Categorize the crops by water needs.
Bush beans
Carrots
Corn
Lettuce
Peppers
Potatoes
Strawberries
Tomatoes
High
Medium
Low
Did you know that you can grow food in the middle of a city?
Now you're in charge of this urban farm!
You need to run the farm sustainabily for 5 years. That means you take good care of the farm, the community, and the community's resources. Each year, you'l have a starting budget of $100 to achieve these goals:
Provide food for 200 households. Each household gets one "share" (a box" of our fresh food each week.
Keep the soil healthy.
Conserve as much water as possible.
You'll get up to 20 sustainability points each year based on how well you meet these goals.
Each year, you'll have an opportunity to select crops and buy upgrades. Once you have completed your purchases, click the Plant button.
Which crops (up to 4) plants did you plant?
Which (if any) upgrades did you purchase?
What random event did you receive on the risk wheel?
Year 1 Results
Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Sustainability Points:
Which crops (up to 4) plants did you plant?
Which (if any) upgrades did you purchase?
What random event did you receive on the risk wheel?
Year 2 Results
Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Sustainability Points:
Which crops (up to 4) plants did you plant?
Which (if any) upgrades did you purchase?
What random event did you receive on the risk wheel?
Year 3 Results
Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Sustainability Points:
Which crops (up to 4) plants did you plant?
Which (if any) upgrades did you purchase?
What random event did you receive on the risk wheel?
Year 4 Results
Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Sustainability Points:
Which crops (up to 4) plants did you plant?
Which (if any) upgrades did you purchase?
What random event did you receive on the risk wheel?
Year 5 Results
Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Sustainability Points:
Final Results
Yearly Average Food Shares Produced:
Soil Health:
Water Conservation Effort:
Right-click on the trophy in your final results and choose Copy Image.
Paste your trophy into the free response box with right-click in the box and choose Paste
If you are unable to copy and paste the trophy into the free response box, record the name of the award you received and your total number of sustainability points earned.
Rank these 3 factors from most important to least important to YOU: Cost, Water, Soil Health
In your own words, write 3-5 sentences to explain your chosen ranking.
Reflect on your understanding of the learning objectives:
Use data analysis and systems thinking to make evidence-based decisions about competing priorities regarding natural resources. | |
|---|---|
Reflect on and evaluate personal decision-making processes during the City Farm simulation. |
Reflect on your mastery of the success criteria:
Analyze crop and upgrade data to evaluate impacts on soil health, water conservation, and long-term land productivity | |
Explain how soil health and water conservation influenced crop and upgrade choices; identify trade-offs between productivity and environmental sustainability |
Before playing, examine the features of each crop:
Crop | Seed & Labor Cost | Value of Surplus Shares | Potential Farm Shares | Main Risks | Effect on Soil Health | Water Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bush Beans | $200 | $3 | 40 | Drought, disease, insects, heat wave | Large increase | High |
Carrots | $200 | $1 | 100 | Drought, weeds, insects | Small decrease | Medium |
Corn | $360 | $3 | 20 | Drought, disease, insects, weeds | Medium decrease | High |
Lettuce | $280 | $1 | 100 | Drought, frost, heat wave, slugs | Small decrease | High |
Peppers | $200 | $2 | 40 | Drought, frost heat wave, slugs, damp weather | Small decrease | Low |
Potatoes | $200 | $1 | 40 | Disease, insects, heat wave, damp weather | Small decrease | Low |
Strawberries | $360 | $4 | 40 | Disease, weeds, heat wave, slugs, damp weather | Small decrease | Medium |
Tomatoes | $200 | $2 | 40 | Disease, insects, heat wave, damp weather | Medium decrease | Low |
Which crops have the lowest seed and labor cost?
Which crops produce the most farm shares?
Which crop has the fewest risks?
Which crop would be best to plant if your goal is to improve soil health?
Which plant(s) will you start your garden with and why?
Before playing, examine the features of each upgrade:
Upgrade | Cost | Risks It Helps Prevent | Increase in Farm Shares | Soil Health Effect | Impact on Water Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chickens | $100 | Slugs, insects | 15% | Small increase | None |
Composter | $250 | Drought, heat wave, disease | 20% | Large increase | High |
Commercial Fertilizer | $100 | None | 25% | Medium decrease | Very high |
Drip Irrigation | $250 | Drought, heat wave | 25% | None | Very high |
Lime | $100 | Disease | 0% | Medium increase | None |
Mulch | $100 | Drought, weeds, frost | 20% | Medium increase | Very high |
Rain Catchment | $200 | Drought | 25% | None | High |
Worms | $100 | Drought | 10% | Medium increase | None |
Which upgrades are the cheapest?
Which upgrade helps prevent the least risks?
If you are concerned about your soil health, which upgrade would best improve it?
If you're concerned about drought, which upgrades would best prevent it?
Which upgrades would improve soil health without saving water?
Which upgrades save water but have no effect on soil health?
Which upgrade decreases soil health and doesn't prevent risk?
Which upgrade(s) do you plan to purchase first and why?