In this online game, players help Arthur turn an empty lot into a community park by giving a speech to gather public support, cleaning up litter, holding a bake sale to raise funds, buying items, and designing the finished park.
The game is set in a board-game format that foments early literacy and numeracy while encouraging active citizenship and civic engagement.
The game runs in a web browser and is self-paced, making it suitable for individual play at a computer or tablet or for whole-class play on a projector.
Use the game as an engaging entry point to a unit on communities, green spaces, or taking action, and pause between rounds to discuss why parks and outdoor areas matter to a neighborhood.
Extensions:
After playing, invite students to identify a real place in their own school or community they would like to improve and to brainstorm the steps Arthur used: raising awareness, raising money, and designing for the community.
Ask students to practice a speech they could give to their community to convince policymakers and community members to improve a local park.
Students may also draw the local park they imagine and label a few environmentally-friendly features of the park.
Climate Change Connections:
Parks and green spaces are full of trees and plants that soak up carbon dioxide, one of the main gases causing climate change.
In addition, trees provide shade and help cool down cities, which are often hotter than surrounding areas because of all the concrete and buildings.
When it rains, green spaces let water soak into the ground instead of flooding streets, which helps protect cities as storms get stronger.
Green spaces support a variety of plants and animals, and protecting this biodiversity helps nature stay strong and better able to handle the changes brought on by a warming climate.
Having more green spaces in cities can encourage people to walk or bike instead of drive, which helps cut down on the pollution that contributes to climate change.
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