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Teaching city living with simulation software
Winter 1999
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hen
it comes to using technology in the classroom,
Kathleen Bridgewater's first rule is
simple: Don't waste students' time. While getting her fifth-
and sixth-graders to sit at their computers may be easy,
it's only worthwhile when it helps them gain a better sense
of the world they inhabit. She explains,
"The violation of this cardinal rule results in a negative
correlation between computer use and academic growth." Here,
this veteran teacher shares her experience using a simulation
software package for a multidisciplinary unit on cities,
in collaboration with her school's technology integration
specialist,
by Kathleen
Bridgewater
Erving
Elementary School
imCity
2000, unlike many computer games, has remarkable qualities that can be
utilized for meaningful educational purposes with middle school children.
The game, in which students establish and nurture the growth of a city,
can be used as the starting point for a series of activities to enhance
students' language, reading, math, science, social studies, and art skills.
When teams of at least two teachers plan together and share some of the
more labor-intensive tasks, this can be an enormously rewarding professional
experience. In our project it was accomplished by a classroom teacher
and our school computer integration specialist, Michael
Lipinski.
rom
the moment my students were introduced to SimCity until they had put the
finishing touches on their model skyscrapers, the intensity of the learning
experience was palpable. The entire population of Erving, Massachusetts
is much smaller than that of one city block in Manhattan. Nevertheless,
in two months these rural children experienced a remarkable growth in
their understanding of how a city functions and could speak with a technical
vocabulary about major issues that confront cities.
e
integrated SimCity into the fifth- and sixth-grade curriculum by using
the computer program as the take-off point for introductory explorations
of economics, city planning, the historical growth of cities, map reading,
urban architecture, transportation, waste management, pollution, political
thought and behavior, speech-making, and of course, children's literature
featuring urban settings. At each step, students were actively collecting
new vocabulary and solving problems of logic and mathematics. Those who
started off not knowing the meanings of "residential, commercial,
and industrial zoning" were soon recognizing the need for new jobs
and building industrial zones.
hoosing
among the many possible topics is easier when teachers consider their
state education frameworks. Variations for meeting specific requirements
are surprisingly easy to develop. Math, science, history, political structure,
and literature all have educational links to the concept of the city.
Below, I describe some of the major steps involved in leading the unit.
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he
last sensational experience for our students is a field trip to New York
City. From the 87th floor of the Empire State Building, children are amazed
to look down on a scene that seems to have popped out from the SimCity
program. They recognize the Chrysler building and become giddy with a
sense of connection to all that they behold.
efore
the trip last year, the students had conducted research on the Statue
of Liberty using the National Park Service Web site. They had learned
the historical significance of Emma Lazarus' famous poem. As our boat
approached the statue during our last trip, a group of our students gave
their spontaneous rendition of the complete poem to a hushed and amazed
group of tourists who then broke into wild applause. Such a childhood
memory!
emember,
these are rural children. One of the most important lessons children can
learn is that though their roots are in one place, as citizens they belong
to a larger community. In our democracy, no part of the country should
feel off-limits to them. In cities, too, children can feel isolated in
their neighborhoods or disconnected from the country that lies beyond
their beltways. Our efforts to familiarize American children with other
people and places will make them feel "at home" wherever they may travel.
hrough
this project and others, we hope that the children of Erving learn to
empathize with children from other backgrounds. We hope to engage their
curiosity to learn more through sharing knowledge, learning poems, studying
history, and engaging in creative, hands-on activities that spark their
imaginations. SimCity, in conjunction with the Internet, great literature,
and careful curricular planning, has the potential to act as a core for
explorations into neighborhoods near and far for students everywhere.
Just a Game?
Brown University