Land Use Game: Complex Decisions Module 2 Lesson 1

LESSON 1: LAND USE GAME: COMPLEX DECISIONS

OVERVIEW:
The purpose of this lesson is for students to simulate decisions that may influence land use
patterns in a city. To do this, the students will play a board game that has both mandated Policy
Event cards and decision cards that students control. The decision cards consist of three
potential options and each option has different monetary, ecological, and social consequences.
The students play the game in groups of two to three and then discuss the impacts of their
decisions on the future of their city. The lesson concludes with a discussion of how well the data
collection went and whether students feel they need to revise their methods.

Ways of Knowing Urban Ecology:

Students will…
Understand • Land use is the way that society manages the way that cities grow and
develop over time utilizing land as a geographic resource
• Understand that land use decisions are not simple but are complex and
must take into account the social, economic, and ecological impacts of
how land is used Recognize that zoning is a tool that society has
developed to manage land use
Talk No specific goals connected with talking urban ecology in this lesson.

Do • Engage in simulated land use decisions by playing a board game.

• Begin a process of “cultural journalism” by talking with local
residents, community leaders, neighbors, and family members to better
understand changing local land use practices over time.
Act No specific goals connected with acting on urban ecology in this
lesson.

PREPARATION:
Time:
2-3 class periods
Materials:
Activity 1.1
PowerPoint file with Images of Boston
Satellite image of different areas of your students’ city that you can get from Google
Earth or http://maps.google.com/
LCD projector is ideal, but an overhead projector would work
Activity 1.2
For each group of students:
1 Dice
1 board game

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Land Use Game: Complex Decisions Module 2 Lesson 1

Set of Event Policy Cards

Set of Decision Cards
Copy of game play recording and summary sheet (for each student)

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
Activity 1.1: What does land use mean?
This activity is designed to get students thinking about how land is used in their city and what
factors influenced how the land in their city was used. Start this activity by asking the kids:

1. When you hear the term “Land Use”, what does that mean to you? After discussion and
gathering of students’ ideas about Land Use then have the students think about and
discuss the next question.
o Some potential student responses to this question could be:
 How people live
 How many buildings or other structures are used on land
 Is the land used for farming, parks, roads, trains or other transportation.
2. Think about your trip from where you live to school today. What did you notice? You
will probably need to prompt your students to get them thinking about what they saw.
For instance you can ask your students
o Was it mostly residential?
o Mostly businesses and offices?
o Mostly stores and shops?
o A mix of different kinds of buildings?
o Mostly roadways, parking lots?
o Most grass and trees?
o Were the buildings tall or short? Was there a lot of space between the buildings?
3. After your students start to think about their trip you can either break your class into
small groups or have a whole class discussion around the issues of land use. The
following questions can be used as a guide for you and your students in examining their
ideas about urban land use:
o How is the land that they observe on their way to school being used? Who do you
think made the decisions that allowed the buildings to be built or allowed the
businesses to be built? How do you think those decisions are made? What
factors do you think the people who make the decisions about how the land is
going to be used in neighborhood take in account when they make their
decisions?
 This latter question is an excellent location to show the zoning map which
is part of the powerpoint presentation (slide 6). Ask the kids what they
think zoning means? If your students are unsure as to what zoning means
then show them the zoning map slide and ask them if they notice any
trends (you may need to point out the legend of the map to them).
 Get your student responses and then engage them with the following set of
questions.

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• Who do you think makes decisions about zoning? City council,

