iCivics+-+Win+the+Whitehouse

Educational Video Game >  The game that I played was “Win the White House”. In this game you select your age group (for age appropriate content), then you select your avatar from a variety of races and genders. You then pick what your main political point is. During the primaries you pick several other political points that will be the basis for your campaign. After you win the primary, which playing as an elementary aged person you are pretty guaranteed to win, but this may not be true for middle or high school, you compete over a series of 10 turns against your opponent. The primary turn walks you through the options of what you can do during the general election. As a candidate you have to sell yourself and your opinions, or you have to run negative ads against your opponent. You choose what will get you the most points, and be the most beneficial. >  For “Win the Whitehouse” it shows the player a much abbreviated (at least compared to our most recent election) process of what the candidate go through. The player has to earn enough money through fundraising, and they need to learn how and when to balance positive and negative campaigning. During the campaign rounds, you had to juggle acquiring new territories with defending the states that your opponent may try and steal from under you. Players have to take into consideration the electoral college points for each state, as well how much money they may earn fundraising and how likely they are to be able to sway the state in their favor.
 * // (4 points) A brief description of the game. You may include images or even video clips to help give readers a better idea of the game. //
 * // (5 points) The kinds of learning involved (i.e. What specifically did you learn from playing the game?). Think about the game tasks, objectives, terminology, etc. What skills did you need to learn to be successful at the game? Note that many 'educational' games don't actually teach new content area skills, but rather allow students to practice skills they've already learned elsewhere. //

>  In “Win the Whitehouse” this game, in part, utilizes the Multiple Routes Principle. The player has to determine the best way to win, and they have to choose whether to stand up for what they truly believe in, or argue other points that will help them win. It highlights, to a much lesser degree, what actual politicians may experience. During my playthrough in elementary mode, the primary portion was a tutorial for the general election portion. It helped guide the player through what all of the options and actions were, and it helped highlight how they may be useful.
 * // (5 points) The kinds of teaching involved (i.e. How did the game teach you?). Think about the kinds of feedback, rewards, guidance, and information the game gave you, and how it paced and structured your learning. Which Principles of Learning did the game utilize? //

>  After or during a unit on government and/or the election process, this game could easily be placed in the curriculum. It’s fairly easy to learn, and while there is a lot of text, it is written in a user friendly way that students should be able to understand. The iCivics website also has pre-aligned to CCSS units, individuals lessons and supplemental videos, which can help teachers utilize the content to its fullest.
 * // (6 points) Your overall reflections on playing the game. How might a teacher use the game in their curriculum? //