National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 1

APPENDIX C

Game Materials for both Game Kit and Online Versions of Fish Banks

Steps of Play for both Game Kit and Online Versions of Fish Banks

Table of Contents

Game Kit

MIT Learning Edge Online Simulation

Creative Learning Exchange – 5

th

-12th Grade Summary

Fish Banks Resource Credits: 

LaVigne, Anne. (2015). FishBanks Lesson Guide and Handouts for 5

th

-12th grade audience. 

Creative Learning Exchange, http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/newsletter/CLEx24.2.pdf

FishBanks, Ltd. game originally developed by Dennis Meadows, Emeritus Professor of Systems 

Management, University of New Hampshire.

Web version developed by Professor John Sterman (MIT Sloan School of Management), with 

help from Prof. Andrew King (Tuck School of Business), Dennis Meadows, Keith Eubanks, and 

Forio.com. Available from 

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

Game Kit screen shots from System Dynamics Society.

Simulation screen shots from web version of FishBanks. 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 2

Game Materials for both Game Kit and Online Versions of Fish Banks

Materials 

Fish Banks, Ltd. – System 

Dynamics Society, (Dennis 

Meadows and Tom Fiddaman)

MIT Sloan School of Business, 

(John Sterman and Andrew 

King)

Material Source Game Kit materials – Purchase from 

System Dynamics Society, 

http://www.systemdynamics.org/pro

ducts/fish-bank/; or borrow 

materials from NOAA

Register online at MIT LearningEdge

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEd

ge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fishbanks.aspx

• A computer is required for the 

instructor.

• Fish Banks Game Board (Great Bay, 

New Hampshire)

• 85 Wooden Boats

• FishBanks Version 8.0 CD – Game 

Software and Electronic Files 

o Introductory Video by Dennis 

Meadows (Mac or Windows 

format, ~10:00 min)

o various data files

o (2) PowerPoint slide sets – one 

for introducing the game (an 

alternative to the above video) 

and one for debriefing the game

o 48 page e-manual for download. 

The e-manual contains extensive

information on setting up, 

introducing, conducting, and 

debriefing the game plus detailed instructions for operating 

the computer program.

Optional: Create your own 

Chesapeake Bay Game Board

Change the fishing locations from 

Deep Sea and Coastal areas to 

Coastal and, and use Delaware Bay 

as your Harbor. On the Decision 

Sheet, you will have to change the 

Teacher Note: Once you are 

registered, you can access all of the 

Fish Banks Materials listed below, 

starting with the Student 

Instructional Video: 

 Computers for each team of 2-4 

students; computer for instructor

Student Instructional Video

(36:10 min.)

Fish Banks Simulation Teaching 

Video (1 hr. 13:25 min.)

Introductory presentation – Slide 

Presentation format (19 slides) with 

audio by Dr. John Sterman, who 

developed the simulation for online 

play. The presentation includes 

information about the following:

 Team Roles

 Team Goals

 Financial Information, 

including income and costs

 Fishing Fleet

 Catch and Ship Effectiveness; 

effects of weather

 Fishing Areas

 Fish 

 Regeneration 

 

Game Materials
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 3

Deep Sea to Chesapeake Bay/

Tributaries; just be careful 

transcribing the numbers. Or you 

could create a new Decision Sheet 

that reflects the changes. 

Introductory presentation –

Video format (13:22 min.) with audio 

by Dr. Dennis Meadows, who is the 

original Fish Banks, Ltd simulation 

developer. The presentation includes 

information about the following:

 Team Roles

 Team Goals

 Financial Information, 

including income and costs

 Fishing Fleet

 Catch and Ship Effectiveness; 

effects of weather

 Fishing Areas

 Fish 

 Regeneration 

Debriefing Presentation – video 

format; Dr. Dennis Meadows 

Teacher Note: There will be specific 

Chesapeake Bay-related fisheries 

slides that you can incorporate into 

the debriefing to use for student 

discussion and evaluation. These are 

included in APPENDIX D.