zoning board, conservation commissions, neighborhood groups,
mayors?
• What role do you think you play, or can play, in making land use
decisions?
• What factors do you think the people who make zoning decisions
take into account when deciding to zone an area residential or
commercial or industrial?
o There are many factors and your students will likely come
with a variety of them. For instance:
 conservation of open space
 Economic decisions
 Improve traffic congestion
 Development may allow for more affordable
housing
Activity 1.2: Land Use Game
Pre-Game Activities
1. Remind the students that urban ecology is a science that integrates the natural world and the
social world by recognizing that the urban ecosystems are complex ecological, social, and
political systems that provide feedback on one another and that to understand an urban
ecosystem it is necessary to understand the relationships between those different systems.
2. In this lesson, students are going to explore the potential impact of decisions on a city’s
systems.
3. Before playing the game. Ask students to describe decisions they have made recently. Have
them describe any examples of particularly good or poor choices. Why was the choice a good
one or a poor one? As an example, ask:
o What considerations are important to you when you are choosing a pair of shoes
to buy? (Considerations could include the cost, the quality, the color or style, the
impact of the manufacturing process on the environment, whether or not workers
in the factory received a fair wage, and so on.)
o How can poor choices be a good experience? (We can learn from our mistakes.)

Teaching Alternative

There are two approaches that you can use to play the game. The first is outlined below in
numbers 4 and 5. The second is just to let the students play with little background provided
by you. In this latter approach, have your students start to play the game and have them
discover the interconnections of the ecological, social, and economic factors and discuss their
findings in more detail at the conclusion of the game. This approach you provide little
background for the students other than what they already have learned in other classes and
from what they gather through the reading of the game introduction. It is recommended that
you use the more open ended approach if you are comfortable with your students exploring
ideas more on their own.

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4. You should discuss with your students that making local land use decisions are often
complex and involves many individuals and teams working at all levels of government
including the city, county, state and federal levels. Sometimes the decisions that are made
are not easy and are often controversial. In fact, it is rare that a land-use decision does not
raise controversy today. But the question is, What is it that compels
individuals/institutions/communities to make the decisions they do? Money (economics) is
probably the first factor that occurred to you, however, land use decisions are often far more
complex that just money. For example, personal interests and preferences play a major role.
Decisions also can be influenced by the communities values such as concern for the
environment or social equity or by the community’s needs such a as a need for affordable
housing
5. Also before you play you can follow up on the previous discussion by asking students to
identify values that should be considered when land use decisions are being made. Conclude
with a review of the many economic, social, and ecological factors that should be considered
when making land use decisions. These can include:
o Ecological factors - preserving and protecting natural areas for wildlife habitat,
rainwater capture/flood control, or wise/ thoughtful land use development.
o Social factors - ensuring that development does not place one social class at an
advantage over another (such as zoning that excludes low income housing).
o Economic factors - contributing to economic production and vitality, personal
gain, wise thoughtful land use development.

Starting the Game

6. State that the class will be playing a game to explore land use decisions. Tell the students that
they should carefully weigh economic, social, and ecological factors when making their
choices.
7. Go through the game instructions for the students and have them read the game introduction
about their city as it is important to contextualize for them the characteristics of their city.
8. The game is best played in groups of three with one student in charge of recording their
decisions, another student in charge of rolling the dice and reading the decision cards, and
another student in charge of moving the game piece around the board and reading the policy
cards. The game can be played with as few as two, but group sizes should not exceed four
students.

During Game Play (Class)

9. As the students play the game, walk around the room listening to what the students are
discussing or how they are making their decisions. You may need to mention to your
students that choosing one option may have consequences that are unforeseen in the future.
You also should make sure that the students are recording their choices and their ideas as
they play the game.

Concluding the Game

1. When concluding the game have each group of students share their game results with the
class. Each group can then share their final results for their city. Then the students can

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discuss each groups decisions and outcomes and vote on which city they think will be the
best place to live in and the city that think will be the most prosperous while being the most
ecologically sustainable.

