Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

UPDATED December 27^th, 2007

This web page is a compendium of questions from teachers, mentors, and students involved in the Idaho Regional Future City Competition. 

Additional FAQs can be found at the National Future City Competition FAQs

Contact Bill Holder, P.E. (faqs@futurecityidaho.org) if you have questions that you would like addressed about the Idaho Regional Future City Competition. 

Q -  "The handbook states (e.g., p. A-17) that one large or two smaller displays may be used to supplement the presentation.  Then it says that multiple stacked poster boards / foam boards / flipchart pages can be used.  I don't understand.  Does this mean:

a) that we can have two easels, each with as many 30x36 posters as we want?      
- or is it saying-
b) that we can use a flip chart of the dimensions noted as long as we only write on two pages?"

a) --Yes, you can use 2 easels w/ as many 30 x 36 posters as you want.
b) --Yes you can use 2 flipcharts -on 2 easels --no limit on the flip chart pages.
--In the past --w/ no limitations on presentation materials/size --we had model backdrops that were 4-6 feet high (similar to a trade show display).  It was distracting and too big to move through the exhibition areas --especially at the National Finals --hence the presentation limitation on size and cost.

But as a recommendation -- the # of displays should be used only to "enhance" the presentation --and not "drive" the presentation.  Many times the students get distracted w/ moving the paper/displays --and they actually do better when they can speak from their heart/minds what their "future city" is all about to the judging panel and refer to the displays for additional clarification --perhaps on one or two complicated/detailed matters. 

Q - Are tables and/or figures allowed in or with the essay?  How would a numeric table (cost estimates, for instance) be included in the word count?  Would each number count as a word?

Yes, table and figures are permitted in the essay.  Any text or numbers in tables apply to the word count of the essay.

Q - Is it important in the feasibility study (research essay) to give numeric cost estimates? It seems a bit unrealistic, given the brief nature of the essay.

No, you do not need to give numeric cost estimates. As quoted in the Teacher and Engineering Handbook, "The results of the engineering feasibility plan are used to evaluate physical, environmental, regulatory, or other constraints that must be overcome or accommodated in constructing the intended use." The essay will discuss how you will address various physical challenges that may be encountered during redevelopment of a five acre strip mall. The physical challenges that must be evaluated as part of the feasibility study include availability of water and sewer, transportation access, and soil analysis that takes into account the abandoned gas station on the parcel.

Q - What electronic format would you like the essay and abstract submitted in?

Please submit the essay and abstract in either Microsoft Word for Windows or Adobe Acrobat pdf formats.

Q - Where can we find the "optional" Map Inventory Form that you strongly recommend we submit with the computer disk?

You can download the map inventory form from www.futurecity.org.  Click on "Resources" and then choose "Printable Competition Forms" and then you will see it under "Competition Publications"

Q - Do we have to use SimCity 3000, or can we use a more recent version?

The competition and judging has been set up based upon SimCity 3000 so that it would be compatible on as many computers as possible. Other versions of SimCity should not be used.

Q - Is only one copy of the SimCity software and License provided? What if students are working on multiple computers?

The Idaho Regional Future City Competition provides each team with only one copy of the software. Additional copies of the software can be purchased through the Future City website (www.futurecity.org) for $10 (including shipping by UPS ground) by clicking on the "Resources" tab. Make sure that you purchase SimCity 3000, and not the latest version.

Q - With multiple advisors and families, can additional copies of the manuals be obtained?

The national future city program provides each competition a limited number of manuals. You are welcome to copy them for use in the competition or you can download the manuals from the Future City web Site (www.futurecity.org).

Q - Each school is being allowed to have as many as 3 teams so will the event be sanctioned with 25 teams?

It is the number of schools and not teams that counts. 25 different schools are required to register for the Idaho Regional Future City Competition to be sanctioned and for the winner to advance to the National Competition. We will still hold the competition and present awards to our winners if we have less than 25 teams.

Q - How do I get SimCity software to work on Windows XP - I am having trouble?

SimCity 3000 -Virtual Device Driver -patch for XP operating systems - Older installations of Windows XP may be missing a 'virtual device driver' required to run SimCity 3000. The patch is available at the Windows update website. To get there, open Internet Explorer, go to Tools, and select Windows Update. You will be taken to a Microsoft site. The site will scan your Windows operating system and bring up all the patches you have not yet installed. Some of these are optional, but most are critical to maintain Windows security and to prevent virus attacks.

Q - Does the Start date on the City within the Software make a difference?

The start date of your City does not matter as long as it grows to at least 2150. See the competition rules for more details.

