Do your kids know about the Constitution? What is an amendment? How does a bill become a law? Do they know how to use the electoral college, or what the Cabinet is for? If not, it’s time to play some games! Here are four board games that teach high school civics. They make learning fun and engaging- all while leaving them with valuable knowledge of our American government. These games can be played at home or in class (and will make classroom discussions more interesting!)
Let’s face it, student learning has been complicated. Luckily, there are board games out that can help teach civics in an engaging and fun way! Here are four of our favorite games to get you started.
Board Games Are Powerful Learning Tools
1. Board Games Mix Laughing with Learning
Board games are a great way to bring people back together in the months of socially distanced learning. Board games allow for competitive, friendly competition that is beneficial to strengthening vocabulary, math, science, and other skills. So grab these party games and get ready for fun!
2. Board Games Motivate Students with Competition
Board games are a great way to motivate students by offering them the chance to win. Teaching with board games can help create healthy competition and fun spaces for children, especially those who don’t want to compete but still enjoy being part of the game setup or cleanup time in school.
3. Board Games Support Whole Body Learning
Playing with colorful gameboards and cards help learner engage their senses while learning. Add in healthy competition, and you have created a connected learning experience. The best part? There are board games for every subject.
4. Board Games Improve Attention Span
Board games can offer a refreshing alternative to screens for today’s youth. Board gameplay offers time spent in deep contemplation, and the opportunity for healthy competition as well. Students will have their full attention on board games and do not need flashy graphics or pinging notifications that threaten more contemplative thought. Board games can also increase creativity and problem-solving skills.
5. Board Games are Easy to Adapt
Board games can be a lot of fun and they are often designed to accommodate players at different levels. For instance, some board games have gotten easier or more complex depending on the level that you choose for your game-play. This makes it easy when playing with children who may not yet know how to play as well because by adjusting their skill level we’re able to cater the experience just right!
The games listed here are fun, easy to learn, and will provide hours of learning and funr. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
What Makes a Great Civics Board Game?
A great civics board game should have these essential qualities to develop and challenge critical skills.
1. Reinforces Vocabulary & Concepts
By playing a word game, you will be forced to expand your vocabulary. However, with this civics board game, not only are players expanding their knowledge of words related to politics and government but they’re also learning the ins and outs of American history by using these academic terms over time as they play!
2. Highlights the Relationship of Civics With Other Subjects
A great board game highlights the truth that civic engagement overlaps several other classroom subjects. It’s impossible to discuss civics without revisiting American history, geography, law, even math – someone’s gotta count all those votes. So look for games that offer more than trivia, but a well-rounded game that challenges students to use their other knowledge and skills.
3. Immerses Students In The Process
Civics education aims to help students understand that citizens must work together within the political process to improve communities. Those processes are both political and non-political. So, a compelling game is more than remembering the dates of the Declaration and other trivia. A good civics game engages the students in actions that address issues of public concern.
4 Board Games That Teach American Civics
These four games introduce, strengthen, and engage school students in civics learning objectives.
1. PolitiCraft
PolitiCraft is not just a deck of cards, it’s an interactive game that takes the form of community-building stories and conversations. Divided into economics, politics, environment, social justice categories, this informative set will make you think about these important aspects in new ways with fun activities.
Players are given the opportunity to reinvent their community in this game. First, they play cards with issues that need addressing and come up with ways of solving them. They then champion for those ideas by explaining what needs to be done and why it will solve the problem at hand. With each card, they earn or loose points. It is a fun way of getting children interested in how communities work!
When students advance to higher-level classes, they will encounter new vocabulary words specific to the subject. Learning new words and expanding vocabulary is key to academic success, but for classes like civics, it is essential. This is where PolitiCraft really shines; it teaches learners not only what each word means but engages students to use these terms to win the game.
Politicraft is a card game that makes learning about politics fun. There are many ways you can play the game, and your options depend on the size of your group. If you want to teach whole group lessons with Politicraft, then try this:
- Instruct like-minded students to sit together at one table and agree on a cause. (Could be a great team-building exercise, too!)
- Choose the cards that guide the game to fit the teaching for the day.
- Display those cards on the projector and monitor student discussions.
- Wrap it up with a fun writing assignment so students can reflect on new discoveries. Can you see the potential for a long-term independent learning project?
2. The Contender
In this patriotic box of cards, you’ll find 500 red, white and blue playing cards. Each ARGUMENT card has a political statement on it, from taxes and pollution to social welfare and international relations. Players respond with the Fact, Distract, or Attack TOPIC cards. No previous knowledge is needed – so don’t worry if politics isn’t one of your strong suits!
- Each round has 1 moderator; everyone else is a Contender.
- Contenders are dealt 3-5 argument cards.
- The moderator chooses a TOPIC CARD and reads it aloud.
- Contenders use at least 3 ARGUMENT cards to reply to the TOPIC CARD.
- The moderator chooses the best argument.
The ARGUMENT cards are divided into three types – Facts, Distracts, and Attacks. Using these cards, students learn to craft hilarious arguments that coincide with the three tenets of rhetoric- ethos, logos, and pathos. These are essential for understanding persuasive speech and convincing audiences with sound logic and compelling emotions.
The box says 5-6 players, and at less than $15.00 a set, multiple boxes of Politicraft can be used to create small groups of learners in your classroom. But if you want whole group learning, remove the game’s randomness and try this:
Instruct like-minded students to sit together and choose a group cause.
Choose the cards that guide the game to fit the teaching for the day.
Display those cards on the projector and monitor student discussions.
Wrap it up with a fun writing assignment so students can reflect on new discoveries. Can you see the potential for a long-term independent learning project?
3. Presidential IQ
The Presidential IQ Trivia Card Game is a game based on true facts about the United States Presidents – from Washington to Trump.
The game includes 280 cards with important facts from all 44 Presidents of America! For example: which president introduced Prohibition? What are two countries Abraham Lincoln signed an international treaty with after World War II? Who was Franklin Delano Roosevelt running against when he died during his fourth term as president?
The game is played like the classic Trivial Pursuit Games but without the board.
The question cards are displayed face up for all to see so no one has any advantage over anyone else should they know more than another person does! This competitive yet collaborative nature makes it virtually impossible not have fun while playing through each round of questions!
This deck of cards will keep students fully engaged! The colorful design and variety of facts in each card are perfect for learning activities at the end or beginning of a lesson. Have students:
- Sort the cards to find at least two facts relating back the days learning.
- Chart historical patterns
- Analyze the president’s character based on the facts on the cards
- Create mini-research projects or timeline based on events
4. Constitutional Quest
The board has a nostalgic, old-world look with deep reds and creme colors. You’ll find the 3 branches of government at 4 corners and founding fathers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin on your game pieces. With every turn, the 223 trivia cards cover the entire Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Play is similar to a traditional board game which you roll the dice and move around. You answer questions that match your color on the board, earning points when answered correctly. The player with most points wins!
The cards alone are worth the investment in this game as they have beautiful artwork with a variety of topics for all ages to enjoy. As an introduction or review of primary source documents, the applications to lessons can be endless! Have students create:
- A process chart to outline the duties of each government branch
- A T-chart categorizing patterns
- A cause and effect analysis of events
Board games are a great way to teach Civics this summer. PolitiCraft, The Contender, Presidential IQ, and Constitutional Quest helps Parents and Teachers offer different ways for parents to brush up on their knowledge of the Constitution while also teaching how it impacts today’s world. If you’re looking for an interactive summer activity that will keep your kids’ brains sharp this summer then look no further than board games!
