My City

About | K-12 Objectives | Materials Needed | Procedures | Assessment | Related Resources

Procedures:

Step 1 Prior to using this simulation in class, the instructor should

Step 2 Read My City User's Guide by Kathy Evans and install the CD-ROM.

Step 3 Complete the following walk through of the program (Evans, 1997).

Introduction

• Select New Mayor. This will introduce you to your job and role in the city. When you are at your desk and ready to take action, click on the map.

Strategy

• If you wait too long, you will receive faxes on various issues. If you do not take action by clicking "later", your popularity may plunge.
• You would be better off to visit an expert and discuss strategies. Click on the courthouse icon on the map.

Your Experts

• A judge will greet you. You can explore various reports and articles. Click on his head or on the idea icon. Then scroll through the issues icons.
• When you are ready drag an issue into the interface mouth. Select gang violence or any other issue that you may be interested in.

Youth Council

• You will observe the issue and then call up your youth council to see your options.
• Click on a council member and go to the city library to further research the council member's option. When you are ready. Drag an option into the interface mouth.

Implementation

• You now must pay for the solution. Click on the volunteers and gold bar icons and drag in the appropriate amounts. Then proceed to see the solution enacted and your popularity rating change.
• Proceed to the design and publish stage where you must get your ideas out to your constituents. Click both the design icon and publish icon and select a media. You will receive gold bars and donations for your outreach.

• Return to the map. Click on the gallery icon on the map and open an exhibition. Perhaps visit your bank manager at the bank icon after a few more actions to see your popularity and budget on a graph and spreadsheet.
• Finally, click on the diary icon on the map page and see all your actions recorded. Leave notes under each decision and recreate your newspaper or poster. (Laws, petitions, and conflict resolution contracts are also stored here.) This is the game state. The file, which is saved on your hard drive, can be sent to any other player over the net as an attached file to play and build upon.

Step 4 Engage students in the game to encourage social awareness and problem solving of simulated community actions.

• Identify a problem.
• Brainstorm possible solutions
• Engage in research on the problem and consult experts
• Identify resources and select best course of action
• Publish articles on their opinion and disseminate information to others
• Evaluate their selected course of action

Center for Technology and Teacher Education, University of Virginia, This module was created by Michael Berson University of South Florida