Digitopolis A Simulated Math Town

by Christina Nicolson Y

ears ago, when I was a classroom math specialist teaching fourth and fifth grades, I developed and implemented a constructivist, interdisciplinary unit called “Digi-

topolis.” (To learn more about this unit, visit Synergy Learning Archives.) For three consecutive years I taught it at a private school. Digitopolis became an integral part of the math curriculum, woven into the textbook, Investigations in Data and Space (TERC), and materials from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. With the guid- ance of parents and me, pairs of students chose a business/service to create and manage. At the outset, they interviewed store owners in the Andover, Massachusetts community and toured the local bank. Managers provided charts, graphs, posters, and tours behind the scenes. Following this, students chose ten products to sell at their stores. Customers included other “Digi” businesses, faculty, staff, students, and parents. In the 1990’s my goals for this simulated math town were:

1) To engage students in math by tapping into their other interests 2) To motivate students to learn math concepts and skills 3) To provide opportunities for critical thinking, writing, problem solving, and applica- tion of science and technology

Implementation of Digitopolis Unit

Between 1993 and 2001, I gave participatory workshops about Digitopolis for upper elementary teachers at the New England Conference for the Gifted, American Montessori Society Convention, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics convention, Massa- chusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (like a webinar), professional development for New Hampshire public middle schools, and a lesson to fellow winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in Washington, D.C. Through these experiences, I shared the students’ work and connected with educators who wanted to use the Digitopolis unit. Since these events, my Digitopolis curriculum has been implemented, with significant modernization, in two public and one private school, as well as after-school enrichment courses for ages nine through twelve. Recently one of these schools purchased “SmartLab for STEM,” comprising software for digital media, science, engineering, nonfiction writing, computing, and business practices. The middle school engaged me to integrate the Digitopolis unit. It meshed well. In addition to NCTM math principles and standards, I have been adhering to the Frame- work for K–12 Science Education Guide. Thus, my emphasis has been on developing twenty-first century skills and STEM learning in order to pre- pare students to live and work in the digital age.

Digitopolis Updated

Writing workshop conference about “Digi” essay

PAGE 22 • Connect

Over the last three years, the types of businesses designed by the students have changed to reflect the digital, eco-friendly age. Some of businesses

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