Future City Judith Vihonski Behind every device, machine,

structure, material, and transportation or communication system is an engineer

A

s a teacher of gifted and talented students, I am always looking for programs that would challenge my students. Ten years ago I discovered the National Engineers’

Week Future City competition while surfing the Internet. Future City is a national competition for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students

that fosters math, science, engineering, and literacy skills. Students work in teams to create a city using SimCity 4 Deluxe software, write a 700–1,000 word research essay, construct a tabletop model using recycled materials, write a 500-word city narrative, and design a five-to-seven-minute presentation (overview of their city). There is a $100 limit on supplies and presentation materials. In 2010, over 30,000 students representing 1,000 schools participated in the competition. Educators may register student groups by registering with your regional competition

($25.00 school registration fee). Then you will receive a teacher handbook, SimCity 4 Deluxe software and a tutorial CD-ROM. You may find your engineer-mentor or the re- gional coordinator will help you find one. Rubrics to use for assessment of all components of the competition are included in the handbook, which is also available online. Preparation for the competition runs from September through January. The national

competition is held in February, but the regional coordinators determine the due dates for all the components. The competition is open to students from the same school/home school. A team is

comprised of three students, the teacher-coach, and the mentor engineer. Multiple teams from each school may compete although only one team advances to the final round of the regional competition. More than three students may work on the project; however, only three are recognized by the regional and national competition.

A Major Time Commitment

Future City is an optional activity for our eighth graders who are enrolled in Workshop, our gifted and talented program at Valley Middle School in Oakland, New Jersey. Those students who select this project realize that they will have to devote many hours to create a city. My students typically spend over 500 team hours on the competition. They work at home, during class (pullout pro- gram, three hours per week) and after school. Initially, everyone seems to be interested in participating in the

project since they want to build a model. However, they eventually realize that model building is only one part of the competition. To be successful, the students must prioritize their outside activities and make sacrifices. The project is time consuming—from count- less essay rewrites to construction of miniature trees. In order to prepare for the competition, students are immersed

in the engineering world via the essay, model construction, and sessions with the mentor-engineer. Before the competition, most students do not understand engineering or the role that engineers have in society. Working with an engineer-mentor brings engi- neering into their lives. They begin to realize that behind every

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Judith Vihonski