Getting Interactive: Using Activities, Simulations, and Games in the AP Government & Politics Classroom

Bryan Boucher

Dunwoody High School

Dunwoody, GA

Who Am I?

Teaching: 13 Years

► At Dunwoody HS: 10 Years

► AP Courses: US Govt. & Politics, US History, Comparative Govt. & Politics, Human Geography

► AP Reading: 5 Years

► Proud XC Coach!

School Profile

► 1,600 Students► Suburban setting (north

Atlanta)► Ethnically diverse

(approx. 50% White, 25% African-American, 25% Hispanic)

► 4x4 Block Schedule (90 Min. Periods)

► Average AP Class Size = Between 30-40

What We’re Here For Today

Learn about how to use interactive activities/simulations/games in an AP GoPo course

► Rationale and linkage to content/assessments

► Procedure along with evaluation/reflection

► Be introduced to one activity from each of the six units of AP GoPo (with alternative and bonus review activities)

► Beg, Borrow, and Steal Disclaimer

Interactive Games v. Activities v. Simulations

Games

►Only good with a purpose!

►Best used at the end of units

Activities

►Can be used as openers, closers, or to break up lectures

►Often accompanied with discussions / used to spark discussions

Simulations

►Generally longer in nature (1 class or more)

►Used to give students a sense of others’ positions

►Designed as longer projects

Quick Interactive #1

► Unit of Study: Political Beliefs and Behaviors: “The Mockus Caucus!”

► Follow up with discussion on Iowa caucus

► Response on value of primaries and caucuses

► Primary source or demographic data work

► Iowa Caucus C-SPAN Clips:► 2008 Iowa Caucus Clip

► Additional Unit Activities

► Voter Demographic Profile

► Guess My Political Ideology

► Be a Pollster! Project

Quick Interactive #2

► Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings: Cake Equality Game (learned at National Constitution Center)

► Step 1: Buy (or make) a cake

► Step 2: Place it in front of class (preferably as students enter)

► Step 3: Ask kids to determine how to divide the cake up equally (make them write it down)

► Step 4: List all the meanings of “equal” in this activity

Why I Use This Activity + Assessments

► Why I Use► Gets students to think about words they used to, but examine from a different

perspective (What is equality? What is fairness?)► Sets the tone for the unit and year

► Possible Assessments► Introduction to Constitutional Interpretation activities (Fishbowl discussion: Were the

Founding Fathers Jerks?)► Initial Policy and Federalism Responses (Social Security, Welfare, etc.)

► Additional Unit Activities► Federalism

► Disaster Simulation Activity (Who responds?)► Federal Grant Simulation

► Constitutional Underpinnings► Rock, Paper, Scissors v. Checks and Balances (credit to National Constitution

Center)► Constitutional Compromises Simulation (NJ v. VA Plans)

Why Use Interactive Activities?

► A great way to engage students

► Attitude changer

► “The Cup of Doom”

► Student collaboration

► 10th v. 12th graders

► Keeps Teacher Engaged!

► No simulations work the same way twice

► Have to be “on your game” to respond to different variables

Quick Interactive #3

► Unit of Study: Civil Liberties & Rights: Voting Rights Simulation

► Procedure:

► 1. Divide students into 7 teams

► 2. Teams #1-4 have right to vote for budget

► 3. Teams #5-7 have to “convince” teams #1-4 to give them the right to vote

► 4. After 5 minutes, teams #1-4 decide whether any other team should vote

► 5. Any teams with right to vote get to decide budget

► 6. Debrief

► 7. Assessment ideas?

Challenges With Interactive Activities

► Time (Fitting them into curriculum)

► Value (Is it worth it?)

► Class Size (Too big or too small?)

► Multiple Simulations

► Different Roles in Simulations

► Planning and Preparation

► The “Unknown”

► The “Rabble-rousers”

Detailed Simulation #1

► Unit: Institutions of Government

► Activity: Building a Winning Coalition – An Introduction to Congress (adapted from “Playing Politics” textbook)

► Procedure:

► 1. Students divided into 7 teams; given 4 policy issues (out of 8) that are important to them

► 2. Teams must get a total of 10 points devoted to their issues in order for them to earn back any points

► 3. Negotiations between each round

► 4. Teacher announces each issue before next negotiations

► 5. Team with most points at the end of 8 rounds wins!