Activity1.3: Community Project

1. This activity is to start students on a longer-term project which will culminate in
presentations and a discussion in Lesson 6 of this module. For this project, students
conduct interviews as individuals, small groups, or as a whole class with community
members, neighborhood leaders, or family members who have been involved in the local
area for an extended period of time.
Instructional Strategies
You may wish to help students locate appropriate community members, especially if they do not
have access to family members or neighbors that have lived in the area for an extended period of
time. Local neighborhood associations and community centers are good places to contact to
2. The students’ task is to understand, from the perspective of the interviewee, the way that
land use has changed over time in the local community.
3. The students will be engaging in a practice known as cultural journalism and by doing
so, they will be constructing a local social history with respect to changing use of the
land over time (they will engage in constructing a local natural history in Lesson 5).
Teacher Background Knowledge
For more information on cultural journalism in the context of environmental science, see David
Gruenewald’s “Foundation of Place: A Multidisciplinary Framework for Place-Conscious
Education.” Dr. Gruenewald describes cultural journalism as
Gruenewald, D. A. (2003). Foundations of Place: A Multidisciplinary Framework for Place-
Conscious Education. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 619 -654.
4. Let your students know that they will be writing a short report based on their interview
with a community member. They will also be making a short presentation based on their
interview as well as their local natural history that they complete in Lesson 5. Let your
students know that they will also be making a presentation based on what they learn.
5. In both their reports and in their presentations, students are expected to make at least one
strong claim concerning land use in the neighborhood and to support their claim with
evidence from the local social and natural histories.
6. Share the rubric with the students in your class and go over the categories and scores with
them. In Lesson 6, you will be evaluating students according to the rubric. Optionally,
you may allow students to evaluate themselves according to this rubric as well (if you do
encourage self-evaluation, tell them this point now, and meet with each student afterward
to discuss the similarities and differences in the evaluations).
Teacher Background Knowledge
You are free to utilize any writing process you wish, especially if there is a framework or process
with which you are particularly familiar or comfortable or if your school has adopted a particular
writing process. You may wish to work with an English or Social Studies teacher, especially if
most or all of your students have the same teacher in one of these subjects.
John Marshall Carter developed a 6-step approach to complement cultural journalism that he

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calls the “Historical/Anthropological Approach to Writing.” The steps are:

1. Digging up the past by introducing students to the particular field of inquiry (in this case,
land use over time). This has been accomplished through Activity 1.1, and will continue
with Activity 1.3.
2. Recording the past by conducting the interviews and taking notes.
3. Organizing the past by examining what was discussed and said in the interviews and
organizing it in some manner, either chronologically or topically. The topics can be
found by analyzing the responses to the questions, or can be set by the questions asked of
the interviewee to begin with.
4. Extracting writing ore from the mine of the past by finding particular points of interest to
students in the interviews about which that they may want to write in depth.
5. Writing across time by writing and editing over multiple iterations.
6. The questions the student brings to the inquiry by having the student develop questions to
delve into further about the nature of land use over time in the local area based on what
he or she has learned or come to understand through the interviewing and writing
process.
As noted above, you are not expected to follow this particular process, especially if you are more
familiar and comfortable with a different process.
Source: Carter, J. M. (1984). The Historical/Anthropological Approach to Writing. The
Clearning House, 57(8), 358-361.
An example rubric is included which covers the following categories:
• Focus on Land Use over Time
• Making Claims
• Reference to the Ecosystem Services Model
• Use of Evidence and Context
• Language Use
• Conventions and Mechanics
• Presentation
Please feel free to adapt the rubric as you wish, or to replace it entirely with a different rubric. If
your students are working in groups or in teams, you may wish to modify the rubric so that there
is a “Teamwork” category.
5. Provide a due date for the report for students that will roughly coincide with the
beginning of Lesson 6.
6. If you believe it will be helpful, you may set up a series of checkpoints along the way
(e.g., interviewee found, interview, report rough draft, presentation rough draft, etc.) and
discuss a timeline with your students.

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Land Use Game: Complex Decisions Module 2 Lesson 1

Name: ___________________________________Date:__________Period/Class: _______

Lesson 1: Land Use Game Instructions and Play

Current City Conditions

Name Your City: ____________________________________________

You live in a thriving city with a population of 550,000 with a major river running through the
western side of your city. During the previous twenty years your city’s population has been
stable for the past 10 years, however the areas on the edge of city are rapidly growing and the
entire metropolitan area of the city has a population of just over 1,500,000. Within your city the
population lives fairly evenly throughout, with a few areas of higher density housing near the
river and in areas where rents and housing prices are lower. The population is quite ethnically
diverse and like other cities in the country is getting older. The average age of people who live
in the city is 44 years old.

