MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Teacher Ryan Niman’s fifth-period social studies classroom last week was an unusual sight.
It was end of the school day at Mountlake Terrace High School and warm outside. But Niman’s freshmen were energetic and jumped at playing the roles of juror, prosecutor and defense attorney.
They held lively trials challenging each other’s arguments and calling to question evidence. The students’ presidential election speeches stirred reactions from the crowd.
The students were engaged in The Civic Mirror, a role-playing game where students learn about government and economics by creating and running their own system, both online and in the classroom. Students hold classroom events where they make and change laws; buy, trade and sell land; prosecute illegal actions; and voice questions and concerns.
Niman said his students see the effects of laws and government on a daily basis and how it affects them individually.
“I think the big takeaway for them is that laws and government do matter; that these things do affect us as individuals,” he wrote in an e-mail.
Civic Mirror is a year-round program where the classroom becomes a country and the students are the citizens. The students are in charge of molding their government, writing laws, divvying up land and handling an economy.
“It teaches them different forms of government by letting them create their own,” said Sarah Schumacher, secondary literacy coach and social studies coordinator for the Edmonds School District.
Each of Niman’s three block classes has formed a fictional country. The students in each class decided to have a president, a House of Representatives, a Senate and a Supreme Court judge.
Each student has a hidden political agenda assigned to them, such as a “dictator,” “socialist” or “liberal.” Students earn points when the country moves toward their agenda.
The Civic Mirror game board is a 36-hexagon map representing the classroom’s country. Each color-coded hexagon represents an environment, economy or residential area and supplies “units” that benefit students. The goal is for students to develop and sustain their hexagons.
Niman said Civic Mirror helps his students link what they are learning to current events. Last week, Niman’s student presidents each gave State of the Union addresses, laying out what they want Congress to accomplish. But some of the members ignored or put off the recommendations. Niman likened this to President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“It helps me learn my place in society,” said Vincent Max, 15, who acts as Speaker of the House in Niman’s fifth-period class.
“I’m interested in law and government and economics and how they interact with each other,” said Adam Oberstadt, 14, a mock senator. “This (Civic Mirror) helped me think more about government.”
Max and Oberstadt sponsored an anti-discrimination act.
John Moore, 14, said Civic Mirror afforded him the chance to take on leadership roles in the classroom.
“I like being a leader,” Moore said. As President of the Senate, Moore sponsored laws in the classroom to increase citizen opinion in lawmaking and preventing students from deleting e-mails that could be used as evidence.
Mckayla Floe, 15, compared Civic Mirror to playing the computer game “The Sims,” but Civic Mirror has higher stakes and decisions impact the rest of the players.
“You’re learning without realizing it,” Fole said.
Find more information about The Civic Mirror online at www.civcmirror.com.
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