Right now there is concern among
some older demographics, over how involved young people are in their civic
duties. While there is no one answer to get young people more active, teachers
should help guide students towards becoming informed citizen. This weekend I was
introduced to ICivics. “ICivics is a
non-profit organization dedicated to reinvigorating civic learning, through
interactive and engaging learning resources.” Their desire is that the next
generation of citizens, is not only knowledgeable but also engaged.
Their games are interactive, and incorporate real issues that apply to
students. They currently have 19 games available, which focus on issues ranging
from how to vote, to the importance of counties, and all the way up the chain to becoming the
president. One of the games that I tested out is called Executive Command. This
game is fast paced (it only takes about 30 minutes); during that time you are
introduced to many of the issues, that a President faces in their 4 years in
office. Some of the things you will deal with while playing are: giving an Inaugural
Address, and lobbying congress to gather support and pass law, you may also
encounter declarations of war!
This website also includes lesson plans, and guides for teachers, to see
where they meet state and federal standards. The lesson plans incorporate basic
knowledge and vocabulary, which will help students play more effectively. They also include scenarios for you to work
out as a class.
I think it would be wonderful to use the various ICivics games, to
introduce the workings of government to my students. As they learn more about
how government works, I would use this to get them talking about the importance
of having a government. After that as a class, the students would decide on
roles and offices, that they would need for their own government. Moving through
the semester they would elect class members, and choose how their government
will be run. Doing this will along with Icivics, allows them to see things that
are happing, or have happened in real situations.
This game (Argument Wars) focuses on various Supreme Court cases. The cases available are ones which students are able to relate with. This case was New Jersey versus T.L.O. It focuses on a students right to privacy, in accordance with the 4th amendment.
Even if you are not a history teacher or future history teacher, I encourage
you to check this website out.
This is a game which focuses on citizenship and immigration.
Awesome! Did you get a sense of the age level best suited for the game?
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