The city is a local hub for businesses and work as nearly 200,000 commute into the city each day
for work this has lead to an average commute time of nearly 45 minutes each way from their jobs
in the city to their homes out in the suburbs. A recent survey found that many people are
unhappy with these long commute times and would be willing to relocate closer to the city if
they could find more affordable housing. Your city has a public transportation system consisting
of buses and a two train lines that crisscrosses the city that meets the needs of the residents (but
will not be enough to meet the needs of new residents?). Despite this increase in population and
automobile traffic, the city’s air quality and water quality have been good during the past ten
years. However, the worst 10 days of air quality during the past decade has occurred during the
previous two summers.

Your city has a several parks spread throughout the city. Most of the parks are small in size with
a few larger ones near schools and public buildings. Your city also has taken care to maintain
the city’s street trees and they are generally healthy throughout the city. The river that runs
through the western side of your city was once quite polluted as most of the industry that
provided many jobs were located on the western side of your city. Today, however, the river is
much cleaner than it was in the past but more work needs to be done to continue its
improvement.

The Future of Your City

A recent study by your state and city government showed that metropolitan area around your city
will double in the next twenty years. This population increase will put great strains on the
economic, ecological, and sociological infrastructure of your city. There are many questions that
will need answering such as how best to allow the city grow? Where should the development be
focused? For example, should new housing and business be encouraged to develop on the fringe
of your city which will help reduce the number of people who need to commute into downtown?
Or should higher density housing and new business be encouraged near downtown to reduce the
geographical spread of your city? These are just two questions that your city must answer if it is
to continue to thrive economically, socially, and ecologically.

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Land Use Game: Complex Decisions Module 2 Lesson 1

In this game you are one member of the regional zoning commission and you have been asked to
evaluate proposals based upon their economic, sociological, and ecological impacts to your city.

Game Instructions

1. Each game should have three players. One player should be assigned the role of recorder,
one player should be assigned the roles of reading the policy cards and moving the game
piece, while the third player is in charge of reading the decision cards and rolling the dice.
2. Each player starts the game with 10 ecological chips, 10 economic chips, and 10 sociological
chips. You will add or lose chips throughout the game.
3. As you play the game you MUST RECORD YOUR DECISIONS AND WHY YOU MADE
YOUR DECISION ON YOUR GAME PLAY SHEET. THIS IS IMPORTANT AS THIS
WILL HELP TO DECIDE WHO WON THE GAME.
4. The game then proceeds by rolling the die and moving around the game board until the game
is concluded.
5. There are two card spaces in the game.
a. The first in the POLICY EVENT CARD. The Policy Event Cards have
descriptions of policy decisions that you as a zoning commissioner must abide. If
your game piece lands on a Policy Even Card read the policy card and follow the
instructions.
b. The second type of card are the DECISIONS cards. The Decision Cards consists
of three choices and after reading your options you must make a decision. Then
once you have made your decision following the corresponding consequence as
described on the back of your decision card. For example, if you choose option A
then you must follow the consequences of that decision by following the A
consequences.

Ending the Game

6. After you finish the game revisit the decisions that you made and evaluate whether you
would change your decision now that you know the consequences. BE SURE TO WRITE
YOUR NEW DECISION AND THE NEW OUTCOME ON YOUR RECORDING SHEET.

7. After you finish the game write a 1-3 sentence summary of why you made the decisions
that you made and do you think your decisions were successful? For instance, did all of
your decisions focus on economic considerations and if they did do you think you city will be
continue to thrive as a place where people will want to live?

