Math City · Lesson 3
The Three Cities
Three planning teams turned in three very different cities. City Hall needs an analyst to compare them: with numbers, not opinions.
📁 The dossiers
| Measure | 🏙️ Skyline City | 🏡 Sprawl City | ⚖️ Balanced City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cost | $120,000 | $124,000 | $115,000 |
| Population housed | 10,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 |
| Land used | 20 blocks | 60 blocks | 35 blocks |
| Fire response time | 2 min | 6 min | 3 min |
| Parks | 4 | 9 | 6 |
Every city has fans at City Hall. Your job: find out what the numbers actually say.
Activity 1: The Efficiency Bureau 🧮
The single most important planner number: cost per person = total cost ÷ population. Compute it for each city (dollars, decimals allowed):
Activity 2: Trade-off Detective 🔍
No city wins everything. Use the dossiers:
1. A house catches fire. Which city's fire trucks arrive fastest?
2. A family wants the most green space and yard room. Which city fits?
3. Which is the strongest math argument against Sprawl City?
Activity 3: Your Verdict ⚖️
City Hall wants your ranking. There's no single right answer, but there IS a rule: cite a number.
🏆 Your XP Progress
- ○ Computed all three cost-per-person rates +10 XP
- ○ Decoded the trade-offs +8 XP
- ○ Filed a verdict with evidence +7 XP
Total XP earned: 0 / 25
🖨️ Take the case home
Download the City Dossiers worksheet: the comparison table, the ratio math, and a verdict section to argue at the dinner table.
🧭 Keep Going
🏆 Complete This Lesson!
Analysis delivered? Mark this lesson complete to track your progress.