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An introduction to the game Civic Mirror
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The Civic Mirror
civicmirror.com
What Is?
The Civic Mirror
What kind of citizen will you become?
The Civic Mirror
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The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
THE CIVIC MIRROR STARTS WITH A
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Each student becomes a citizen who must provide for a
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
…
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
But …
Because there are not enough goods and services to go around, conflict arises as citizens compete to provide for their families.
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
OK … so you might be thinking…
• How does this work?
• How do students live in a country?
• How do they get what they need?
• Does each student have his/her own country, does everyone share one?
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Every Civic Mirror country is a 36-Hex Map!
There exists both an economy & a natural environment.
A class of students lives in ONE country, and …
The actions of one affect all!
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
The hex map serves as a “civic mirror.”
As students progress through the simulation, their hex map evolves to reflect their collective struggles, political debate, and individual ups & downs.
Each hex simulates something unique about society.
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
All Hexes fall into 1 of 3 categories:
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
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The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
A QUICK RECAP
Everyone lives in the same 36-hex country
There are Wilderness, Business, & Residence hexes
Everyone has a fictitious family that they need to provide for …
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
A QUICK RECAP (cont’d)
Students who own hexes operate them as they like
And due to economic scarcities built into the game, some Families will suffer more than others
So ….
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Civic Mirror Overview
Because everyone is affected by the decisions of the hex owners, conflict arises as citizens debate over how the owners should manage their property and assets.
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
And to prevent their country from slipping into a CHAOTIC MESS, students must somehow
GOVERN themselves!
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
So participants (students) are left to their own devices to provide for their fictitious families,
This creates ‘player stakes.’ These stakes motivate players to participate in the political, civic, and judicial events that occur in the classroom.
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
And !!! Each participant is given a political, economic, and/or
ideological
Hidden Agenda.
These agendas give you goals in the game in order to attain Status Points
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
The whole scenario begs the participants to govern themselves and institute law and order.
They immediately begin asking questions like…
o “Can he do that to me?”
o “Would I get in trouble if …?”
o “Why doesn’t somebody stop her? Or at least say something!?”
o “Would I score points if taxes were raised?”
The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Now that we understand how the scenario works and how it generates interest, let’s learn how it sets up classroom events that simulate the U.S. and/or Canadian system of government, law, and economics.
The Civic Mirror is played in rounds, called “Years.” And every country starts in the Year 2000.
Every Year is made up of 4 in-class events, called “Seasons.”
And instructors decide how many “Seasons” are played.
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Civic Mirror OverviewSeason 1 in the Canadian Module
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Civic Mirror Overview
Simulated House of Commons
WINTER
Season 1 in the Canadian Module
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Season 2 in All Modules
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Season 3 in All Modules
The Civic Mirror
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Season 3 in All ModulesTown Hall Set Up
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Season 4 in All Modules
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Season 4 in All Modules
National Court Set-Up
FALL
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Evaluation
• There will be many points throughout the game where you will be asked to reflect on the activities in class
• These reflections will be collected and made into a portfolio which will be evaluated at the end of the course
• You will also be doing a self assessment at the end of the game based upon:1. Status Point Accumulation2. Game Participation and Effort3. Initiative4. Applying Class Content to the Game
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CIVICMIRROR.COM
CIVICMIRROR.COM also comes with Web 2.0 Tools that allow teachers and students to continue their learning and discussions and debate beyond the classroom walls.
• Online discussion forums
• Wiki technology
• Live chat room
• CM Library (educators can share and collaborate on teaching ideas)
• CM Mail (everyone has their own inbox for private messages)
The Civic Mirror
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Student Feedback
• Students prefer learning using Civic Mirror– More interesting to get to learn through hands on
experience– More fun, easier to learn complex ideas– Made class exciting and intense!– Get to live through making laws and the court system
and you live through the consequences of decisions made
• Students feel they have a better grasp of what it means to be an engaged citizen
• Students are much more informed and will want to participate in their civic rights and duties
The Civic Mirror
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STUDENT REFLECTION
“I really learned a lot this term working with Civic Mirror. I liked how everyone had their own agendas and how we had to research the different forms of government so that we could accomplish them to the best of our ability. It was fun to try to find all the dictators and stop them. I also really liked how you had to learn to come together as a community and try to keep everyone alive, we had a lot of dead people after the first couple years. The trials and law making parts were a lot of fun and I really found them informational as I am thinking about a job in criminal justice next year. This made learning fun and I learned more in this class than any of my other classes this year.”
~ M.B. Chemawa Indian School Senior
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Advice From Students
• READ THE MANUAL!!!!!!• listen and participate, voice your opinion and
things will happen• Get involved! If you put in effort you will be
rewarded• Treat it like a real thing, it works better if you put
a lot of effort in• Take on extra roles, you will understand how the
Canadian government works better• Be happy you are not doing bookwork• Buy a hex that can make you money• Pay attention to new legislation being passed
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Student Manual
• What next?• Be prepared! Read over the student manual
– You will be better prepared when the game begins– There will be reading checks worth $ in the game– You can take advantage of those who don’t know what’s
happening!
• http://bit.ly/I4JzNq• Now…. We need to continue on with the course so
know how our country works, and therefore Civic Mirror
• There will be a test run of the hex trading next week!
