In this Sims game, students will fill their town of Newcrest (the map with no buildings in it, available in the base game), with lots of public buildings and houses. I will be using various expansion packs, but none of these are necessary! Each class will start with a sample build, some tips and tricks (such as cheats and keyboard controls), and a look at the gallery and/or google images for inspiration, then a speed build video where I build/create the challenge for the week. Each week, students will be given a task and list of things to include in their build. Students will be asked to share a finished version of their project in the Outschool classroom where we can comment on each others' builds! 

Week 1: Character creation--Students will create 2 people in Sims--themselves and their favourite celebrity to be a household in Sims. We will talk about detail editing, considering traits and attributes, and other key features of the create a sim section of the game. 
Class game: Post a picture of your celebrity/fictional character--don't share who it is. See if anyone can guess who it is! 

Week 2: Dreamhouse, part 1--students will design the layout of their dream house and work on the landscaping. This week we will focus on building our dream houses for ourselves and our celebrity BFF to live in. We will do basements, flooring and wallpaper, room design and layout, look at different wall heights, etc. We are not furnishing the house this week but will work on landscaping (porches, pools, ponds, flowers and trees, etc.)

Week 3: Dreamhouse, part 2--this week, we're furnishing our dream house! We will talk about the vibe we want our house to have (luxurious, modern, cozy, rustic, colourful, etc.), and how to lay it out in a way that works for us. Every house will have 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room at a minimum. We will also discuss skills that our Sims have/need, and what tools we need for our Sims to reach their goals. 
Class game: Look at someone's house. Choose one room from their house and recreate it in your own sims game. Get it as close to the original as possible, and share a picture. 

Week 4: Restaurant--We are designing a food-based business (restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, etc.). I will be using the "dine-out" pack, which allows students to set the type of building, but this pack is not necessary. We will again discuss the atmosphere we want our restaurant to have, and work to incorporate that in everything we do! 
Class discussion: Comment on each picture and say why you would like to eat at this restaurant/business. List what you enjoy about it, what you think would make it even better, and what you would do differently. 

Week 5: Students will design a public gym. There is an expansion pack of gym equipment that students are welcome to use, but it is not needed! The gym needs to be at least 2 stories, and include any gym equipment available (depending on your expansion packs). It will have locker rooms, washrooms, and a pool. 
Game: I have/who has--gym edition. Comment with something you have in your gym, and ask for a different thing. (i.e. I have a treadmill. Who has a rock-climbing wall?) The next person can comment that they have a rock-climbing wall, and ask for something else. 

Weeks 6 and 7: These classes will be a larger project (so continued over 2 weeks). Students will create an apartment building that is 4 stories tall, with at least 8 fully furnished apartments (at least 1 bed/1bath in each). They will consider what amenities they might look for in an apartment building, such as pool, gym, storage, parking, landscaping, etc. Week 6 will be designing the structure of the building, and week 7 will be decorating and furnishing it. 
Class discussion: Share which apartment you'd like to live in and why. 

Week 8: I will start by showing Sims one of my favourite things to create in Sims--a house with a moat/underwater basement! Students are then going to create this same project. Alternately, they could build a houseboat (which I will also show them), and which is very similar to an underwater basement. 
Class game: Choose one of the builds opposite of what you did (houseboat or underwater basement). Discuss what you think the hardest part of that build was and see if the creator agrees with you. 

Week 9: Students will be building a museum in this class. I will show them how to access the map for a freebuild and select what type of lot they want. They will then have to meet the in-game requirements for a museum. 
Class challenge: Tour one wing of the Louvre (link will be provided). Try and re-create the layout and share it with the class. 

Week 10: This class is the movie theater class--students will build a lobby, mini restaurant/snack bar, and a single large theater. I will be using the Home Theater Pack, but this is not a requirement--everything they need can be found in the base pack! 
Class question: What movies would your theater be showing? Choose someone whose theater is showing a movie you'd like to see and comment! 

Week 11-12: Based on student requests, we will spend 2 weeks building and furnishing a luxurious mansion. Students will be challenged to build a gazebo as part of the landscaping. Week 11 will be designing the structure/layout of the house, and week 12 will be decorating/furnishing the house. Generally, students do either a castle-type mansion or a very modern/futuristic mansion. 
OPTIONAL Class activity: Upload your completed mansion to the gallery so that other people can view/download it! Share the link in the classroom. 

Week 13: This week students will be building a tree-house. We will learn how to build bridges to connect different parts of our treehouse.  Students will add ladders, trees, lots of nature-related things, and furnish their house to be very rustic and cozy. 
Class activity: Find a tree-house you'd like to live in and share a picture of it in the class. Compare it to the treehouses we've built. Whose treehouse is the most similar to the picture?

Week 14: Tiny Build--I will be using the "Tiny House" Sims expansion pack, but students don't need this pack to participate. They are challenged to build a house that is 100 squares or less, or for a greater challenge, 64 squares, or the ultimate challenge--32 squares or less! Students need to include all the elements of a house (1 bedroom/bathroom, kitchen, living room space, etc.) I will show students how to build a loft to further their limited space. 
Class challenge: Build the tiniest house! (Still liveable!)

Week 15: Library--students will build a public library, including bookshelves, check-out desk, kids play area, and study areas!
Class discussion: What's your favorite book? What's the most recent book you've read? 

Week 16-17: School: Students will build a public school (elementary, middle, or high school). Students will add offices, classrooms, gym, cafeteria, library, computer lab, and art room. We will also add an outdoor play area. Students will need a large lot for this one (50x50). 

Week 18: Public park or public pool: I will create both, and put the videos both up for students to choose between. They can choose to create a public park for people to enjoy or a public pool. Both of these are lot types that are available, depending on your expansion packs. 
Class challenge: Hide a special area in your pool or park (small picnic area, chess table, change room, etc.). Share your lot in the gallery and in the classroom. Explore someone else's lot and see if you can find their hidden area! Comment with what you found! 

Congratulations--Newcrest should be filled up completely! You're now the mayor of a bustling town, filled with homes and businesses that suit your tastes! Share a picture of your map, now that it's all filled up!