(w) x 50"(l) x 20"(h)

The model must contain at least one moving part.    The students will write a 500-700 word essay explaining their

response to a specific engineering or design challenge. The students will write a 300-500 word narrative describing key

design features of their city. The students will explain the unique design features of their city

design during team verbal presentation. The total cost may not exceed $100. No laptop computers or

videos can be used for the presentation.

Evaluation Criteria

Computer Evaluation 20 Points Computer City Design 80 Points Future City Model 120 Points Essay (500-700 words) 70 Points Abstract (300-500 wds) 20 Points Team Oral Presentation 90 Points

Total = 400 Points Possible

Future City Deliverables Span the Curriculum

Project Management TimelineSeptember – November

1. Hold initial meetings for team

2. Create context for FC Team

3. Recruit Students4. Introduce students to rules

and SimCity 30005. Meet with Engineer Mentor6. Build the team

7. Design Future City8. Submit SimCity design

of Future City to Regional Coordinator

9. Celebrate milestones and evaluate progress

10. Begin gathering materials for physical model

11. Begin to research essay question

Project Management TimelineOctober - December

1. Build physical model2. Write a 300-500 word

abstract describing your Future City

3. Begin brainstorming, outlining, and creating the rough draft of essay

4. Celebration milestones and evaluate progress.

December - January

1. Continue writing the essay

2. Create presentation3. Practice presentation4. Compete in Regional

Competition5. Celebrate achievement

of milestones.

Building a Team Forming the Team Creating the climate and

processes for continuous team learning

Creating Team Celebrations Tips on resolving conflict

and reaching consensus

Introducing SimCity 3000™ Familiarizing students with the

software. About SimCity 3000 screens

and buttons SimCity 3000 Simulation and

observations Using SimCity to stimulate

awareness of the complex relationships of citizen needs, growth, taxation, revenues, and sustainability

Designing a Future City Tips for designing your Future City

Finished city must be at least in the year 2150; no limits as to how high the year can go

Build a City with at least 50,000 or more residents Turn off Disasters menu, or you may have to rebuild

due to natural disaster Save after every session

Things to consider as you design your Future City

Using a decision matrix to discuss criteria for choices as you build your Future City

Building a Model of a Section of Your City

Building the model to scale Model must not exceed 25”W x 50”L x

20”H Create a key describing the scale Consider the height of tallest building

and the recycled materials you have collected

Including a moving part Any power source must be self-

contained; no plugs Shipping the model

Shipping container: 30”W x 54”L x 24”H

Collecting and using recycled material Purchased and recycled materials may

be used Cost of materials must be no more than

$100, including materials used in the oral presentation.

Researching and Writing the Essay and Abstract Creating research and writing team Conducting research

Primary: Interviews, case studies, surveys, experiments

Secondary: Reading books, articles, case studies and research papers on topics of interest

Creating a mind map to cluster ideas for your topic

Using collaborative writing and peer coaching to product your team’s essay

Preparing and Practicing the Team Presentation Preparing the presentation Organizing the presentation Creating and using flip

charts Practicing Using peer coaching to

improve the presentation Conclusion

How to get started…

Register your team / school by Monday October 15 at:http://www.futurecity.org/register

Review Teacher’s Manual and Tutorial CD Assemble Team or introduce to class Begin familiarization with SimCity Plan Project schedule and go…