8. The winner of the game will be determined by your fellow classmates as described by your
teacher.

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Decision Card Number D1 Potential Score

There are several open spaces near the river that a developer has
requested be developed and be transformed into housing and retail
shopping. At a council meeting the people of your city encouraged
you to vote one of two ways
(A) zone the area allow low-income housing to be built there
which is very much needed in your city
(B) zone the area as protected green space
(C) zone the area to allow for apartment and condominium
complexes with shopping on the lower levels
(A) Add 1 to economic score , Add 2 to social score,
Remove 3 from ecological score
(B) Remove 2 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 1 to ecological score
(C) Add 3 to economic score, Add 0 to social score,
Remove 3 from ecological score

Decisions Card Number D2 Potential Score

The city’s traffic situation is quite bad and the city is considering a
new public transportation system. The problem is that to build the
transportation system the city has to build the transit system
through a major city park. You have been asked to support one of
the following alternatives
(A) Remove 3 from economic score, Remove 1 from social
score, Add 4 to ecological score
(B) Add 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Remove 3 from ecological score

(A) Allow the city to build the transit system (C) Remove 1 from economic score, Add 2 to social score,
(B) Vote against the building of the system Remove 1 from ecological score
(C) Suggest that the city conduct more study on the ecological
impact of the system
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Decision Card Number D3 Potential Score

Your city is making decisions about where to encourage people to
live. You have been asked to support one of the following
proposals.
(A) Choose high density housing
(B) Emphasize low density housing with more single family
housing
(C) Encourage the development of houses with yards and green
space around them
(A) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Remove 2 from ecological score
(B) Remove 2 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 1 to ecological score
(C) Add 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Remove 3 from ecological score

Decision Card Number D4 Potential Score

Your city is looking toward the future. Your city needs to make (A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 0 to social score, Remove
decisions about how to use the available space within your city 2 from ecological score
there are 50 acres of brownfields (which are undeveloped vacant
lots) (B) Remove 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Add
1 to ecological score
(A) Develop most of the brownfields for housing and retail
development (C) Remove 3 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
(B) Develop a few of the brownfields for housing but leave Add 2 to ecological score.
most of the undeveloped
(C) Develop a few of the brownfields for housing and convert
the remaining ones into functional public parks
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Decision Card Number D5 Potential Score

(A) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2

Your city is looking toward the future. Your city is making from ecological score
decisions about where to encourage people to live.
(B) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2
(A) Encourage development near the city’s center to ecological score
(B) Encourage development evenly throughout the city
(C) Encourage development near the edges of the city (C) Add 3 to economic score, Remove 2 from social score,
Remove 1 from ecological score

Decision Card Number D6 Potential Score

Your city is rapidly growing. You need to invest in new (A) Add 3 to economic score, Remove 1 from social score,
infrastructure. There are several proposals that have been put Remove 2 from ecological score
forth and you must vote for one. The proposals are:
(B) Add 1 to economic score, Remove 2 from social score,
(A) Fund programs that go towards road construction and Add 1 to ecological score
upgrades. Alternative methods of transportation will not
be promoted (C) Remove 1 from economic score, Remove 1 from social
(B) Fund programs that split between roads and public score, Add 2 to ecological score
transit, maintaining the current levels of promotion for
alternative public transportation approaches such as
buses.
(C) Move most funds into the development of public
transportation system such as train and bus.



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Decision Card Number D7 Potential Score

Your city is looking toward the future. Your city is making (A) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2
decisions about where to encourage people to live. from ecological score

(A) Choose high density housing
(B) Emphasize low density housing with more single family
housing
(C) Encourage the development of houses with yards and
green space around them
(B) Remove 1 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 0 to ecological score
(C) Add 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 3
from ecological score

Decision Card Number D8 Potential Score

An area near the river is vacant but the city wishes to promote
development in the area. The mayor has developed three
proposals for the space. Which one will you support?
(A) Construct a new shopping center which would create a
much needed retail space to attract shoppers.
(B) Construct a mixed development which includes a mix of
housing and retail shops.
(C) Develop the land as a large public park.
(A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 3
from ecological score
(B) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2
to ecological score
(C) Remove 3 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 2 to ecological score
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Decision Card Number D9 Potential Score

An area near the river is vacant but the city wishes to promote
development in the area. The mayor has developed three
proposals for the space. Which one will you support?
(A) Construct a new shopping center which would create a
much needed retail space to attract shoppers.
(B) Construct a mixed development which includes a mix of
housing and retail shops.
(C) Develop the land as a large public park.
(A) Add 3 to economic score, Add 0 to social score, Remove 3
to ecological score
(B) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2
to ecological score
(C) Remove 3 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 2 to ecological score
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Decision Card Number D10 Potential Score

