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Help me love the Urbanization Game...

ERIN CUNNINGHAM

Hi all!

I'm sure that a lot of my concerns here derive from the time of year but I'm wondering how other people have experienced the Urbanization Game in their classes and what modifications you've made to it.

I've used the game the last few years and I find it really stressful to facilitate! Between the directions, the timing, the reading (which I left out this year...), and the non-stop questions, it's a lot to manage in one class period. I've used these slides that I adapted from  which helps with the pacing but there are lots of questions about what to draw (even though it's on the slide...), how to draw it, where to place things, etc. so that they get it "right" despite my disclaimer that the assessment comes from the reflection post-activity and not the drawing itself, 

Ultimately I get the learning I want--the Industrial Revolution and the resulting urbanization was stressful and rapid for those who experienced it--but it's gotten to the point where I almost want to nix it entirely because I dread facilitating the activity so much. 

So what I'm looking for is what others have done to make the experience enjoyable for students AND teacher Blush

In more positive news, I found this video to show the following day to recap the effects of urbanization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKKzUcqZgMY 

Parents

  • Hello  

    I completely understand the challenges with this activity. That said, it is one of if not my favorites. First, I make sure every student in my class grabs a rather large sheet of paper, then I tell them to get into groups of 2 - 3. I tell the students to write the word Urbanization in the center, then tell the students to flip the sheet over to the other side where it is blank. I frame the activity as a project like so: Congrats! You have been hired as an urban planner for a firm to build a new neighborhood in our downtown city area. Before you can begin, you must study effects and planning, or lack thereof, of how urbanization impacts communities. To do this, you will be part of a simulation that involved the study of Urbanization in England during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. I inform them this is a 100 point project that must include all features or they will fail. I play up the stress because I believe the stress is part of the impact of urbanization. I read the long descriptions in a very long drawn out way with a british accent. My students find great humor but also do get frustrated. Once done with the readings I show the slides like you do. This is typically broken down into two class periods. When we get to the end, I have students return to the word and define urbanization now they are done with the activity. They then write three questions Urbanization raises. Again, I really play up the dramatic elements but I understand this is not for everyone. I am a bit of a ham when it comes to these type of things and my students buy into it because of the committment. 

  • in reply to Jeffrey Boles

    Thanks   for your breakdown of the activity. It sounds like I need to lean into the role playing side of this activity to enjoy it more. I end up feeling bogged down by questions but I think I can take care of that on the front end using some of your framing.

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  • in reply to ERIN CUNNINGHAM

    Yeah, I do think it's not an activity to overthink too much. I try to play up the aspect the Industrial Revolution was not a smooth and orderly transition from one event to the next. It was uneven. So when I read the narratives I go super slow, then incredibly fast. It throws them off a bit. Also, something you might want to consider is showing them images of urban maps from the 19th century in London. Their final products should be somewhat similar.