NOTE: There are debriefing 

presentations for both versions of the 

game.

Fish Banks Simulation Guide –

5

th

-12th Grades (20) pages

 One computer for every 2-4 

students 

 Simulation online at 

http://bit.ly/Fish Banks

 Handouts (Pages 8-15)

 Excel spreadsheet to create Users/ 

Fishing Teams

 Introduction and Debrief 

slideshows 

 Technical Guide (starting on page 

17) 

Debriefing Slides

42 slides – Within the Instructors’ 

Debriefing Guide, each slide is presented 

with key points to describe the slide.

Debriefing Presentation – video 

format; Dr. John Sterman

Teacher Note: There will be specific 

Chesapeake Bay-related fisheries 

slides that you can incorporate into 

the debriefing to use for student 

discussion and evaluation. These are 

included in APPENDIX D. 

Game Materials
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 4

Steps of Play for both Game Kit and Online Versions of Fish Banks

Steps of Play

FishBanks, Ltd. – System 

Dynamics Society, (Dennis 

Meadows)

MIT Sloan School of Business, 

(John Sterman and Andrew 

King)

Material Source Game Kit materials – Purchase

from System Dynamics Society, 

http://www.systemdynamics.org/

products/fish-bank/; or borrow 

materials from NOAA.

Register online at, 

Online Resources – MIT 

LearningEdge

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/Learning

Edge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages

/fish-banks.aspx

Steps of Play

S

Introductory Briefing Presentation

 Record data from computer 

printout

 Collect ships and money

 Bid for auctioned ships

 Buy or sell ships in trading 

session

 Place orders for new ship 

construction

 Calculate and record fleet size

 Allocate ships among fishing 

areas and harbor, and record 

on the decision sheet

 Place ships on the game board

 Give decision sheet to the 

computer operator

 Develop your strategy for 

ending the game with the 

maximum possible assets. (This 

will be performed every (3) 

years or fishing rounds).

Debriefing Presentation – video 

format; Professor Emeritus. Dennis 

Meadows 

Introductory Briefing Presentation

• Initial fishing company data is 

available online in the game 

simulation; students enter their 

decisions into the computer, 

rather than on a paper decision 

sheet

• Bid for auctioned ships

• Buy or sell ships in trading 

session

• Place orders for new ship 

construction

• Allocate ships among fishing 

areas and harbor

Debriefing Presentation – video 

format; Dr. John Sterman
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 5

Fish Banks Game Kit Teacher Manual Table of Contents

1. Introduction to FishBanks Ltd. 1-1 

History.............................................................................................................................1-1 

Goals of FBL ....................................................................................................................1-2 

Related materials............................................................................................................1-4 

2. Guide to Conducting the Game ........................................................................................2-1 

A note on your role.........................................................................................................2-1 

Use of the Role Description............................................................................................2-1 

Preparing for the game...................................................................................................2-2 

Setting up the room........................................................................................................2-3 

Figure 2-1: Typical room set-up for a game session with 4 teams.......................................2-4 

Figure 2-2: Form for the Team Performance Report................................................2-5 

Creating the teams.........................................................................................................2-5 

Introducing the game .....................................................................................................2-7 

Conducting the Game.....................................................................................................2-9 

Pacing the fleet expansion .............................................................................................2-9 

Conducting the auction ..................................................................................................2-10 

Auction by escalating bids.........................................................................................2-11 

Auction by the Dutch method...................................................................................2-12 

Auction by sealed bid ................................................................................................2-12 

Team decision making ....................................................................................................2-12 

Entering the data............................................................................................................2-13 

Information for the teams..............................................................................................2-14 

Information for the operator..........................................................................................2-14 

Figure 2-3 Indices summarizing a typical game performance ..................................2-16 

Operator’s steps of play .................................................................................................2-16 

Receive computer printout and record.....................................................................2-17 

Collect ships...............................................................................................................2-17 

Bid for auctioned ships..............................................................................................2-17 

Buy or sell ships in the trading session .....................................................................2-18 

Place orders for new ship construction ....................................................................2-18 

