After you’ve chosen your civics game topic, please answer the following questions in your blog: 1. What is your game topic (explain in detail) and how does it relate to civics? (150 words)
2. How will a player learn more about civics while they play your game? (150)
3. Where does your game topic fit into the Civics Knowledge Framework? Does it teach about an ideal of government, a function of government or about citizenship? Please explain. To answer this question first you must read:
Civics Knowledge Framework
Leading questions we ask ourselves regarding making Civics Games:
- What issues, themes and topics should Globaloria students consider to focus on in their civics games?
- What civics topics should Globaloria students explore, examine, learn, understand, and master while making their civics games?
To answer these questions, we conceptualized the Globaloria Program on Civics Games around three groups of content questions and related objectives:
1. Understanding Ideals: What are the key principles and values underlying US government? What’s their origin?
2. Understanding Function: How does the US government work?
3. Understanding Citizenship: How to be an active and effective citizen at any age?
Understanding these three dimensions or pieces of civics knowledge, and their inter-connectedness, has been established in the public education system as essential for 7thto 12th graders. These objectives and issues are also in alignment with West Virginia CSOs on social studies and civics and OurCourts.org curriculum.
The Globaloria Civics Knowledge Framework:
1. Ideals: What are the key principles and values underlying US government?
· Origins/history of key ideas and values
· Government systems (democracy, dictatorship, communism, monarchy)
· Majority rule
· Minority rights
· Separation of Powers
· Individual Rights and Freedoms
2. Function: How does the US government work?
· Local, state and national/federal levels of government systems
· Local, state and national/federal court systems
· The three branches of government (executive, legislative, judiciary)
· Role of citizens and outside groups (unions, lobbyists, media)
3. Citizenship: How to be an active and effective citizen at any age?
· Stay informed (locally, nationally, globally)
· Explore a variety of sources and perspectives
· Develop a position on local, national and global issues
· Volunteer and participate in community service
· Take action!
· Develop a strategy for achieving results on the ground
· Learn to use action tools: protest, petition, letter writing, town meeting
· Lead and/or support at different capacities and levels (student government, community, local, national, etc.)
· Vote
1. Rationale: What are key principles and values underlying the US government?
Existing Games about the Purpose of Democracy:
American Symbols Game: http://www.texaslre.org/asymbols/symbolsgameintro.html
Bill of Rights Match Game: http://www.texaslre.org/BOR/billofrights.html
Geography America: http://games.crossmap.com/flash_play/america.htm
Example Game Ideas:
- A game where the player must determine in certain scenarios if rights secured by the Bill of Rights are being violated.
- A game where you play from the point of view of a Founding Father and make decisions that will establish the groundwork for the future of the US.
2. Function: How does the US government work?
Existing Games about the Function of US Government:
Redistricting Game: http://www.redistrictinggame.org/
Branches of Government: http://www.texaslre.org/branches_game.html
There Should Be a Law: http://www.texaslre.org/HowAbill/index.html
Example Game Ideas:
- A Role Playing Game (RPG) where you assume the role of one branch of government and have to “combat” the others.
- A game where you play the media and intervene in abuses of government on behalf of citizens.
- A game where you must determine if a given conflict falls under the jurisdiction of local, state or national courts.
3. Citizenship: How to be an active and effective citizen at any age?
Existing Games About the Role of Citizens:
Pick 12: http://www.texaslre.org/jurygame_intro.html
Play the News: http://www.playthenewsgame.com/portal/home.action
Bump the Birds: http://www.gothamgazette.com/games/ballotbump/
Example Game Ideas:
- A game where you play a community organizer and must achieve a civic objective with the tools available to you (petitions, protest, voting, etc.)
- A game where you must determine a position on a controversial issue and “fight” counter-arguments against it.
- A game where you must make wise choices in which news sources you select in order to stay informed.
This assignment is due by Friday, November 7, 2009~
