City Farm
Games
Grades3-12Science
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by PBS
What it is
- This interactive game puts students in charge of running an urban farm sustainably for five years while providing food for the community, keeping soil healthy, and conserving water.
- Students choose crops and upgrades each year, respond to random weather and pest events, and earn sustainability points based on how well they balance production with resource conservation.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this game as a brain break during a unit on agriculture or water conservation.
- Alternatively, consider pairing the game with a data-collection sheet so students track their crops, upgrades, cash, soil health, and water conservation across each of the five years.
- After playing, prompt students to compare strategies and explain why crop rotation and choices like planting legumes improve soil health over time.
Extensions:
- Ask students whether they were able to increase profit while still practicing sustainable soil and water management, and to defend their most successful strategy with evidence from the game.
- Interview a local sustainable farmer to see what strategies they use to conserve water and preserve soil health.
Options for Action:
- Use what you learned about soil health and water conservation to start a school garden (or contribute to an existing one).
- Give students a real budget and have them make plans for managing the garden.
From the scientist review
This interactive resource tasks students with operating an urban farm, with focus on crop rotations and upgrades to make their farm more sustainable. The included readings are clear and discuss climate change connections to urban farms. This resource presents how sound decisions can mitigate the impacts of climate change and extreme weather on urban farms and is recommended for teaching.
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