► 6. Long debrief and discussion (frame the unit)

Detailed Simulation #1 – Follow Up & Additional Activities

► Follow Up Activities:

► Congress and coalitions discussion

► Introduction of “Be a Successful Congressperson” Project

► Additional Institutions of Government Activities:

► Congressional Committee Hearing Simulation

► Bureaucracy Simulation Activity (Congressional Committee v. Federal Agency)

► Bureaucracy Opening Activity (Name and job description of Admin.)

► Judicial Nomination Simulation (Federal Judge or Supreme Court Justice)

OK, I’ve Tried Simulations And…

► They’re a disaster! Help!

► Problem: They take too long or are too complicated

► Solution: What are the essential parts that need to be saved?

► Problem: They require supplies that I don’t have

► Solution: How can I be creative with materials?

► Problem: I don’t like simulations!

► Solution: Does it help your students?

► Problem: The students get confused by directions

► Solution: Peer problem solving or HW assignment to study the rules of the simulation for the next day

Detailed Simulation #2

► Unit: Public Policy; Agenda Setting and Tax and Spend Simulation

► Builds off the concepts in Congressional Coalition simulation; final simulation for the semester

► Procedure:

► 1. Students in groups of 7-8

► 2. Individual students are given a priority sheet of two policy issues that they are most concerned with, and must argue for those

► 3. Groups must first decide about a tax structure to use (which gives them a certain amount of points to distribute)

► 4. Once tax structure has been decided, group distributes points to each policy issue, with students getting points if their issue gets attention

► 5. 15 minute time limit, with 1 student in each group who serves as a “roadblock”

► Follow up:

► Station rotation activity where students examine different public policy issues, along with primary source visuals

► Culminating reflection response on the impact of simulations

BONUS!: Review Activities (Sort of a Simulation)

► FRQ Reading Table Simulation

► Can be done as a test or review exercise

► Gets students to understand the “explain” part of FRQ’s

► Examining the Exam

► Purpose: Shows students what they need to study for the AP Exam

► Step 1: Diagnostic exam (Previous released AP Exam)

► Step 2: Self-Grade exam

► Step 3: Examine what units each question came from

► Step 4: Tally results, consult AP course outline

Detailed Simulation #3

► Unit: Linkage Institutions – Interest Group Simulation

► Procedure► 1. Get Skittles (given to Lobbyists)► 2. Students divided into 2 groups: Legislators

and Lobbyists► 3. Students given an ideology, ranging from

Very Conservative to Very Liberal► 4. Legislators will be voting on a tax cut bill;

Lobbyists can use their Skittles to influence the votes of legislators (or can they?)

► 5. Students are awarded points based on whether the bill passes + how many Skittles they have

► 6. Two winners: Lobbyist and legislator► Follow Up Activities

► Brainstorm how IG’s influence► FRQ of IG influences, etc.

Final Thoughts…

► If you’ve never used simulations, give them a try, and start with 1 or 2 to see how they work for you and your students

► Remember to always link back to content…the students will remember it!

► Every good simulation fails from time to time…learn from it to improve for the future (don’t give up on a simulation just because it fails once)

► Resources:

► Me

► AP Community

► AP Central

► Concepts that you struggle to find activities for

Session Evaluation and CEUs

To receive CEUs at the AP Annual Conference, you must complete the following steps:

► Log into the College Board Online CEU System found at http://apac.collegeboard.org.

► Fill out an evaluation of each session you attended and the Overall Conference evaluation.

► Select the Finish button and print your CEU certificate.

► Complete this process by August 26.

Questions or Comments?Bryan Boucher

- Dunwoody High School (Dunwoody, GA)- Email: Bryan_M_Boucher@dekalbschools.org- Website:

https://www.myhaikuclass.com/mrboucher/apgopo- Twitter: @APGoPoDHS