Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Plans Online Video Game |
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June 16, 2008 Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has unveiled plans to create a free, interactive, Web-based video game which will launch this fall. The game, called "Our Courts," will be designed to teach and engage middle-school students in the U.S. court system through a variety of civics lessons. "Our Courts" Lets Students Participate in Simulations of Actual Court Cases"Our Courts" will allow students to participate in realistic simulations of government and grapple with the social issues of today. They will be able to research and argue actual cases and controversies using real law, and they will view these cases from the perspective of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government. Our Courts will also encourage young people to act, by voicing their opinions in their communities and to their elected representatives. O'Connor's Game to Teach Students More about U.S. GovernmentO'Connor conceived of "Our Courts" because of her concerns that young people today are not learning enough about our government and judicial system. She points to these facts: little more than one-third of Americans can name the three branches of government; two-thirds of Americans know at least one of the judges on the Fox television show American Idol, but less than one-in-ten can identify the Chief Justice of the United States. In 2002, only a quarter of 15 to 25-year-olds reported regular attentiveness to politics and political affairs. Experts Assisting in "Our Courts" Game DevelopmentO'Connor has recruited experts in education, law, history, and technology at Georgetown Law Center and Arizona State University to craft the "Our Courts" program. The game's curriculum is problem-oriented and discovery-based, and addresses issues that impact the lives of young people in America. |