Calculate and record the fleet size............................................................................2-18 

Allocate ships among fishing areas and harbor; record decisions............................2-19 

Place ships on game board........................................................................................2-19 

Give Decision Sheet to the game operator...............................................................2-19 

Facilitating the game ......................................................................................................2-19

Debriefing .......................................................................................................................2-21 

Figure 2-4: Principal causal loops in the FBL model..................................................2-23 

3. Guide to Operating the Computer Program.....................................................................3-1 

Caveat Emptor!!! ............................................................................................................3-1 

New features of Version 8..............................................................................................3-1 
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 6

Transferring the software to your computer .................................................................3-3 

Registering your software ..............................................................................................3-4 

Sample game session......................................................................................................3-5 

Screen #1: Create New Game.........................................................................................3-6 

Screen #2: About FishBanks ...........................................................................................3-7 

Screen #3: Initial Conditions...........................................................................................3-8 

Initial Fish........................................................................................................................3-9 

Other initial values..........................................................................................................3-10 

Screen #4: Team Reports................................................................................................3-11 

Screen #5: Team Report .................................................................................................3-12 

Screen #6: Operator Report ...........................................................................................3-13 

Figure 3:1 Relation of Ship Effectiveness to Fish Density .........................................3-16 

Figure 3-2: Relation of Fish Density to New Fish ......................................................3-17

Ship Salvage Value..........................................................................................................3-18

Team Performance .........................................................................................................3-19 

Indices for Worksheet ....................................................................................................3-20 

Screen #7: Team Decisions.............................................................................................3-21 

Two common data entry errors......................................................................................3-23

Resuming the game ........................................................................................................3-29 

Notes on the sequence of calculations ..........................................................................3-31 

Notes on using FBL in other languages ..........................................................................3-33

APPENDIX 1: Decision Sheet Terms......................................................................................A-1 

Annual Report.................................................................................................................A-1 

Change Number of Ships................................................................................................A-1 

Allocate Ships..................................................................................................................A-2 

APPENDIX 2: Steps of Play ....................................................................................................A-4 

APPENDIX 3: Answers to Questions Frequently Asked by the Participants.........................A-5 

APPENDIX 4: Insights from the play of FBL...........................................................................A-10 

APPENDIX 5: Complementary Activities...............................................................................A-12 

APPENDIX 6: A Simple Renewable Resource Game..............................................................A-14
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 7

MIT LearningEdge

Fishbanks Simulation Instructors’ Guide: Setup and Player Briefing Guide

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Key Lessons

2. Before You Run a Game

a. Game Mode and Group Size

b. Choosing Settings

c. Authorizing Users

3. Class Plan for a Workshop (Live) Session

a. Room Setup and Seating 

b. Introduction and Instructions

c. Logging In and Simulation Orientation

d. Starting Play

e. Normal Play

f. Crisis

g. Resolution

h. Game Wrap Up

4. APPENDIX 1: Example configurations

5. APPENDIX 2: Administering and Managing Regulation as an Instructor

6. APPENDIX 3: Tips for Playing Asynchronously

7. References
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noaa.gov 8

CC2015 – Fishbanks Simulation Guide, Grades 5th-12th

Complete Lesson at MIT Learning Edge

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/simulations/fishbanks/Pages/fish-banks.aspx

(Also see the Creative Learning Exchange)

http://static.clexchange.org/ftp/newsletter/CLEx24.2.pdf

Contents

1. Overview

a. Learning Goals

2. Team Goal

3. Lesson Details

a. Preparation

b. Introduction and Community Creation

c. Preparation for Next Day

d. Running the Simulation

e. Debrief the Simulation

f. Connection Circle and Loop Examples

4. Curricular Connection Examples (NGSS Standards)

5. Acknowledgements

a. Credits

6. FishBanks Resources

7. FishBanks Handouts

a. FishBanks Simulation Requirements

b. Community Creation Tasks

c. Community Creation Summary 

d. Simulation Record-Keeping

e. Finding Connections 

f. Leverage Plan