The Mayor is pushing you for a decision on a new development (A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 2 for social score, Remove
that would take about 10 acres of open space and develop it. 4 from ecological score

(A) Construct a new retail space and build a new building for
a children’s museum
(B) Construct a mixed development which includes a mix of
housing and retail shops.
(C) Develop the land as a public walkway and riverfront
green space
(B) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 2
from ecological score
(C) Remove 3 from economic score, Add 0 for social score,
Add 3 to ecological score

Decision Card Number D11 Potential Score

On the edge of the city is a large abandoned industrial complex.
The neighborhood has been asking that the city council improve
this area. There are three proposals that have been brought forth
for consideration. You have been asked to support one of them.
(A) Re-zone the area to be a major central public
transportation center.
(B) Provide funds to rebuild the
(C) Develop the land as a large public park.
(A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove 3
from ecological score
(B) Add 2 to economic score, Remove 3 from social score,
Add 1 to ecological score
(C) Remove 2 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 2 from ecological score
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Decision Card Number D12 Potential Score

The population in your city is complaining bitterly about long (A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 0 for social score, Remove
commute times and the governor has proposed that your city 2 from ecological score
exam options to improve transportation in and out of your city.
Three proposals have come forth as potential outcomes: (B) Add 2 to economic score, Add 0 to social score, Remove 2
from ecological score
(A) Widening the major interstate that people use to drive
into the city to reduce their commute time (C) Add 9 to economic score, Remove 5 for social score,
(B) Build new parking structures near major bus terminals to Remove 4 to ecological score
encourage people to drive in near the city and park and
use the bus system
(C) Build a new roadway, which developers say will
significant boost the economics of your city, but you will
need to disperse a few thousand residents from their
homes
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Decision Card D13 Potential Score

The City is confronted with a problem of too many rats in the

neighborhoods. People perceive this as a public health threat and
a nuisance. The planners are proposing three alternative plans for (A) Add 2 to economic score, Add 2 for social score, Remove 2
dealing with the problem for ecological score

(A) An intensive poisoning project in the residential areas (B) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 for social score, Add 2 for
designed to eliminate the rats. ecological score

(B) A neighborhood education program to educate residents (C) Add 0 for economic score, Add 2 for social score, Add 1 for
about managing rat populations ecological score

(C) Targeted trapping and removal of rats in specific areas

Decision Card D14 Potential Score

The Public Works Department is trying to deal with all of the
Canada Geese on the lawns around one of the City’s most popular
lakes. Here are the options they are considering:
(A) Trapping and killing the geese
(A) Add 2 to economic score, Remove 1 from social score,
Add 2 to ecological score
(B) Add 0 to economic score, Add 2 to social score, Add 0 to
ecological score

(B) Installing noise makers and hawk decoys to scare them (C) Remove 2 from economic score, Add 2 to social score,
away Add 2 to ecological score

(C) Hiring wildlife managers to keep them off of the lake by

non-lethal means
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Decision Card D15 Potential Score

Duckweed is an invasive lien plant that is choking the local pond
that sits in the center of the City. The local managers are
proposing three alternative management options for the problem:
(A) Spraying the river and side banks with herbicide
(B) Cutting out the duckweed by hand
(A) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1to social score, Remove 2
from ecological score
(B) Add 0 to economic score, Add 2 to social score, Add 1 to
ecological score
(D) Remove 2 from economic score, Add 2 to social score,
Add 3 to ecological score

(C) Draining the pond, cutting the invasive plants out and
refilling the pond

Decision Card D16 Potential Score

Nearly all of the nesting birds in the local park have disappeared
after the City decided to mow the grasses under the trees. The
park is now just lawn and trees, no bushed remain. Local
residents have asked the City to respond to this situation. The
City has proposed three courses of action:
(A) Add 0 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Add 0 to
ecological score
(D) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Add 0 to
ecological score

