Tree Equity Interactive Game
Games
30 minutesGrades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Social Studies, Biology
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Written by Meighan Hooper
About this activity
- In this interactive game, students play the role of an urban planner who must decide if Los Angeles needs to plant more trees.
- The game includes two informational videos and an interactive tree equity map with a variety of demographic indicators that students can use for research.
Everything you need to teach it
- Tree Equity Interactive GameView Activity
Teaching tips
Positives
- Students receive immediate feedback when they select an incorrect answer.
- Students have the opportunity to choose between a male and a female avatar.
- Students cannot fast-forward through the videos.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students cannot go backward in the game; instead, they have to start over from the beginning.
- Students should be familiar with the concept of urban planning.
- Students will need access to a device and an Internet connection.
Differentiation
- Social studies classes could use this game in a lesson about urban planning or city design. Before playing the game, students could discuss the following questions:
- What makes a neighborhood a nice place to live?
- Who is in charge of maintaining neighborhoods?
- What is the role of the local government in residents' happiness, health, and safety?
- What impact do trees have on a neighborhood?
- Science classes could discuss the role that science and data play in municipal decision-making. After playing the game, students could discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups:
- Why is it important to use data, such as the tree equity map, when making decisions?
- How can scientists help government officials design solutions to municipal problems?
- The game provided you with a science-based video on planting trees, a data-driven map about tree equity, and a video that featured a community member's personal story. How are the three sources similar? How are they different? Why might an urban planner consider all three sources when deciding where to plant trees?
- Other resources on this topic include this video on the connection between systemic racism and the number of trees in neighborhoods, this TED video on planting a million trees in Sierra Leone, and this interactive resource on urban tree planting.
From the scientist review
This game provides insights on the best approach of tree planting to sequester CO2 emissions, improve air quality, increase urban health, and tackle climate change. It adopts a case study from Los Angeles and explains the need to integrate local people in co-creating sustainable urban reforestation actions in their communities. This is recommended.
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About the teacher writer
Meighan Hooper
Chief Operating Officer
Meighan Hooper, B.Ed., is SubjectToClimate's Chief Operating Officer. She holds an H.B.A. from the University of Toronto and a B.Ed. from Queen's University, and is an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) with 14 years of classroom teaching experience across Canada, Bahrain, Qatar, and China. She began at SubjectToClimate as Director of User Engagement before moving into the CMO and then COO roles. Fun fact: she helped launch the SubjectToClimate website.