Q - The National Engineers Week Future City Competition is supposed to be realistic but also brainstorming ideas for the future so how do you balance reality and creativity?

The students will have be questioned during their presentation about their ideas and any research they did into the possibilities of new technology in the future. Anything is possible but the students should show that they ideas were thought out as to how and why there idea could work and not just because it magically will. The essay and abstract are also good reality checks and the engineer mentor and teacher should work together to get the students to use reasoning and critical thinking in their design.

Q - How do you develop the criteria for your essay?

General site characteristics are given for the Future City and you can make the issues with the site as complex as you wish, but in the allotted number of words the more important item is to describe how the site is analyzed, conclusions reached and decisions made about the feasibility of construction.

Q - What is the weight of the verbal presentation to the overall?

The verbal presentation makes up a potential 90 of the total 400 points, or roughly 23% of the overall score along with the disk design, model and essay/abstract.

Q - How do you evaluate your in kind donations and values of materials in the model?

As much as 20 additional points can be awarded to cities that use recycled materials. But in kind donations for items not directly purchased by the team should be assessed at a reasonable value. If competition expense forms are not turned in, receipts for purchased materials are missing, and or the total cost of the model exceeds $100, up to 35 points may be deducted. As long as expense forms and receipts are submitted and reasonable assumptions made for values of objects, then no points should be deducted.

Q - Can younger students help in building the city?

Younger students are welcome to participate in the computer city design, model design and construction, and essay, however only 7th and 8th grade students may present at the competition and older students are not allowed to participate at any time throughout the competition.

Q - How is the verbal presentation judged?

A scoring rubric is included in the Teacher/Mentor Manual on the verbal presentation judging. The verbal presentation allows the judges the opportunity to see how the group worked together as a team. Each team member should be prepared to answer questions about their city. Markdowns may be given to presentations which are dominated by one of the team members.

Q - Are props such as easels and uniforms required or will we be marked down without them?

Props are not required and do not earn extra points in the judging. However, displays may be helpful in presenting points during the verbal presentation and may also help the students be more organized.

Q - Is the essay theme emphasized in the presentation and questions?

A suggested list of questions is given to the judges of which they are required to ask at least 2 of during the brief Q&A after the verbal presentation. Though the essay theme is important, it is one of many questions that could be asked by the judges and is a great focus for developing the city's concept.

Q - What guidelines are the judges given for questions during the presentations?

The sample list of questions given to the judges is the same as used at nationals. It is included in the Teacher/Mentor Handbook.

Q - How many teams can a school bring to the Idaho Regional Competition?

Each school will be permitted to send three teams to the Idaho Regional Competition. The way that the competition will work is that all of the teams will give their presentations to groups of judges in the morning on January 14th. The top five schools will then be asked to give their presentation before the entire audience and another panel of judges to determine the winner and top finishers in the regional competition. Only one team per school will be able to advance to the final round of the regional competition.

We know that many of the schools have multiple teams and some have more than three. You do not have to decide which teams will represent your school until you turn in your essays. All of your school's teams (including those that may not compete) may turn in their city design disk, but we will only judge the disks for the teams (up to three per school) that turn in essays. It gives you an extra week (or two if you turn in the essays late) to decide which team(s) will represent your school.

Q - Our team started late (did not register until the end of October). Is there any flexibility in the submittal deadlines?

The Future City Competition is intended to be a fun learning experience, however we need to have some deadlines so that the volunteer judges have sufficient time to evaluate the submissions. The deadlines were set up to be as late as practical and still get the submissions judged in time for the January 14th Regional Competition. The deadline for submission of city design disks is December 9th. Late submissions will be accepted until December 16th with a 5 point deduction. After December 16th, no points will be awarded for the disk submission. The essay deadline is December 16th with late essays being accepted with a 5 point deduction until December 23th. For the purpose of these deadlines, the materials should be in our hands by the deadlines.

Q - Can students use "starter cities" or buildings downloaded from the Internet?

According to Carol Rieg, the Future City National Director: "The teams can use the "starter cities" w/ SimCity 3000. We state that in the Future City tutorial CD-ROM. If they want to download things from the Internet --that's ok at this point. You can point the teacher's to the SimCity scoring Rubric posted on the Future City website --under "Resources" then Scoring."

Q - How do you add farms to the city?

For SimCity help --you can call the technical support number listed in the Handbook - 650-572-2810 (Page A-31) --or this website -- http://simcity3000unlimited.ea.com/us/guide/tips/ (This is a link to the City 3000 main help page.)