Welcome to Future Cities (Students and Parents)

Teacher: Mrs. Blackwell Mentor: Mrs. Pray

What does the mentor do?

• The mentor serves as the team advisor and advocate for all phases.

• They provide valuable input and technical assistance.

What does the mentor do?

• The mentor makes connections to real life engineering experiences

• Serves as a coach• Helps students

translate the academic to the real world of engineering.

Who is our mentor?

• We are lucky enough to have a mentor that also works as a substitute teacher so she can come in at different times through out the year to help students with their ideas and concepts. She really pushes the students to think outside of the box and makes them think of possible solutions to any of their choices that might cause problems. She does this out of her own time and does not get paid for her time. She does it because she knows how important the program is and how it benefits the students.

Who is our mentor? • She is Mrs. Pray. She deserves the same respect

that you give Mrs. Blackwell.

Mrs. Pray

What is the future city competition?

• Future city is a cross-curricular education program for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

• In the class they get to imagine, design, and build cities of the future.

What is the future city competition?

• Over a four month period students work as a team with a teacher and a VOLUNTEER mentor to work through the process.

What do the students do for the class and competition?

• Design a virtual city using SimCity software• Research and write a 1500 word essay

addressing this years theme and describes their city.

What do the students do for the class and competition?

• Build a model of their city using recycled materials (to scale)

• Present their city in front of a panel of judges.

What do the students get from this experience?

• Learn how to work as a team• Learn problem solving skills• More comfortable with public speaking

What do the students get from this experience?

• Learn project management skills

• Learn to work independently

• Increase their writing and research skills

• Learn about the engineering design process

• Learn about engineers

Going to competition:

• We are limited to how many teams that we can take to competition. Sometimes we can take three teams and sometimes we can take only two teams.

• Whether you go to competition or choose not to go to competition you have the same exact amount of work.

• The only difference is that you get a chance to show off your work at competition.

Parent Night:

• Since we are limited to how many teams we can take to competition we hold a parent night where all the kids present models to parents as well as some judges.

• The judges and Mrs. Blackwell will at that time decide which teams that get to go to competition based on who has the best combined scores of presentation, model, essay, and project plan.

Parent Night: • We have found that parent night also helps

the teams going to competition to prepare more thoroughly for competition.

• During parent night they realize what they need to do to better prepare themselves for competition.

• Parent night takes a minimum of 1 ½ hours but can take up to 2 to 2 ½ hours.

• It is also a large part of their 2nd quarter grade.

SimCity – Virtual City: Learning outcomes

• Discuss what goes into planning and maintaining a city.

• Describe the consequences of decisions regarding various city functions (taxes, budget, services, etc.)

• Identify basic city services and features (such as emergency services, transportation, and education).

SimCity – Virtual City: Learning outcomes

• Identify areas of zoning and the services that comprise city infrastructure (commercial, residential, industrial).

• Explain the importance of city location, placement of city features, and proportions in zoning.

SimCity – Virtual City: About SimCity

• SimCity is a great tool for students to learn how a city develops and changes over time. They will see how early decisions (like where to place their roads, power plants, or industrial zones) will affect the choices they have as their city progresses.

SimCity – Virtual City: About SimCity

• They will also have to make tradeoffs along the way. For example, they may have to decide between a university that requires a huge amount of real estate but increases the education level of the SIMS and opens doors to other economic opportunities versus creating a commercial district that brings in more revenue and adds jobs, but can increase crime and pollution.

SimCity – Virtual City: Time

•Students will spend approximately 18 – 20 hours designing their virtual city. (These are minimums~ some people will spend more time.)

Writing Essay – Learning outcomes

• Identify solutions to this years theme• Describe advantages and disadvantages that

relate to the theme• Discuss one problem their future city faces

and why it is important to address

Writing Essay – Learning outcomes

• Describe a solution for managing the problem

• Paper is only 1500 words with works cited page.

Writing Essay– learning outcomes

• Students will be able to explain features that best describe their city.• Summarize what makes their city

unique and futuristic. • Again this can only be 1500 words.