(A) Building and installing bird houses in the park (E) Remove 1 from economic score, Add 1 to social score,
Add 2 from ecological score
(B) Using the argument of public safety, so nothing to restore
the lost bird habitat

(C) Plant and manage stands of wildflowers within the park

Land
Use
Game:
Complex
Decisions
 
 
 
 Module
2
Lesson
1


Decision Card D17 Potential Score

West Nile Virus has been detected in bird populations within the
City. A few crows have been found dead along the road. The
Mayor must respond to the problem and he knows that the virus is
found in mosquitoes. Here are her three plans:
(D) Spraying the ponds with insecticide to kill mosquitoes
(E) Conducting a study to determine the impact of the risk
(F) Add 1 to economic score, Add 1 to social score, Remove
3 from ecological score
(G) Add 0 to economic score, Add 1 from social score, Add 2
to ecological score
(H) Remove 1 from economic score, Add 0 to social score,
Add 1 to ecological score

(F) Relying on an education effort to warn people about West

Nile Virus
Land
Use
Game:
Complex
Decisions
 
 Module
2
Lesson
1
Policy Event Cards
Policy Event Card Number 1
The economy is not as strong as it once was.
The Mayor pushes through special regulations
that allow developers to convert open space in
the city into retail shops and housing if 20% of
the housing is classified as affordable housing.
Remove 3 from your ecological score but add
1 to your social score and 2 to your economic
score.
Policy Event Card Number 3
City council agrees to the Mayor’s proposal
that the city should have at least 15% of its
land dedicated to green space. Add 2 to your
ecological score.
Policy Event Card Number 5
Zoning commission meets and decides that it is
necessary to increase the amount of public
transportation in the city. Unfortunately, to
accomplish this goal the city will need to
convert some of the parks to public
transportation terminals. Add 1 to ecological
score but remove 2 from your economic score
and 1 from your social score.
Policy Event Card Number 7
The city approves the planting of additional
street trees. Add 2 to your ecological score and near the downtown area for additional housing
1 to your sociological score.


Policy Event Card Number 2
A new mayor is elected and the cities priorities
are being reevaluated. The new focus will be
on economic development. You are asked to
re-evaluate your last decision.
Policy Event Card Number 4
City undertakes a green energy initiative. By
the year 2020 30% of all city buildings will
have green roofs. Add 2 to your ecological
score.
Policy Event Card Number 6
It is a record year for high temperatures.
Unfortunately, due previous increases in the
impervious surface color in your city the air
quality in your city is the worst it has been for
10 years. Remove 2 from your sociological
score and 2 from your ecological score.
Policy Event Card Number 8
The city approves the development of open lots
units and retail space. Add 2 to your economic
score.
Land
Use
Game:
Complex
Decisions
 
 Module
2
Lesson
1
Policy Event Card Number 9
Due to budget cutbacks the city must reduce
the amount of public transportation. Remove 1
from your economic score and 2 from your
ecological score.
Policy Event Card Number 11
The Mayor is pushing for results. Move to the
next decision space.
Policy Event Card Number 13
A new mayor is elected and the cities priorities
are being reevaluated. The new focus will be
on economic development. You are asked to
re-evaluate your last decision.
Policy Event Card Number 15
Your city is awarded a grant from the federal
grant to increase the urban tree canopy by
10%. Add 2 to your ecological score.


Policy Event Card Number 10
The Mayor and the city council rejected your
previous decision because the people want
something else. Reevaluate your previous
decision.
Policy Event Card Number 12
The Mayor is pushing you for results. Move to
the next decision space.
Policy Event Card Number 14
Congratulations! The Environmental
Protection Agency has given you a grant to
study the impact of green spaces on your city.
Add 3 points to your economic score and 1
point to your ecological score.
Policy Event Card Number 16
In a city-wide referendum the population votes
down a measure that would have increased the
amount of land that is dedicated for green/open
space in the city. Remove 2 from your
ecological score.
Action
Planning
Rubric

