• This fun game teaches students how to build their town while preserving the health of the lakes. 
• Students explore complex interactions between population growth, agricultural practices, land use change, fertilizer application, algae blooms, weather, and human happiness. 

Positives

• This game is really fun!
• It is extremely easy to use on your computer. No need to download or install anything.

Additional Prerequisites

• If possible, it is best for each student to have their own computer.
• Field Day Learning Games is a project at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Differentiation

• This game can be used in many different disciplines and grade levels to explain the interdependence of humans and the environment.
  • Social studies classes can discuss economics or geography. Guiding questions can include "How can we make farming sustainable?" and "Where should humans farm and why?"
  • Science classes can discuss the role of fertilizer in industrial farming, the role of rainfall and runoff and how that leads to aquatic dead zones, or the science related to algae blooms.
• Some students may lose at this game quite early. They can simply restart the game and try to make different choices.
• You can create a contest in your class - whoever has the highest population at the end of the class wins!
• Students can watch this series of five videos on oceanic dead zones.
• Students can also take this interactive online course on food and farming.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.