Writing Essay – Learning outcomes

• Evaluate the benefits and risks of their proposed solution.

• Recognize that perfectly designed solutions do not exist --- all technological solutions have trade-offs and risks such as safety, cost, efficiency, and appearance.

Writing Research Essay – Learning outcomes

• Describe the role of engineering in developing solutions to this years theme.

• Identify the steps of the design process

Writing Research Essay – Time

• Students will spend anywhere from 10-30 hours researching information for their city and this years theme.• They will spend another 10 to 12

hours writing and editing the research paper. (Again these are minimum times.)

Building the Model – Learning Outcome

• Identify an appropriate scale for the model.

• Use the scale consistently throughout the model.

Building the Model – Learning Outcome

• Identify and build features that best represent the city design.

• Apply understanding of energy, work, and power to build a moving part.

Building the Model – Model Requirements

• Built to scale• No bigger than 25”(W) x 50”(L) x 20”(H)

including support braces, material hanging below or beyond the tabletop, and any full extended parts, such as access doors or hinged pullouts.

• Must contain one or more moving parts. In this class we require at least two but like three.

Building the Model – Model Requirements

• Use of electrical floor or wall outlets is not allowed. • No perishable items may be used in the building of

the model.• No live animals may be used on the model.• The total value of the materials used in the model,

as well as those used in support of the presentation and special awards, including printing of materials, may not exceed $100 and must be reported to the judges with receipts.

Building the Model – Model Requirements

• While individual pieces from previous competition models may be reused, models must be a new representation of a future city and built from the baseboard up.

• No hazardous items (e.g. dry ice) may be used in building the model.

• No audio or sound may be used as part of the model.

• The more recycled materials the better the model is.

Building the model – Time

• It takes 20 to 30 hours to build the models.

• Most of this time is done during two days of Winter Break.

• Again these are minimum times.

Team Presentation

• Identify and explain features that best describe their city design.

• Illustrate city design features using the physical model, props, and visual aids (PRESENTATION BOARD).

• Demonstrate teamwork (such as sharing presentation tasks, supporting each other during the presentation, displaying equal amounts of knowledge).

Team Presentation

• Explain the role of engineering in their city.• Answer various questions about

their city with great detail, and with examples that are backed up by research.

Team Presentation - Time

• Approximately 7 hours preparing their presentation.• Approximately 3 to 5 hours

practicing presentation.• Approximately 2 hours for parent

night. • Again these are minimum times.

What is expected from parent(s) or guardians?

• We hope that you will be supportive of the time that this class takes.• We hope you encourage your child

do the research needed to be successful.• We hope you give them positive

encouragement when it comes to your child sharing ideas with you.

What is expected from parent(s) or guardians?

• We hope that you are willing to make sure your child is at field trips and the workshop during Winter Break.• We hope that you will be willing to

give them rides to and from meetings.

What is expected from students?

• To do all of the work asked of them.• Check Edmodo EVERYnight.• To do research weekly• Come in with a positive attitude for

team mates and everyone in the room.• Be polite.

What is expected from students?

• Be willing to be pushed to think outside of the box.• Be willing to take positive feedback

and ideas to help you be better prepared.• Edit papers fully • HAVE FUN! WORK HARD! BE A

TEAM!

So, how much times does this class take?

• Minimum of 85 hours to 135 (plus) hours.

• We have approximately 67 ½ hours of class time. During that time you will be taught about engineers and other concepts in class.

So, how much times does this class take?

• That means you will have a minimum of 17.5 hours of homework during the semester. This is the bare minimum and if that is all that you do you will probably not do very well at competition.

So, how much times does this class take?

• If you want to do well at competition that means you have approximately 25 or more hours of research and work that will be done on your own time. This time can be split between you and your team mates.

Any questions?

• Parents, please mark on the course expectations that you have went through this PowerPoint. Please let me know if you have any questions. This is not a normal elective class, it is a fun class that really challenges students to think outside of the box and to apply themselves.