Level 3
Science Student clearly and accurately and
Knowledge appropriately draws upon and utilizes
concepts and terminology from the
module and from other cited sources to
provide a foundation for their Action
Plan.
Exemplar: “When we played the “healthy
step” game in the module, we learned
that most of our classmates do not eat
fruit 3 or more times a day. According to
the government’s food pyramid people
should eat 9 servings of fruits and
vegetable per day. “
mypyramid.gov/pyramid/fruits_why.html
Investigate Site Student provides accurate and appropriate
and Envision data from the site and clearly describes
Possibilities realistic possibilities for improving the
site that can be accomplished within the
class. Student provides reasoning for the
possibilities. The possibilities relate to
the module.
Exemplar: “To improve the health of
students at PHS I would replace the ice
cream vending machine with a stand that
sells fresh fruit. This would provide more
access to health foods and increase
student health and life expectancy. “
Identify Student accurately identifies two or more
Stakeholders appropriate key or essential stakeholders
and describes how their relationship and
importance to the site.
Level 2
Student provides concepts and
terminology from the module
and from other cited sources,
but does not coherently tie
them together in order to
provide a foundation for their
Action Plan.
Student provides data from
the site, but does not describe
realistic possibilities. The
possibilities can be too big or
too small in scale. Student
provides reasoning for the
possibilities.
Student identifies only one
key stakeholder and describes
their relationship and
importance to the site.
Student could also include
one or more non-essential
(non-key) stakeholder.
Level 1
Student uses “common
knowledge,” and not concepts
and terminology from the
module and from other cited
sources, to support their
action plan.
Example: “Fruit is good for
you”
Student provides no data from
the site, but describes
possibilities for improving the
site. Alternately, no
reasoning provided for the
possibilities for the site.
Student identifies one or more
stakeholders—essential or
non-essential—without
describing their relationship
and importance to the site.
Level 0
Student does not support their
plan with any scientific
knowledge
Student does not provide data,
possibilities, or reasoning for
improving their site.
Student does not identify
stakeholders or stakeholders
are not appropriate.
Example: “We will have
convicts on prison work
release sell fruit in our school
cafeteria.”
Action
Planning
Rubric

Level 3
Identify Student accurately identifies at least one
Resources Social Resource and at least one Physical
Resource that are appropriate for
implementing their plan. How the
resources will be used is described.


Example: “We can ask science teachers
to explain the benefits of a fresh
nutritious diet to students. This will help
students make better snack choice like
choosing fruit from our stand instead of
processed ice cream. We can borrow
two tables from the custodial staff to set
up our fruit stand”
Construct Student clearly states a complete list of
Actionable Steps specific, feasible, steps toward their goal.
Student spells out every step necessary to
make their goal happen, and it is readily
apparent how each successive step builds
on previous steps. Potential barriers are
clearly defined as are strategies to address
them.
Motivate and Student clearly and accurately describes
Implement Plan how they will engage the stakeholders
and social resources, demonstrating an
understanding of the science, the site, the
people, and the needs and aims of the
plan in order to implement the plan.
Level 2
Student accurately and
appropriately identifies at
least one Social Resource and
at least one Physical Resource
without describing how the
resources will be used OR the
student only identifies one
resource with a description of
how the resource will be used.
Student clearly states a
complete list of actions but
the actions are not explicitly
tied to their goal OR the
potential barriers are not
defined.
Student clearly and accurately
describes how they will
engage the stakeholders and
social resources in order to
implement the plan, and
demonstrating understandings
of science, but does not do so
for all of the stakeholders and
social resources.
Level 1 Level 0
Student accurately and Student does not accurately
appropriately identifies one identify resources.
resource without describing
how the resource will be used.
Student clearly states feasible Steps are not listed at all or
actions but does not describe are completely unrealistic.
any connection to goals (even
implicitly). Can be feasible.
Example: “Scientists will
Example: “We will fix the genetically engineer new
elevators.” healthy fruit in school lab.”
Student clearly describes how Students do not describe how
they will engage those they will engage and motivate
involved, but does not stakeholders and resources
demonstrate an understanding and implement the plan.
of the science, the site, the
people, and the needs and
aims of the plan in order to
implement the plan.
Example: “We will give
people pizza.”