Anytown, U.S.A.

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 1998 by Dickinson, Pat

Here's what happens when students create a city and elect a city council

The students' first order of business is to choose a name for their newly created city. One class chose "Paradise City," located on the island of Maui, Hawaii, with a population of 49,000. The students selected an airport, a lumber company and a service station as priority industries.

As a culminating project for a unit on basic economics, my sixth graders created their own city and acted as city council to make all decisions regarding location, size and industry. The unit took three weeks of class time. Here's a day-by-day account of what we did and how we did it.

DAY ONE: I ask the students to write down three things they'd really like to own. The wishes range from yachts to professional football teams. The suggestions are put on the board and the class gets a chance to see that there are many things they'd like if money were not an issue.

DAY TWO: The class chooses a town secretary by popular vote. This person will be responsible for keeping records of all issues and decisions finalized by the voting process.

While the list of wishes is still on the board, I introduce the concept of economic scarcity. All cities would like to have frivolous things if they could, but what does a city really need? I tell them that their football stadium and mall would have little value if their city has no roads. How will crime be controlled without laws and enforcement agencies? What about garbage? Will it simply pile up?

The tone of the class sobers substantially when the students begin to think. For every frivolous wish they state, there's a serious matter to be considered. Yachts need water. Will the location be an island? If so, there must be aircraft, airport and people to staff both. Cities must have an income base to produce salaries and growth. The students must think about what really matters.

DAY THREE: First, the students choose a name for their city. Each member of the class is part of the city council and majority rules. They also choose a location, latitude and longitude, population and zip code. I then give them their choice of three major industries. Class discussion is lively, since they're allowed to argue about which things are most important.

Who wants a business? I put the names of the students who do on the blackboard, and then the class votes. Once a student has been given a business, he or she cannot change occupations or barter with someone else for a "better" business. All decisions are final.

DAYS FOUR THROUGH EIGHT: On each of these days, I give the students five more opportunities to choose and acquire businesses. I stress that they must make wise choices because the choices are limited. The actual limit is set by the class size. Since this class had 33 students, that was the number of businesses.

DAY NINE: We review the chosen businesses. Each business was named by the student who acquired it. The class chose an airport, service station, bank, hospital, police, doctor, grocery store, and many other businesses.

DAY TEN: Conduct a secret ballot election for mayor, who also serves as editor of the newspaper. The students give campaign speeches and make political platform posters before the election. Finally, a debate between candidates is held.

DAY ELEVEN: The police chief presents the police force's list of "Rules and Consequences." The force holds meetings to decide on rules and a demerit system. Typical class rules might be: No arguments, spit wads, notes, seat saving, making fun of people, talking back to teachers or the police force or spreading rumors. The demerit system might be: four demerits, one week of straightening desks and washing chalkboards; six demerits, one week of silent lunch; 25 demerits, go to isolation room with work for two class periods; and so on.

DAY TWELvE: Provide an opportunity for all students still without a business to own one. (Note: Seven last students without a business chose: health spa/racquet club, car sales, optician, real estate office, fishery, inn and radio station.) I always volunteer to own the city dump or be the plumber.

DAY THIRTEEN: Have students create billboards to advertise every business. The billboards are hung on the corridor wall. I also have students create their own futures and families, researching the occupations they selected (including salary potential) and writing essays describing their fictional families and lives.

DAY FOURTEEN: The entire class participates in creating an aerial view of their city. I stand at the blackboard and draw whatever the students ask me to draw. All students have a street named after them, as do all teachers on the faculty. A team of student "architects" is chosen from the best plans submitted. This team will be responsible for drawing the city on a 3' 6" x 20' mural, to be located in a hallway.

DAY FIFTEEN: Each student is assigned to draw his or her dream home. I put no limitations on what the students concoct for their residences and they enjoy incorporating such things as swimming pools, hockey rinks and five-car garages. These colorful homes will be placed in the residential areas of the city mural.